Checking flights… it’s looking tight. Connections in DC are even iffier.
Getting from here to there is always a challenge when flying stand-by. Airline employee / retiree benefits include free flight status — i.e. free seats when available. But that’s the trick: When available.
Airlines traditionally overbook because statistically, there are typically a percentage of cancellations and no-shows. Flying with empty seats isn’t profitable. So, overbooking addresses that problem.
Weather is always a factor. Cancelled flights can happen anytime, throwing paid and non-paid passenger travel plans in disarray.
Traveling near or on a weekend is particularly dicey, with business class and leisure passengers filling seats to begin their work week or vacation.
I can tell you horror stories. Hopscotching across the country attempting to get from Point A to B, for example. Or successfully arriving at your connection from the first leg of the trip only to learn — at the last minute – that the airport is being shut down and all flights cancelled due to a surprise snowstorm that seemingly popped up out of nowhere. (Try finding a hotel when an airport filled with traveling families are grounded and for “FAA security reasons”, the airport will not permit travelers to camp out overnight … )
Next, getting out on a flight the following morning is a nightmarish impossibility when the same delayed passengers from the day before are spilling over each other as harried airline employees try to rebook them onto flights filled with passengers already scheduled to travel on that same day.
That’s when having a backup plan is critical. A toothbrush, essentials, and an extra set of clothes in your carry-on is #1.
And then the Gamble: Hang around the airport, praying that a seat will open up. Or… rent a car and drive to your final destination. We opted for the latter.
Seeing winter morph into summer in the space of a few hours as we drove from a cold, snow-covered Philadelphia to colorful azalea blooms in Georgia to beautiful palm trees in balmy, sunny Florida was an amazing experience.
Traveling by air is never a certainty. Mechanical problems can cause delays, among a myriad of other concerns. As a frequent flyer, I’ve learned to roll with it. “Stay Flexible” is my motto, for travel and life in general.
Yeah, flying “space available” is a nice benefit… When you’re buckled into a seat, the cross hatch doors are secure, the aircraft is pushed back from the jetway, and you’re off the ground, on your way… and breathing a sigh of relief that the next stop is home.
