Dayton to Newark; wait make that Atlanta…
The gate agent invites the first class people to board the
plane from Dayton to Newark. A few seconds later the pilot exits the jet way
door, speaks to the gate agent. I
hear her say, “OK, I’m not sure how to handle this”. She gets on the speaker, “Folks, looks like bad weather in
Newark is going to delay this flight by two hours”. We had an hour and a half in Newark to connect. Stunned we
realize that we are not going to make our scheduled flight to Paris. The agent says she can help people as
soon as she boards the next flight that is leaving on time, the one where all
the people are smiling. By the
time we are helped all the other flights to Paris are sold out. We can fly to Atlanta tonight and take
the late afternoon flight tomorrow.
Yeah, we only miss a whole day in Paris and one night of our paid hotel.
Life is good.
Dayton to Atlanta…
We board the Atlanta flight after all the First Class,
Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Sapphire, Turquoise, Ruby and Stone Medallion
Member board. Window seat and
middle seat of a three seat section.
Ahchoo, cough, achoo,
achoo, sniffle, big achoo, bigger achoo.
Really, we are sitting next to the ONLY person on the 100 person flight
to Atlanta with typhoid fever.
Arrival at Atlanta Airport…
OK, I’m over it. I’ve accepted the inevitable. We are paying
for a whole day in Paris and we are not going to be there. I stewed about it on the plane, achoo,
and I’m going to let it go, make the best of it. Fortunately we are traveling light with no checked luggage.
We try one last time to see if by chance someone has died from typhoid fever
and is a no show for this evenings Paris flights. No luck. But we
are advised to be at the airport by noon for our 3:15 flight. Yes, we can give you boarding passes
with seats.
“I’m starving”, says Loretta. “Look”, says hubby, Bill,
“There’s a Chop House Restaurant with the baseball game on.” Nice. Good food,
good wine, good beer. (It would be
beir if we were in France.) “Hey
Guys, we are shuttin’ it down up here”, says the barmaid. As I roll my eyes and
look at Bill I mention that our flight from Dayton was changed. “Dayton” she
says. I’m from Springfield. In
fact my whole family is from Springfield. Oh my gosh. You’re from Dayton.
That’s so cool.”
My latest thought is what if the hotel that had rooms
available is full by the time we eat our dinner…
