When I booked our holiday flights last summer I vaguely recall thinking twice before clicking confirm. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is the busiest airport in the United States and it is notorious for delays. But we were traveling in August; the winter weather that often grinds the Midwest to a halt wouldn’t be an issue. Summer weather hazards never crossed my mind. We were heading straight into a tornado.

Our layover in Chicago was short. We would get in and get out. Or so I thought when we checked-in for the first leg of our trip to Denver at 6am. The flight was on time. We made our way to gate and when we arrived the attendant was announcing the flight. We got in line. Ten minutes on and we were still standing. No one had boarded the plane. The wait began. After 20 minutes more the gate agent made an announcement, the flight was delayed and connecting flights were being rebooked. The reason cited, ‘Weather in Chicago.’

We found a seat and unpacked our breakfast; there had been no time for food at home. Eating and general vacation chatter kept us busy for a while but after an hour and a half our excitement had cooled. It turned to ice when an American Airlines representative called us to the podium. We were rebooked on a flight that would not arrive in Denver until very late that night. From Denver, it was a 4-hour drive to our hotel. The agent was firm, ‘There are no other seats to Denver today.’ We could take it or leave it. We boarded the plane.

Lesson #1: Client Service, once the pride of American enterprise, is paid only lip service today.

We arrived in Chicago to a clear blue sky and we were optimistic once again. We headed straight for the American Airlines customer service counter to enquire about getting waitlisted on an earlier flight. When I handed our tickets to the women at the desk she stated, ‘Your original flight was delayed due to mechanical problems.’ When I recovered from shock, I remembered to mumble something about food vouchers.

Lesson #2: Airlines don’t always tells the truth. There is no recourse for weather but they are liable for delays due to mechanical failure. Passengers left in the dark have no rights to fight for.

As we made our way to the gate of the next departing flight the chatter turned once again to our trip. We found seats and took out our books and games. We played until boarding was nearly complete. When the gate agent announced that they would be calling 4 passengers from the waitlist we moved happily to the desk. Four passengers were called but the names weren’t ours. Gold and Platinum cardholders walked up and walked on. Our missed connection due to the fault of the airline was of no interest to anyone.

Lesson #3: There is no democracy in air travel.

We still held confirmed seats on the evening flight. We would arrive late but we would get there in the end. It was time to use our food vouchers and tour the airport in search of a souvenir to remind us of our day at O’Hare. After that we hunkered down for the long wait. We took out our books and games and read and played until the wind picked up and clouds rolled in. Then we watched the storm. As our departure time approached, the storm intensified. Weather in Chicago took on a whole new meaning. Our flight was cancelled, the airport closed. Tornados had been sighted in the area. We were stuck in Chicago overnight.

Lesson #4: Buy travel insurance. The airlines have become efficient at turning the tables and making their problems yours.

We made our way to the customer service counter only to find a snaking queue hundreds of passengers long. We opted for the desk at the nearest gate and ran straight into a brick wall. There were no food vouchers and no hotels. And to top it off, American couldn’t get us to Denver the next day, all of their flights were sold out. After more than 15 hours of airports and airplanes my 9-year-old daughter broke down and cried, ‘We’ll never get there.’ Our adventure was quickly turning into a disaster. I demanded to speak to a manager. By this time I was irate and had to work hard not to be rude.

Lesson #5: Don’t take no for an answer.

The manager greeted us with good news and bad. He rebooked us on a flight with another airline for the following day. He had vouchers for food and accommodation. But the closest best bed was a 50-minute cab ride from the airport, in rush hour the next morning it could take us an hour and a half. If we moved fast we may get 5 hours of sleep. The alternative was a cot, pillow and blanket supplied by the airport. We grabbed the hotel voucher but decided to check out O’Hare’s makeshift sleeping quarters before exiting the airport. When the kids saw the cots they said in unison, ‘Let’s sleep here.’ While I hemmed and hawed they staked out their claim. They were once again having fun. Sleeping in the airport was an adventure.

Lesson #6: Turning a mishap into an adventure is easier than you think.