Social media will have you believing that travel is the epitome of glamor and sophistication. Sure, I've had some of the most amazing times of my life while on a trip or living abroad, but let's be clear: travel is full of obstacles that the influencers are NOT filling you in on. Ready to hear the backstory of this photo?
Spending the night in DFW: Oh, bad weather. You can't escape it. It's out of your control, and it's so, sooo annoying. A few months ago, I had a two-leg flight from Tulsa to London, with a connection in Dallas. Storms were coming in, in both Tulsa and Dallas, so my flight from Tulsa to Dallas was cancelled. American Airlines didn't automatically rebook me (or if they were going to, it was sure taking a while!), so I called and got put on a later flight to Dallas that evening. Of course, that flight then got delayed about two times; I felt panicky and unsettled, and eager to travel to London NOT during the work day. Once I got to the airport, I realized that I'd forgotten to pack my charger. I bought a new one for over $30; it didn't feel as though the trip was off to an auspicious start. As I was waiting to board the flight, it got delayed once again--late enough such that I knew I would miss the connection. I could see online that there was a later flight to London that night, so I asked the agent if I could get booked on that one. She told me to work that out once I got to Dallas, but I wanted the new ticket in hand; I pressed the issue (nicely, of course), and she obliged. It felt like a win!
Short-lived, though. We got onto the plane, and we then sat there for about an hour, with very few updates. We finally got up into the air, but we landed just a few minutes before my flight to London took off. Needless to say, I didn't make it. And neither does American Airlines provide hotel rooms if you have to spend the night in the airport due to bad weather... Fortuitously, though, I'd taken my sleeping bag out of my checked luggage just before my arrival to the Tulsa airport, so I had it with me for the night in DFW. And a long night it was; I landed near midnight and my new flight to London wasn't until 4 pm the next day. I stood in the longest line to talk to an agent about getting me on that flight. Unsurprisingly, I was grumpy and crying and bummed to have missed out on a whole day of my trip. Neither could I change my hotel reservation, so I lost about $100 for not having used the room that night.
Unfortunately, I have many other stories just like this! When you travel, especially at a high rate, you have to prepare yourself for inevitable hiccups. You've got to forfeit a little bit of control and learn to make the best of the situation, which can be difficult when you're tired, cranky, and worried about money, work, and and more. Thankfully, these situations usually end up being funny stories (and good lessons) in the long run.
Tell me your worst airport experience in the comments!
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