55 by 55 Travel Truths: How to Deal with Flight Delays
I love posting about all my amazing travels and adventures, but let's be honest, traveling comes with a lot of stress. I want to make sure to mention that things aren't always perfect and share some of the ways I remain calm and troubleshoot the more hectic moments of traveling. #traveltruths
On the way home from my #EpicSkiSafari in Europe this March 2019, I had a 4 hour delay en route from Munich to London on an evening flight that coincided with the closing of the airport. If my flight didn't get off the ground by midnight, the airport would close and we wouldn't take off until the morning, which would force me to miss my connecting flight to the US. I had booked my flights on a discount airline with separate tickets so was well aware that I'd be on my own if I missed the flight, without support, alternative flight options or assistance. I like to think that I'm flexible and cool in any situation but that evening I was tired as I had been snowboarding with my daughter in Innsbruck, driven the rental car back to Munich and was looking forward to a nap on the plane. I tried my go-to relaxation methods, breathe, meditate, pray, drink water, stay positive and don't worry about something that hasn't happened. I got another beer, chatted with some fellow travelers and then watched some Netflix that I had downloaded on my phone. I breathed and meditated some more and the new plane came in around 11:15pm. They announced that we'd have to board super quick to make the midnight departure. Then the boarding stopped as I was standing in the gangway for about 20 minutes, the police squeezed by, and I was still not sure what was happening. It was after midnight when everyone was finally boarded and the pilot announced that he had gotten a waiver and okay to take off. Got to London super late but made my flight home and all is good in the world. I am the eternal optimist but this was a stressful situation and I'm rethinking booking separate flights to avoid this happening again. Live, learn, and keep traveling!
Love Claudia
