The Sovereignty of Delayed Flights
Feb 13, 2008 Uncategorized
Ok. Here’s how my day went yesterday.
I was attending a one day summit at Buckhead Church in Atlanta. My flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30pm, where I would fly to Detroit and an hour later hop a flight (first class) to Chicago for a day of meetings with the GCM boys.
Easy, right?
Well…I got done in Atlanta 5 hours early so I went to the airport to catch an earlier fight. I was told there wasn’t one so I settled in for a long wait.
As I was reading my book, I glanced up and saw a flight that left 4 hours early. I headed to the counter and through the miracle of “Elite Status,” I got the very last seat.
Perfect.
When I arrived in Detroit, I got myself on standby for a flight to Chicago that was 4 hours early. I didn’t make the flight.
Arg.
So, I looked at the departure board and saw a flight leaving in 45 minutes. I ran to the gate and got on the flight. I had to give up my first class seat, but who cares? I’m going to be early.
So we board the plane and sit there for an hour before getting cancelled because of snow in Chicago. Off I go to rebook my flight. I call NWA reservations and I am booked back onto my original flight, in my original first class seat, no less.
As I sit waiting for my flight, I hear those dreaded words, “ladies and gentlemen, flight 1245 to Chicago has been delayed.”
But there was a silver lining to that snow cloud. I met a retired university president who gave me a ton of great leadership ideas. I found myself chewing on his thoughts during the whole flight.
By the time I arrived at my hotel in Chicago, it was 12:30 in the morning. I slept soundly, knowing the 11 hour trip from Atlanta was worth it.
Of course, I’m hoping today’s flight home is less eventful.
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