How not to start a vacation

Book a complicated itinerary that involves people flying into a hub airport from all around the country so that we could all be on the final leg of the journey together.

My mother's flight to the hub was delayed so she missed the leaving flight that we were on board. Every other family member made the last leg.

After takeoff, notice that we aren't flying very high and BTW, we're flying in circles. Pilot comes on the intercom and announces some "engine trouble" and we need to land back at the hub. But the plane is too heavy to land, so he's burning fuel by flying in circles.

FML.

Try to spin this as an adventure as to not freak out my worry-wort daughter. Boy is out cold, let him sleep until time to land.

We land and find my mother, who is booked stand-by on the next flight to our destination. No, they won't put her back onto our flight since she missed it. We are stuck in the airport waiting for a plane. No, they have no idea how long this will take.

Woot! She gets a confirmed seat on the new flight. And takes off, leaving the rest of us still stuck in the hub.

Woot! They found a plane for us. It's only been a few hours. Candy Crush and Angry Birds are getting old.

Arrive at final destination 4 hours later than planned. My mother is sitting in the terminal, reading her trashy magazines.

And that is how NOT to start a vacation.