I meant to post this later on Friday, but my desktop went blooie....AGAIN. So now Kyle's stepdad was kind enough to lend me a desktop unit; he's going to look at my desktop unit this weekend when we all do our usual DnD. From what I described to him, he says he thinks it might be a hardware issue...great. Oh, he also looked at my laptop - and the motherboard is fried. Literally
cooked. Like, there's scorch marks on it and everything. So now I have to get in contact with the guy and see if he'll give me my money back. If he at least gives me $250 of the 300 I paid for it, I will be more than happy. But we'll see. If it turns out he doesn't want to answer my phone calls, then I guess I will just have to show up on his doorstep, huh?? I KNOW WHERE HE LIVES!! lol.
Anyways, enough of my computer update, here is my travel itinerary:
First, there...
...then back...
I hope the images are large enough to read; if they're not then I really don't know how to re-size them.
I've never traveled out of the country before, let alone overseas, so I've never gone through customs before or ever had to have a passport checked, etc. David, I know you've been through this before several times, would you mind giving me a run-through of a hypothetical airport scenario of what it's like to do all this? I'd really appreciate it, since that's the only part of the trip I'm apprehensive about (I don't want to look like a fool, yo). Thank you :)
4 comments:
Ok so lets start with what will probably happen in Phoenix or Chicago. You'll go to the Airline Desk to Check in and you'll check your luggage in Phoenix and unless they say they checked it in all the way to Austria you'll have to go to baggage claim in Chicago and then get it rechecked at the airline desk. Oh and be sure to check what sort of baggage you are allowed to take as that depends on the airline and that is constantly changing.
Now for Phoenix to Chicago its a domestic flight so don't expect much out of it. Oh I forget to mention that in Chicago you'll have to change terminals in Ohare but theres a monorail train that will get you to terminal 5 I believe it is where all international flights fly out of. When checking in they will ask you the basic security questions such as "Did a stranger give you something to take on the plane?" and so forth. To check in for your flight in Chicago have your passport ready as they will need that to check you in. Also if you are travelling on two passports such as a US and Austrian Passport mention that to them just in case.
They have a food court in terminal 5 right before security to get to the international flight gates but in my opinion the food there is overpriced and disgusting but you can be the judge of that. Security is going to be a pain in the butt as looking at your itinerary you are a bit pressed for time but you should be able to make it through. When you are boarding your flight have your passport open to the page with your picture and the information as well as your boarding pass. Enjoy your flight to Poland and there probably will be some sort of entertainment center for you to watch movies on, listen to music, and so forth. When I flew British Airways they had the same stuff on the entertainment center for my flight to Riyadh that they had on my flight from Phoenix to London and with being stuck in London on the plane for 7 hours because of ice I finished all the movies and was a bit bored. Ok I was really bored.
Now I'm not sure but I think you will have to go through immigration in Poland but ask a flight attendant on your flight and explain that you are just transiting on your way to Austria. I know in Germany and I think France you do go through immigration. In London since I was just transiting I didn't have to because I never even left the airport.
You will probably have to go to the airline desk and get another boarding pass for your flight to Austria. Then you will presumably go through security again and then when boarding your flight have your passport open to the page with your photo and have your boarding pass ready.
Now since you will be staying in Austria you will probably have to fill out a customs card and on the card you will probably have to put where you are staying and for how long. This you will fill out before you land. Then once you land in Austria either you get your checked baggage from baggage claim first and proceed to immigration or you proceed to immigration first and then get your checked baggage.
Now for coming back to the states. Skipping forward to your flight from Warsaw to Chicago... There will probably still be extra security checks for US bound flights at this point because of the Nigerian Guy who tried to blow up his underwear. The checks consist of being patted down by a guard wearing gloves and them going through your carry on or hand baggage. Oh and be sure to pay attention to the amount of liquids, gels, and aerosals you bring. About an hour before landing in Chicago they will probably show a video about what to do for customs and immigration in Chicago and you will have to fill out a customs form with your passport number and everything. Once you land you go to customs and immigration and stand in the US Citizens/Permanent Residents/Canadian Citizens line and then you get your checked baggage afterwords. Then when leaving they can recheck your baggage for you so you don't have to bring it with you to another terminal for your last flight. When they stamp your passport it wont say where you landed it will just say something like Department of Homeland Security and the date you landed. Its a very bland oval stamp. I wish they still did the stamps where it says which city you landed in.
lol it took two comments because I went over the 4000 character limit per comment post.
I *think* that the only limit [it's about 3 oz.] for liquids/gels/aerosols is for carry-on baggage. I don't think that there is a limit for checking it. I'll give my mom a call today, though, as she works for US Airways and will most likely know for sure.
http://www.tsa.gov/311/
The 3-1-1 system on the webpage above is accepted by both Poland and Austria, so you should be alright.
Also, thanks for the good luck! You were only a day late for three out of five, and the tests today are the two we [or maybe just me] will need luck for. xD
And that last comment was me; this pretty much says the same thing, haha.
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