Did you try to fly to the Northeast this weekend? Share your nightmare with me….here’s mine.
I have just returned from what was one of the most disastrous airline trips of my entire life. I was trying to fly in for my cousin’s wedding. I am very close with my cousins and we had big plans on Friday. We were calling it a cousin-o-rama and we were heading to the wineries, not to mention the wedding on Saturday.
THURSDAY JUNE 28th
The Itinerary: Charlotte to Philly to Elmira NY
7 a.m. -- I arrive at work, we are live at the airport on a travel mess. Crap. Well, I have faith, I’ll just make sure I get there early. I am heading to Philadelphia and then to Elmira, NY. It's not like I’m going anywhere too far. This statement, as I write, almost makes me chuckle.
3 p.m. -- I arrive at the airport 2.5 hours before I am supposed to arrive. (And I’m not checking luggage.) I try to check in at the kiosk, but my flight is cancelled. I wait in line with all the happy people.
Score: US AIRWAYS: 1 | ME 0
4 p.m. -- I have finally made my way to a ticket agent who will help me. She takes my itinerary, after 15 minutes, here’s how that conversation went:
Gate Agent: “What do you want me to do?”
Me: I’m sorry? Am I the one who is supposed to come up with options for myself right now? Great, call Donald Trump – I’d like to use his plane.
GA: I’m a trainee, this is my first week. I don’t know what to do.
Score: US AIRWAYS: 2 | ME: 0
Of course, I get the trainee. She’s sweet, but she is not going to help me make my flight and right now I don’t care if she’s Mother Theresa. I need her to do a little more to help me. She books me on a ticket that will take me around the east coast, but will get me to Upstate NY in time for the wedding on Saturday. I overhear the guy next to me talking to his gate agent, who knows what he is doing. He gets his guy on a standby ticket that night.
"Um, excuse me," I say, "I want that too."
He says, "OK, I’ll do it for you."
GREAT. Why couldn’t I get that guy in the first place? I make conversation as I fan myself with an empty ticket jacket.
I’m stressed. I don’t want my trip to be ruined. I try to keep it together. It’s not these people’s fault. I notice a college lanyard around the second gate agent’s neck. Homage to a team I am fond of as well.
ME: Oh are you a fan? I used to live there
Gate Agent #2: Yes, I wish I was still living there. The only reason I’m in Charlotte is because of my wife and our two kids, but then she decided to cheat on me and now she wants a divorce and I’m stuck here.
ME: Oh wow.
GA#2: Yeah, I still wear my wedding ring. I can’t bring myself to take it off.
ME: Wow. Well, one day at a time, focus on your kids. Does that mean I’m on standby?
GA#2: Yes. I like your chances! Have a good day.
SCORE! I am so great! I am a nice friendly caring airline passenger AND I am now a therapist. Go Me. That’s worth two points.
Score: US AIRWAYS: 2 | ME: 2
I stop at the Yadkin Valley Wine Bar. Calm myself down. I’m going to be really depressed if I don’t make that flight. I wait in line. They board. I look with puppy dog eyes at the gate agent. Everyone gets on. I wait. They clear the flight. No standby passengers will make it. I start to cry. I was that person. I was that person people stare at and feel really bad for. My friend Trey came and picked me up at baggage claim. I was leaning against the cement pole. Crying and sweating. There’s nothing else I can do. I accept the fact that I am not Donald Trump and the circumstances are that I will not be able to make it to the cousin-o-rama on Friday. I buy a bottle of wine and get some Riccio’s take out. I will try tomorrow.
ROUND 1 WINNER: US AIRWAYS
JUNE 29th
6 a.m. -- The day’s flight itinerary: Charlotte to Greensboro, Greensboro to Philly, Philly to Binghamton, Rent-a-Car drive to Elmira, NY.
My Secret Hope: I can jockey the tickets around today, make it to Philly early and make a flight to Elmira so I won’t have to drive. I may even make the rehearsal dinner.
7:30 a.m. -- Flight delayed. They can’t find the pilot. He’s here, they swear, but they don’t know why he’s not actually at the plane. He probably got stuck talking to the guy who’s wife cheated on him.
Score: US AIRWAYS: 1 | ME: 0
8:00 a.m. -- They find a new pilot. He arrives, like Jesus walking on water. We were all happy to see him. Board plane.
Someone is in my seat. We have the same seat assignment. GREAT. I find another seat. Luckily this plane is not full.
Score: US AIRWAYS: 2 | ME: 1
(I get point because I got a seat, they get point because they stressed me out)
Arrive in Greensboro, try to run and make the Philly flight. They won’t let me off the plane. They let the other two guys off, they weren’t aware I was trying to make the flight. So I can’t get off the plane.
The other two guys get on the Philly flight. I watched the door close. Check my tickets for the rest of the day with the gate agent.
“Oh, Ma’am. You aren’t actually on these flights. They cancelled your seat."
Who am I to assume? They re-book my tickets. I am on the flights again. The gate agent tells me I have angels watching out for me. Apparently angles and Jesus is the pilot. I think that’s great. I do tell her though that I am still in Greensboro and so far the angels are not taking me to where I need to be.
Score: US AIRWAYS: 3 | ME: 2
(I am gaining)
Next flight to Philly. Delayed more than two hours. Why? Maintenance issues. I’m not going to make my Elmira flight. I know there’s a standby flight to Binghamton that night. Maybe I can make that one. There’s another flight to Philly that afternoon. Maybe I can get on that one? Nope. It's full. BUT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE YESTERDAY PEOPLE! I watch another flight to Philly leave before the one I’m on. I wait for my flight to board. I board. I talk to a nice British guy on the plane and I wait. We land. I run to the board to find my standby – but wait! The Elmira flight is delayed! I love airline delays!!!! I can make it tonight!!!!
Praise the Lord! Where are the angels!? I’m screaming. Whoo hoo!!! I love Elmira, New York! YES! I land finally in Elmira around 8 p.m., almost 24 hours after I was supposed to. I make the last part of the rehearsal dinner to a standing ovation! I say "hi" to my cousin and her soon-to-be husband. Ah, love is grand! I should call that divorcing ticket agent, maybe I can find him a date.
Score: US AIRWAYS: 3 | ME: 1,0000
ROUND 2 WINNER: Me!!
Do you have any airline horror stories? If so you can leave us a comment below and tell us all about it.
Now I know how you have the patience to work with everyone at the station, (myself included). While I laughed at all the right places, I cringed as I've beeen there too. When I first moved to Charlotte I actually lived in Austin Texas and commuted every week. At the time there were no direct flights so I always had to deal with a transfer in Dallas on Friday afternoons. At the time it was the worlds largest airport (by land size) and I always had to make it from one end to the other in a matter of moments. Reminiscent of the OJ Simpson ads at the time. I usually ended up missing the connecting flight (coming or going) or was blessed to sit next to the mom with 2 kids under the age of 2. I actually helped change diapers on more than one journey.
I'm glad you made the wedding but am even happier that you were able to return!
Hi Rachel,
I just would like to know if you realized by the time you finally arrived at your destination that you could have driven there by the time our trusty airlines got you there.