Reason #1 why American Airlines sucks

So we were packed and ready for the start of our adventure. The parents showed up and we loaded the bags into the trunk on a mild Sunday afternoon in Missouri. We arrived at KCI and made our way to the American Airlines baggage check in. With itinerary and id's in hand we got to the counter just before 2:30pm.
"What flight?"
"The 3:40 to Chicago."
"There isn't a 3:40 to Chicago."
"According to my itinerary we are scheduled on the 3:40 flight to O'hare."
"Oh, well they probably changed the schedule. It leaves at 3:00."
"Well no one notified us. Can we still make the flight?"
"I think so, let me check with my manager."
"I can run their bags down to the plane right now myself. It's right there."
"Absolutely not. The flight closes 45 minutes ahead of departure."
"Please we are meeting up with our family in Chicago for an international flight."
"No!" Grrrrrrrr..........

So that was the start of it. Frustrated and getting frazzled we had no choice but to reschedule for the next flight. There is only 35 minutes for a connection, but they all but guarantee we can make it. Aundre did his best to get some customer service, but all the offered was a website that we could go to. Gee thanks, because we have a computer with us and your just standing there wasting air! Apparently down sizing has resulted in absolutely no phone support these days for good old American Airlines.
So we sit in the airport restaurant and I munch some less than mediocre nachos while Mom nervously sips an iced tea. When we could handle the unbalance HVAC system that was dumping ice cold air on our heads the with force of one of the jet engines just outside no longer we trudged through security to wait the two more hours for our flight.
Andrea arrived in Chicago while we were still in KCI so Aundre did a little bargaining with her to buy him the Chicago-style deep dish pizza that we was craving. He fell in love with it on one of our first trips to Chicago and had been going on about for days maybe weeks in advance. So with Pizza in hand Andrea met us at our gate with enough time to make a quick stop at the restrooms and then get on our flight to London's Heathrow Airport. After a crappy snack from our less than helpful cabin team and a single drink service they lowered the lights and we all put on our headphones, selected one of the movies and sunk into our seats as much as is possible on a commercial airplane in the Economy section.
When we wake up it will be Monday morning in London and we will be on foreign soil for the start of our adventure.