Get me home
I’m at the airport 4.5 hours early for my flight.
Our shoot wrapped up early and I figured well, might as well head to the airport and see what earlier options are available. After some googling on the car ride over, I did find a United flight for 2:35pm (stunning, beautiful, perfect) and an American Airlines flight for 3:48pm (fine, not amazing, still 2 hours earlier, and using the same airline). Now I’m in line preparing myself to beg them to give me a refund for the 5:44pm. American Airlines, notoriously, is tricky to talk into refunds. Flight credits? Yep. Refunds? Not so much. And this flight is expensive.
I took my place in the ‘main’ line, not the bag drop line, which quickly turned out to be a mistake. Everyone has cut me. I even end up apologizing to the mother with her kid in a stroller behind me, telling myself that for the next gate person I am going to be PUSHY. I turn back around to try to guess who’s going to be quickest.
A man three attendants down is offering a bill to the worker after being quoted $85 for his bags. She shakes her head. “We don’t take cash, I’m sorry.”
He looks lost, the bill flopping forward sadly. “No cash?” His english is broken. My heart goes out to him.
Two of the gate attendants share a look. They both shrug. He looks like he might cry. “I can use my card,” I say, walking over.
He lights up. “Here, here!” he says, handing me a $100 bill. I give him back a 20, “Keep it,” and give the attendant my card. He pulls out a $5 for me. Perfect. Zero loss.
“Thanks for doing that,” the woman says, “I can take you next.”
Now, I’m going to be honest. A part of me was definitely hoping that the karma gods were looking down in that moment and would throw me a bone with this dang flight. And hoping for karma probably is not how karma works. Once he leaves, I explain my situation.
“Oh, yeah, we can’t give refunds here. Too small of an airport,” she explains, and my heart sinks. “Just call this number and they’ll work with you on it.”
Yeah. I know what usually happens when you ‘just call this number’. I do, and unfortunately what I thought would happen, does.
“Your flight is non-refundable. There is one more seat on the 3:48pm, though. Do you want it?”
“Yes! Yes I want it.”
I didn’t quite get what I wanted. Karma gods, darn you! But 2 hours saved is much, much better than nothing.
