Yesterday, they had to evacuate the control tower at Atlanta aiport due to severe thunderstorms. The day after, the lines at MCO airport assistance are brutal. Our flight, at least everyone else's (I'll explain later), is delayed by only a half hour.
As I sit at gate 77, I hear another flight delay announcement.
Just when we think we're in charge, Mother Nature proves us wrong. Or other humans with more power.
My flight delay belongs in the category of people with more power.
My MFA class was scheduled to meet at the exact time as my flight. Ten minutes after my flight was supposed to take off, class would begin.
Ahhh. What do I do? Tony strongly suggested I ask the advisors to record the class. I could listen later that night. In addition, I offered to do extra work. I didn't hear back from my advisor for a few days. I'd offered to change my flight, and each day was another day of uncertainty.
I checked the flights in case I needed to change. The prices and availability had increased and decreased drastically. A one way flight from Orlando to Salt Lake City had gone up to $1699. With the cost of the original flight deducted, it still would be a $1300 additional cost. I figured I could reduce the cost by adding in the 39,000 sky miles I had accumulated.
But still, I couldn't justify making the change.
I had to have a Plan B and Plan C.
Plan B: I would hope for a hurricane and a two hour delay.
Plan C: I would hope for an oversold flight and the second they offered a $500 voucher, I would rush to claim the next flight. That would be so convenient and I'd even make money on the deal.
But both were risky and changing my flight was ridiculously expensive.
A few days later, I got the email from my advisor. You need to change your flight or you won't get credit for this semester.
I fretted.
So I prayed for peace.
I found peace in the quiet assurance that I should just change my flight.
I went to the website and rechecked the flights. In the interim...they'd dropped to $399, and there was availability.
I changed the 11:48 flight to the 5:00 p.m. flight. And the airline refunded $21 because the new flight was less.
I had my peace.
Until everyone boarded the flight but me.
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