I’ve been fortunate enough to have good luck with flights my entire life. Prior to the age of 21, I don’t ever remember being forced to endure so much as a weather delay. Since then, as I’ve grown more rushed and more drunk, the slight delays I’ve incurred were all met with appreciative, relaxing trips to the airport bar – the only acceptable place to drink Bloody Mary’s outside of Sunday brunch.

It was a good 27 year run, but two weeks ago all the bad karma I’d been storing up (I steal wireless internet) finally caught up with me. My girlfriend and I were prepared to run off on a spur-of-the-moment romantic getaway to North Carolina. We saw weather reports that indicated a possibility of rain, but it had said that all week long. Besides, if I believed everything I saw on the news I wouldn’t eat hamburgers in restaurants or buy illegal prescription drugs over the internet. Where’s the fun in that?

So we dragged our suitcases to work, worked like crazy to get everything done in order to leave at 4:00, and kept one eye on the weather out the window. It was overcast, but not a drop of rain. We were hopeful. Until our final log-in at U.S. Airway’s website to check the status of our flight where, out of nowhere, we saw that one dreaded word: CANCELED.

Apparently, we had failed to take into account the weather in North Carolina where we would be landing, where fierce storms were battering down. Still, I was in shock. Canceled? But I paid for something. I made plans. I cancel my plans, you don’t cancel my plans. My immediate reaction was, “You can fix this.” But it’s not the same as, say, having your cable go out. At least in that situation you can call customer service and ask for a manager. You can plead your case. But with a cancelled flight, who are you going to talk to? The pilot? And what would you say? I can’t imagine what perfectly good reason I could give for making that flight take off. “Well yes, I understand that the dangerous storms might put people’s lives in jeopardy, but I have reservations! We’ve been looking forward to delicious North Carolina crab cakes for over a week now.”

There is a feeling of utter hopelessness, not just that you might miss your favorite TV program, but that right now you’re supposed to be thousands of miles away, in a hotel, doing all the things that go along with being in a hotel, and instead you are watching the weather channel, in New York, waiting for updates on weather in North Carolina.

After much scrambling, we got out on a flight the next day. As we looked at all the people on stand-by, people who hadn’t called quick enough to reschedule their flight, we commented about how lucky we felt. I guess it’s all relative.

- by Dan Murphy of [redacted] fame