It’s no secret airlines have a terrible reputation. Cancellations. Delays. Lost baggage.
I have trouble getting to work on time and I live a mile from my office, so I am a bit lenient with companies responsible for flying passengers millions of miles across the globe at thousands of feet up in the sky.
One of the most stressful arts of flying is worrying about making your connecting flights. When I booked my last major trip, EWR to YYZ (Toronto) to DUB (Dublin), I made sure I had a three hour layover – enough time to get lost trying to find my next gate and maybe even have time leftover for a $12 airport beer.
Let me take you back to the day of my flight. As I watched my 4:07 p.m. flight get delayed to 4:40 pm, then to 5:25 pm, the panic started to set in. My Toronto flight was scheduled to begin boarding at 8:45 pm. No worries. Hakuna Matata. It’ll be fine. Don’t panic. Don’t call your mother. Breathe.
And then the desk attendant came out. The only words I made out from her garbled announcement were “unforeseen maintenance problems” and “possibly 6:30.”
Not. Good.
I sprinted to customer service, dialing the 800 number for United as I stood in a line bound to move slower than molasses dripping from a Canadian maple. It was 5:40. Fine, we can work this out.
“We’re experiencing higher than normal call volume.” Of course you are.
“Would you like to speak to an agent?” Yes, always, please.
Elevator music.
I swear an eon passed (12 minutes) before a customer service rep picked up. I explained the situation, stressing I would pay as much as necessary to get on a flight to Dublin that night. I’m not sure what magic he worked, but this man was able to get me LITERALLY the last seat on a direct flight to Dublin, leaving at 6:55 pm.
It was 6:02 pm.
“Sir, can you confirm that this flight is leaving from Terminal C?” “Yes, Gate 72.”
I was at Gate 105. Alright, sprinting. It’s not like I went to the gym that morning anyway.
“Can you absolutely promise me that when I show up at this gate, I’ll be able to get on the plane?” “Yes, you’re all confirmed. I’m emailing your updated itinerary as we speak.”
(Damn Verizon cell phones for not being able to do two things at once. I hoped for the best.)
Time check. 6:10 pm.
Off I went. Racing like a madwoman through Newark Airport. Panting, I arrived at this gate to see that my new flight was delayed until 7:25 pm. With my new boarding pass in hand, I exhaled so deeply that my yoga teacher would be proud. And I finally called my mom.
Months later, I still think I owe United Airlines my first-born for getting me to Ireland. They may break guitars, but that day they earned serious bonus mileages and my continued loyalty. Yes, it is the airline’s fault my initial flight was delayed, but United handled the situation with compassion and composure – two things I was lacking as I was thisclose to a full-fledged panic attack in the Newark Airport.
Cheers to you, United customer service, and cheers to future flights together! I never did get that airport beer.