Negativity in Newark
Negativity in Newark
A cancelled flight puts things into perspective.
There is a certain sense of despair in the United Airlines Customer Service hub at the Newark-Liberty International Airport after your flight to Scotland has been canceled at 5:30 in the morning.
I ran a gauntlet that consisted of four hours of delays, followed by 45-minutes parked on the tarmac, followed by a return to the gate and the aforementioned cancellation, followed by two hours on multiple chats with virtual United Airlines agents while standing in line to speak to an in-person agent.
I was running on 40 minutes of sleep, as this entire debacle happened after midnight. What made things worse is that I couldn’t even be mad at the weather for the cancellation, as the plane’s broken thermostat was responsible for our non-departure.
Our captain’s words were particularly apt: “folks, I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Sometimes, your luck just runs out
My previous United Airlines experience just a few days before had been out-of-this-world outstanding.
I was prepared to spend 13 hours in Green Bay’s airport last Monday, as Alyaa’s flight home from the Island Resort Championship was at 6:15 am and mine wasn’t until 3:45 pm. Alyaa had to return the rental car so she had the power in determining our 4:00 am arrival to the airport.
Tim, the lone United customer service agent on-duty at 4:00 am, took pity on this lowly looper and got me on flights that arrived in Asheville almost two hours before I was originally supposed to depart Green Bay. He even threw me in economy plus on the Chicago to Asheville leg, so I was living in luxury.
Tim didn’t charge me for anything, either. It made the extra few hours I got to spend with my family that much sweeter.
This was an entirely unexpected experience and speaks to the sheer kindness and generosity of everyday individuals. I’ll probably never see Tim again, but I’ll certainly remember him and his actions.
This flight debacle (plus my Dad) gave me some food for thought after my cancellation
My flight was axed on a Sunday morning, and United put me on standby for that evening’s two flights to Edinburgh. They booked me on Monday night’s flight just in case standby didn’t work, so I got a hotel voucher for the luxurious Holiday Inn Express just a hop, skip, and a jump, yet still a $35 cab ride, away from the airport (I love New York area pricing).
I needed to leave the hotel for the airport around 4:30 pm, and I couldn’t check-in to my room until 4:00 pm, so I got to spend 7 hours sleeping, scrolling Twitter, and watching Good Will Hunting on the floor of the lobby. I felt a certain sense of embarrassment moving to the floor from the chair I had been sitting in after the manager made me move for a “banquet” taking place, even though I didn’t see a soul leave the banquet room in my seven hours on watch in the lobby.
I was tired, frustrated, and simply annoyed at my situation. I was in a terrible mood. It took a phone call with my Dad to snap me out of my poor mindset. He reminded me that pretty much everything was out of my control, and that I was only really frustrated about not being able to play golf in Scotland as early as I wanted to.
That was the extent of my problem. I had a roof over my head, easy access to food and water, and confidence that I would eventually get to Scotland. It was a stark privilege check.
This cancellation and the subsequent delay entirely re-emphasized the sheer opportunity I have to do something I love this summer. I mean, I get to write to you while I’m sitting on a plane over the Atlantic Ocean headed to Scotland to play golf and attend the Genesis Scottish Open. Then, I get to spend two more weeks working for a professional athlete. These chances are never not surreal to me.
Despite the annoyances and the setbacks and the difficulties, they’re entirely minor in the grand scheme of life. They’re even a crucial aspect of the process as I search for the heart of golf, a search I literally get to take across the world. I know it’s a little cliché, but without having to deal with adversity, how will I grow?
I need to embrace every little inconvenience because it makes the beautiful occurrences that much more special. I’m doing everything I can to relish these moments, both the good and the annoying, because I’ll likely be sitting at a desk in a more traditional internship next summer. I have to take full advantage of this supreme opportunity to explore life and the world while I can.
These events, and my reflections, also remind me of how grateful I am for each and every one of you that read my work and are supporting me on this journey. I can’t describe how much it means to me to have a tremendous community that cares about what I’m up to. It really does mean the world, and I hope I’m keeping y’all entertained.
Scotland has been a dream so far, we’ll see what it has in store for the rest of my trip. Thanks again.
Questions, comments, ideas, and feedback can be directed to jpatterson@unc.edu. You can find me on Twitter @JakeWPatt or my Instagram @Loopers_Line. If you really want to get to know me, check out my LinkedIn.
Special thanks to Bethany Phillis for serving as my creative project mentor. Additional thanks to Caroline Maness for designing Looper’s Line’s logo.
Your dad is smart.
What a rollercoaster ride!!! Your transparency and genuine honesty are mighty refreshing… LIFE! May Scotland be all they you desire and more… have a BLAST!