Delta - Connecting Flight
Quick Delta story. I had a one way ticket from Cleveland to Boston on Sunday morning heading back from my Grandmother’s funeral. My sisters were leaving at the same time so we all went to the airport together. We got there at 7:30 in the morning and my flight was not until 10:10 but there was an earlier one at 8. The ticket agent put me on it, I checked one bag, and hurried to security. The security line did some stupid things but no big deal because my flight was delayed anyway so I’ll spare you the painful details. The night before it snowed about 3 or 4 inches and the planes were being de-iced.
I had a connecting flight in Cincinnati at 10:45. My Cleveland flight didn’t leave until 9:35 and I got off the plane in Cinci at 10:35, at gate C-67 and I needed to be at gate B-20 20 minutes prior. The monitor said the flight was closed but I thought I would try anyway. I ran to the little bus, took that to terminal B, and ran down the terminal carrying two bags. It was about 10:46 as I approached the gate. A Delta gate agent was walking away from the closed gate when he saw me running. From about 200 feet away he yelled “Are you going to Boston?”
Yep, I replied, and the agent ran, sprinted, back to the gate. He got on the phone and guess what? The plane, which was taxing away, stopped, opened up the door, and came back. For me. Little old me. No reason they had to do that other than to be nice on a Sunday morning. As I walked down the gangway I saw the plane rolling back to the gate so I could get on. So I got on the plane, huffing from running, shamefully walked passed a full plane, and found an empty seat. The flight attendant helped me find a place for one of my bags and we soon pulled away and took off. The guy next to me laughed and said “Wow, that was close.”
Two gold stars for Delta. One is for getting me on the earlier flight even though it was only about 20 minutes before it was scheduled to leave. And more importantly for getting a large plane to come back to the gate so I can get to Boston. My checked bag may not make the connecting flight but who cares? I would rather kill time in Boston than another city.
Delta, I continue to love you.
Just thought I’d share.
PS. I wrote the first part on the plane. This is later in the day.
So I had less than 15 minutes to get to the connecting flight. I had to check one bag so I was convinced it didn’t make it. In fact, I would have bet $1,000 it would not have made it. So I got to Boston and immediately went to the baggage office to ask them what I should do. They looked it up and said that it showed it made the flight. They were really nice and said that I had to wait until the bags came off the carousal and then they would fill out the paperwork to have it sent to my house later in the day. I told them there was no way it made it but I would be glad to watch bags file past for a half hour. Well, the bag made it. Unbelievable. I am not joking when I say that the plane pulled up to the gate with about 15 minutes before the connecting flight left. No idea how they got it off and to the new plane, but Delta, GREAT job.