Adventures as a Grown Up

Travel Tuesday: DCA-ORD-BNA = Free Flight

This week I was set to travel to Nashville, TN (BNA) to work a conference. I left work in the afternoon and went straight to the airport (DCA) only to find that my connection in Chicago, IL (ORD) was delayed. When I asked the ticketing agent for an alternative route to BNA she said there were no other options and asked my to drop my checked bag off to be screened.

Fine. I’ll take my flight and just get into Nashville an hour later.

Well, once I arrived at ORD I found that my connecting flight was not only in the other terminal but at the farthest possible end… just like when some friends and I flew from Syracuse, NY to Lake Tahoe and had to switch (one of few times I’ve actually ran through an airport). I had a good hour until this second flight was boarding so I meandered my way over to my gate; stopping at Starbucks, the news stand, and Johnny Rockets.

When I finally found my way to the posted gate, my flight had be changed to another. Lucky enough it was right across the way from current placement. So I sat. I just sat there and read my book about Australia.

As I was getting into the thick of my book there was an announcement over the loud speaker! Figuring it was another delay, I leaned back against the wall and stretched out (I had plopped myself on the floor in the corner near a plug to charge my phones- yes phones for work). The gate agent continued to speak and then she said the magic words, “the flight to Nashville tonight is oversold… we are looking for three people to volunteer…” All I needed to hear was “oversold”.

I popped up and went right to the counter. Apparently there was a flight at 6am the following morning and if you volunteer to give up your current seat you are automatically re-booked and confirmed on the next flight AND you get a voucher for a free flight anywhere in the continental United States! PERFECT!

All I wanted was the free flight, and hey- if I still get to Nashville on time in the morning to go to my meeting- DONE!

I gave up  my seat before I called my field partner and in the process I found out that I also got a $15.00 voucher for dinner or breakfast AND a free hotel room for the night! Awesome!

It was perfect. I was delayed already and wouldn’t have been able to do much in Nashville when I got in anyway so now I could meet up with some friends in Chicago for dinner! The rest of the trip went fine to BNA except that I had to be up at 4am that morning to get to the airport and through security for the early flight. But who cares! I got a free flight out of it!

Now… where to use it?