flexibility
 |
| Who wouldn't want another night with this sweetheart? |
When I checked in I wasn't allowed to select a seat assignment. In fact, all the seats appeared to be taken. So I wasn't completely taken off guard when I was left standing with three others while our plane taxied away.
The woman at the end of our "left behind" line cut to the front and very casually said to the gate agent, "I was on standby." The rest of us were actually supposed to be on the flight.
The older man in line with us stormed off after sharing a few obscenities with me. I tried to smile at him to make him feel better, but he was having none of that. He came back a few minutes later, looking even more enraged.
The other man didn't speak English very well so I had to clue him in as to why our luggage was headed to our final destinations without us. He grew frustrated with the gate agents who were doing their best to get him to Miami, telling them they HAD TO get him home TONIGHT and if they couldn't get him home he'd rather stay overnight ANYWHERE BUT HERE.
As for me, when I finally spoke to an agent the first thing she did was apologize. Even though she had complained to multiple people about the fact that she was supposed to be singing at a restaurant right now rather than having to deal with airport apps and transferring passengers, I believed her apology was authentic and even felt like apologizing for my cranky almost-fellow passengers.
"I need to go to Cincinnati," I said. "But I could also go to Columbus or Dayton if that is easier. I would just need my luggage delivered."
"Bless you," she said, typing away at her computer. "There is another flight tonight but it is booked," she said, frowning.
"I can go tomorrow," I said, "if that is easier."
"Yes!" she said. "I wish all our customers were so flexible!"
I saw no inconvenience in spending another night with my brother. I'll take any time I can get with him! I knew he didn't have plans that I would be interrupting, and my dad wouldn't have left yet to pick me up in Cincy, so it shouldn't put him out any either.
Even if I had been anxious to get home last night, getting angry and frustrated, thereby frustrating the gate agents, wouldn't have changed anything or sped up the process. I would have simply looked ridiculous, just like some of the others around me.
Meanwhile a group of women who had likely also missed a flight were enjoying trying to cram all four of their faces into a photo in order to update their Facebook page. I'd much rather look ridiculous while having fun than being dumb!
"I can get you on a 7 a.m. flight," the gate agent said.
"Do you have anything later?" I asked, because I'd rather be flexible and still get to sleep in a little on my last day of vacation if at all possible.
"How about 10:40 a.m.?" she asked with a smile.
Perfect!
I didn't get a voucher and I'm not going to ask for one. My luggage is likely in Cincinnati, so I'm grateful I packed overnight necessities in my carry on. There is no guarantee that today's flights will go smoothly, but even if they don't I'll get home eventually, when I'm meant to, and I'll happily greet my dad at the airport and my dog on the front porch.
EMBRACE FLEXIBILITY.
Life isn't always going to go my way. Why let a silly thing like a missed flight get me down?
Comments
Post a Comment