Flying to Ethiopia (First Leg)

It's Friday 8/8/08. Katie left for camp and my parents took the other two girls for an RV trip the previous Sunday, so it's been just the two of us for a few days. Eileen drives me out to O’Hare for my Delta flight to JFK. On the way I get a text message from flightstats (highly recommended!) telling me that the flight is delayed. We decide we don’t need to rush through lunch after all. I’m not to stressed about the departure delay from 2:30 to 4:15 since sitting at O’Hare isn’t materially different form sitting at JFK. Also, this is why we scheduled a five-hour layover.

However, at about 3:45 with our plane already sitting at the gate they suddenly move the departure time from 4:15 to 8:07 PM. This sends everyone into a tizzy. It seems that most of the flight is trying to make an international connection and an 8:07 PM departure won’t get it done. I avoid the long line at my gate and head over to the relative calm of the next gate down. I ask to be moved to the 4:45 flight on American. They are very nice. They call back over to my gate eventually telling me to go back to my gate and ask for Fergie (”the little, red-haired lady”). I return to my gate and stroll past the line and, no doubt, a lot of glares up to Fergie. She has printed out a boarding pass for the American flight, but she tells me to hold on for a few minutes so she can sort out this flight first.

I head over to use the restroom. When I return a few minutes later the whole line has dissipated or, more accurately shifted to the side. I learn that Fergie has informed everyone that she will give them an update in a few minutes. True to her word, she comes back in a few minutes and announces “Okay, we’re ready to board.” Less than 30 minutes later we’re on board and wheels up to JFK. No one ever explains the change from 4:15 to 8:07 or the change back. Theory one: someone made a typo. Theory two: if you think your flight will be delayed by almost six hours, you’re actually quite relieved to have only a two hour delay. Theory two is supported by the fact that my fellow passengers were almost giddy as they boarded the substantially delayed flight. It also relies on a higher level of intelligence than I’ve seen the airline industry exhibit (sorry Bliss).