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2004 > July

Fun with the TSA >>

Airport surprises ::

Yesterday, my brother James and family were scheduled on the same flight from Philadelphia to Syracuse. Mom and I conspired: she wouldn’t tell James I was on the flight (I’d surprise them in Philadelphia), and I’d rent a car in Syracuse, saving the folks the hour-long drive from Ithaca to meet the flight at 11:45 pm. But I arrived at SFO to find the Philadelphia-Syracuse flight cancelled. The ticket agent couldn’t find an empty seat on any airline’s flights to Syracuse that evening. “How about to Ithaca?” The flight was full. “How about Elmira or Binghamton?” She pushed buttons and stared at the screen for 10, 15, 20 minutes while the Philadelphia flight’s departure time approached and I imagined what I would do if I ended up on a redeye 10 hours later. Finally she tried Ithaca again. This time there was an empty seat.

Sitting in the departure area for the flight to Ithaca with my nose in my PowerBook, I heard a familiar greeting. The tables were turned; James got to surprise me! They’d been sent from Seattle to Pittsburgh with a hotel voucher and seats on a morning flight, but had arrived to discover there was room on the Ithaca flight.

<< Electoral Vote Predictor

2004 > July

Fun with the TSA >>

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