I have a red eye to NC scheduled. So I make an evening of it in Denver before I leave: Shopping in Cherry Creek and dinner with my best friend. I had a time line all set up, and gave myself some cushion. Or so I thought. I've always gotten to the airport with SO much time (especially for red eye flights, I end up trying to fight sleep at the gate for an hour), so I figured I'd spend my waiting time with girlfriends rather than at the airport. By the time I left my friend's, reorganized my bag, parked my car at the satellite lot, caught the bus to the airport, saw the escalator to ticketing was shut down for cleaning so I had to cross the terminal to go up on the other side and then walk back to my airline desk, I knew I was "just in time." But I wasn't checking a bag, and it was 12:30 at night...no lines. However, as I go to the computer to check in (I don't know why but I've never checked in online), the attendant tells me I'm too late. The computer won't let me check in. Apparently DIA is one of the few airports in the country where they cut you off at 45 minutes instead of 30 because it's such a spread-out airport. And I arrived 41 minutes before my flight was scheduled to leave. She told me there was NO WAY to get my on that flight, rescheduled me for in the morning, and suggested I even just sleep at the airport since it's not that far away.
After I discuss options with the US Air ticketing attendants, and rail about how awful the airlines are and how I can't believe this happened on the phone to my mom, I decide to try to race to the gate anyways. I end up literally sprinting down the terminal (of course my gate is the very last one) and make it in time! When I ask the gate attendants if I can please get on my flight, they say they can't change me back from my new flight in the morning, and then proceed to seat nearly all of the stand by flyers. Seriously.
The attendant later tells me that she could have charged me a flight change fee of $200 to go back to my (original) red eye flight, but at that point she didn't have time to process the transaction. Um....and here I thought there was no way I could have gotten on this flight. If only the woman at the FIRST desk had told me this was an option, and I would have gone straight there.
I'm not excusing my fault in this. I cut it way too close. I know this. It was just such an infuriating travel experience since anything as small as if the escalator hadn't been broken or the bus hadn't been late could have saved me those FOUR minutes, and then saved me a night of sleeping in the airport. And given me an extra day at the beach.
So...I came away from this experience with a few tips. Even after a lifetime of traveling, I can still always pick up some new things...
1. Always travel with a sweater and a warm scarf. I like lululemon's Vinyasa infinity scarf since they're so soft and you can practically swaddle yourself in them. A sarong and neck pillow don't hurt either. You never know when you'll have to crash on a gross airport floor overnight.
2. Always pack an extra toothbrush. You never know when your's will fall on the floor of an airport bathroom.
3. Never expect the people of the airline industry to be reasonable. (Four minutes people!) Most were sympathetic, but couldn't really help.
4. At the end of the day, just like in any service industry, these people are just doing their jobs. Whether it was the woman at the check-in counter who told me there was nothing I could do, or the woman at the ticket counter who told me she could have switched my flight for a fee but didn't have time now and sat the stand bys, or the cleaning staff of the airport that vacuumed around me as I tried to sleep (or a hostess of a busy restaurant who tells you a reservation isn't available for a few days when you try to walk in during high season on a Saturday night with a party of 8)...it really doesn't do any good to yell and scream and stamp your foot. It's a tempting reaction, but it won't change anything and you'd be yelling at someone unneccesarily.
5. Train up for your travels. Never know when you'll have to SPRINT to the end of the terminal with your bags to try to beg to be let on your flight.
6. In a 24-hour airport, it's always bright and there are always people and noises. So do what ya gotta to get it dark and quiet to sleep. My new friend Jesse built a fort under a business center desk that night.
7. Check in online. Especially if you're carrying on your bag. Why not. (I even thought this as I was walking through the airport to ticketing, wondering why I hadn't. Foreshadowing like whoa.)
8. Lastly, realize your mother was right. She used to travel for business all the time, and I too grew up plane hopping. She raised me to get to the airport 2 hours before a flight (3 hours for international). The one time I didn't, and it turns into the ultimate s***show of a slumber party. In my mind, my timeline worked out. Dinner and hang out with the girls, drive on the empty roads to the parking lot, check in with ease since I carried on my bag, breeze through no-line security, and stroll up right before boarding. It seemed I had plenty of time. And little things just ate that time up: reorganizing my bag, driving a little slowly, passing the first bus and having to wait for the next one, the bus having to make some data-recording stops, the bus dropping me off on the baggage claim level, the closest escalator being closed for maintenance, and having to walk to the furthest end of the terminal to get upstairs to check in... Next thing I knew, I wasn't allowed on my flight. Always always always give yourself EXTRA time!
At the end of the day, you'll get where you're trying to go. It'll be great. And you'll just have some travel-war stories to tell over margaritas.
I once was stuck in the Atlanta airport for eight hours running back and forth between terminals in high heals and a skirt with a giant purse and a laptop. I always wear sneakers or flats now and the most comfy clothes I can find. I won't care how I look when I am sitting on the ground for hours and running around like a maniac. I also always bring my glasses and contact case in my carryon bag, just in case.
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