Planes I have missed (that I remember):

  • SFO > PHX, SouthwestAir (2015)
    • Reason: I went to the wrong airport (OAK vs SFO)
    • Fix: Realized at the airport when the self-serve ticket machine said to please go to the counter, asked the SouthwestAir counter staff politely for help, got a for-sure ticket for eight hours later and a standby for half an hour later. Went though TSA, jogged through the airport in socks, waited for standby, and was the last person onto a plane.
    • Cost: free
  • Toronto > Montreal, Lufthansa (2015)
    • Reason: short connection, international customs, in-air delay
    • Fix: Lufthansa counter staff met us along the route to international customs and issued us new tickets
    • Cost: free
  • SEA > MDW, United (2013)
    • Reason: Mistook noon for midnight at the end of an intense work project; decided to continue working rather than race to the airport even though I had urgent things to do at home.
    • Fix: Called United, ended up paying $100 change fee plus seat upgrade to get onto a flight the next morning since only first class was left
    • Cost: ~$600 for plane, $~80 for hotel room (turned out to be reimbursable because of work stuff)
  • ORD > LAX, SouthwestAir (2006)
    • Reason: Got stuck on a very delayed CTA train
    • Fix: Have a panic attack on the train because I had never missed a plane before and was stressed for other reasons, try to call the airline and can’t figure out how because of cheap-cellphone-dumbphone issues, continue to the airport, ask for help, somehow get things sorted out for a small fee
    • Cost: ~$60

Other interesting plane-related things:

  • My first time flying into the SF Bay Area, told the person picking me up that I was at the wrong airport (OAK vs SFO), public transit, eventually beat them back to the place of residence (traffic, whee), sat on a front porch in the cold dark for an hour.
  • Was on the only pre-2014 SouthwestAir direct flight from DAL to MDW (Southwest was not allowed to fly direct hops on that route yet, but we got redirected instead of stopping in St. Louis because of weather)
  • American Airlines called me at 3am to tell me that my flight was three hours delayed. the flight was indeed three hours delayed, despite the plane being at the gate an hour before the revised takeoff time.
  • First same-day booking/flying, 2 legs, SFO>DFW>OKC (thanks, work)
  • Is there a word for a flight that takes off on time but lands late?