Flight from Miami

The trip took place just before 9/11, the date which is now etched in American history.  I was invited to our Miami office to conduct a training session to the partners there on billing policies, procedures, and ethics.  The trip and sessions went very well. 

There was a hurricane approaching Miami and with a little juggling, I was able to get an early flight out.  Despite this, I missed my connection from Atlanta to Richmond.  It was not even close.  Apparently, the weather had already wreaked havoc on the air travel system.  Knowing that I had missed the connection, I looked up at the flight board and aspied to my surprise and delight that another flight to Richmond was scheduled to leave in another hour.

I remember thinking that I had to get on that flight, recognizing that it could already be full given the weather conditions.  I recall walking up to the reservations/check-in counter only to see the representative looking up with a tired and weary look.  She must have felt the brunt of the missed flights, angry passengers, and who knows what else.

I remember putting down my bag and saying something to the effect that she must have had a rough shift.  She smiled and nodded.  She said that weather conditions like this really upset the flight schedules.  I told her that I did not want to add to her burdens but would be extremely grateful if I could get on the flight to Richmond if there was any room.  I did not demand anything.  I just wanted to be gracious and get home to my wife.  She took my ticket and advised that there was room.  I was so delighted.

She took the extra step of upgrading me to first class.  I would have flown in freight area just to get home.

On 9/11 like most others, I was shocked and horrified at what happened.  Sometime that day, I could not help but think of that very nice representative who assisted that day in Atlanta, wondering how her day must been so soon after that day of trying weather conditions.

It has always amazed me how some Americans tend to believe that giving someone, who is in position to assist them, a piece of their mind or lashing out at them will facilitate getting their way.  Such behavior can result in achieving the complete opposite of we wanted in the first place.  If I had been brusque, agitated, and condescending to that representative in Atlanta, I probably would still have gotten on the flight as there were many empty seats once on board.  However, I am quite certain that I would not have flown back in first class.