So yesterday, my wife and I were both in D.C., and were flying out of Dulles Airport.  My flight to St. Louis was at 4:00 and her flight to Nashville was at 5:00 (for those that don't know, I live in Missouri, and she lives in Tennessee, so we were both going home to our respective houses).  There was bad weather in Dulles, so both our flights were delayed. My flight got off the ground around 5:00, but when I get to St. Louis and call her, she is still in Dulles, because for some reason United Airways decided to cancel her flight.

At that point she discovers that airlines have ZERO obligation to provide accomodation or transportation when a cancellation is because of weather, and so she had to try to find a hotel herself.  She also had to try to get booked on a new flight, and basically had to stand in line for over two hours to get the customer service people (who were rude, btw), to book her on a flight today.  They gave her a confirmed seat on the same flight (at 5:00 PM), but told her she was standby on a 9:00 AM flight and a 12:30 PM flight.  That sucks, because it's basically a 24 HOUR DELAY, but at least she has a confirmed seat - most of the other people on her flight didn't get new seats, but were basically told they were standby for all three flights today.  So I guess she was lucky.  However, the United people told her that she wouldn't be getting her suitcase back, because that was apparently too much hassle, so at that point she doesn't have any of her toiletries, or a change of clothes, or contact lenses (because she wears the daily lenses).

Then, to add insult to injury, it was 100% impossible to get a hotel room anywhere in the D.C. area last night.  I'm not kidding - we each spent about 2 hours on the phone talking to every reservation service, her American Express Platinum travel service, and I called both reservations and the front desk for about a dozen different D.C. hotels.  The closest room was literally in Baltimore, about 50 miles away - and the cab ride there and back would be hundreds of dollars (and remember, the airline pays nothing). Finally, late at night, we call some friends in the area and ask if she can sleep over at their house, because the only alternative is sleeping on the floor in the terminal.  Luckily, they came to pick her up, and she was able to sleep there.

So, today, she comes back this morning (wearing the same clothes, and not having any contacts or glasses), and doesn't get a seat on the first flight.  She stands in line for the second flight, and doesn't get on that either.  At this point, she's had to already cancel several important meetings, and is bummed that her cats are going to have to be boarded for another day (they usually just have the run of the house when she travels, but because of a home inspection, she decided to board them).

So now we're getting close to the 5:00 PM flight that she has a guaranteed seat on, but neither she nor ANY of the other passengers that had the flight cancelled 24 hours before have made it onto any flight.  She'd gotten to know a few of them (since they were in line together all day), and one was a german colelge student, and another was a U.S. serviceman who was just getting back from a deployment in Kosovo to see his 18-month old baby for the first time in 9 months.  Every time he didn't get on one of the standby flights, he was getting more and more upset, she could tell.  But, the gate agent tells her and about 10 other people that they should make it on the flight, because they expect a number of people to miss it.

So, when the 5:00 flight rolls around, it is delayed - go figure.  The delay then means that all the people who otherwise might have missed the flight because of late connections, DO make the flight, and now none of the standby passengers will make it - including the soldier who at this point is almost in tears.

So at that point, my wife - who had a confirmed seat on the flight - told the supervisor at the gate to give her confirmed seat to the soldier, so he could get home.

She will now spend ANOTHER night, wearing the same clothes, without contacts lenses, will have to cancel more meetings tomorrow (some really important - one I believe with top executives from Nissan), and her cats will be boarded for another day, which really bums her out.  However, the gate supervisor did give her a confirmed seat on a flight tomorrow morning, so at least there is that.

So she will now be 36 HOURS DELAYED, and thoughtout the whole process, she said they got nothing but attitude and incomptence from the United Airlines personell.  The customer service people acted like they didn't give a crap, and that it was somehow the passengers fault that they were now trapped in standby status for what seem an indefinite period of time.



So not to get all holier than thou, but I bet there are a LOT of people out there that wouldn't have volunteered for MORE of this shit (endless delays, paying for your own hotels, bad customer service, waiting in lines, living in the same smelly clothes, no toiletries, no contact lenses), just to help out a serviceman.

But that's my wife.

That is damn decent of her to do that

Sounds like you married a good woman, DK-Prof.

wow, big round of applause for the lady..

Quoted: wow, big round of applause for the lady..

Huge +1!

That's just awesome DK.

Very honorable of her, I would have done the same thing. Besides it being the right thing to do, the guilt of sitting on the plane when a serviceman was still waiting to get a flight to see his child would have been far too overwhelming for me.

You should have flowers waiting for her when she gets home.

Awesome!

Quoted: Sounds like you married a good woman, DK-Prof.

No doubt!!



She clearly didn't do as well!  

Quoted: for those that don't know, I live in Missouri, and she lives in Tennessee,

How the F does THAT work?

BTW, your wife is kick-ass.  

She's a keeper for sure!


ETA: How long is the drive from D.C. to Nashville? Think I would have rented a car at that point.

Quoted: You should have flowers waiting for her when she gets home.

I was thinking that very thing.  



I'm also considering driving the five hours down there tomorrow morning, so I could be at the house when she arrives, just to show her how awesome I think she is.

HOW WOULD SHE FEEL IF THE PLANE CRASHED


I'M JUST SAYING

Now that's class.  

Quoted: HOW WOULD SHE FEEL IF THE PLANE CRASHED I'M JUST SAYING

You're a dope.

I'm just saying.

ArfCom flower fire mission?

This lady deserves to come home to a forest of bouquets.

One good woman you got the DK.

Get her another cat.  

Hell of a lady you have there DK.  Is she Swedish also?

United Airlines sucks, it's literally the worst airline I have ever flown.  They lost my bag on a flight to Boston last Christmas.  The number that they give you for lost baggage is an automated line that goes nowhere.  I had to drive an hour back to the airport, and track down my own bag, which if I hadn't, would still be lost.  

Quoted: Hell of a lady you have there DK.  Is she Swedish also?

She's 100% top quality USDA American home-grown!  



(bastard! )

Wow.
What did you do to deserve her? Or did you just luck out?

Quoted: HOW WOULD SHE FEEL IF THE PLANE CRASHED I'M JUST SAYING

no poopy on thread




your wife is awesome btw

Quoted: One good woman you got the DK. Get her another cat.

Get hers out of boarding and let her know you took him home.

Quoted: Quoted: You should have flowers waiting for her when she gets home. I was thinking that very thing.   I'm also considering driving the five hours down there tomorrow morning, so I could be at the house when she arrives, just to show her how awesome I think she is.

Do it!

sounds like you married the right one!

morale of the story:  Always pack a day's worth of clothing and a toothbrush in your carry-on bag.  My mom taught me this one.  

Quoted: Wow. What did you do to deserve her? Or did you just luck out?

I'm assuming it was temporary insanity on her part.  

Quoted: HOW WOULD SHE FEEL IF THE PLANE CRASHED I'M JUST SAYING

And your post adds what to this thread?

Good woman DK

Quoted: Hell of a lady you have there DK.  Is she Swedish also?

dude, do you really want DK to clock you on the head with his wooden shoes?

Quoted: Quoted: for those that don't know, I live in Missouri, and she lives in Tennessee, How the F does THAT work? BTW, your wife is kick-ass.

I was kinda wondering the same thing..

Great woman you have there sir..

Tell her I love her too but I also would expect nothing less from a woman who married you!

EF: speeling.

What a thing to do for a complete stranger. Its warms one's heart to be reminded that there are still good people in this crazy world we all call home. I hope someday when i have a daughter she is half the person it sounds like your wife is.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: for those that don't know, I live in Missouri, and she lives in Tennessee, How the F does THAT work? BTW, your wife is kick-ass.   I was kinda wondering the same thing.. Great woman you have there sir..

Thanks guys!

She's faculty at a big private university in Nashville, and I'm faculty at a big private university in St. Louis.  Managing dual careers in our very specialized fields is very difficult, so we've been living in different cities for the last seven years.

Fortunately, it's only a five hour drive.  I know several colleagues that are worse off.  One couple lives in New York and L.A., one lives in Chicago and D.C. and another one lived for a while in London and Philadelphia.    So it could definitely be worse.

Quoted: Hell of a lady you have there DK.  Is she Swedish also?

Does not matter, she is a Tennessean now and I would be proud to claim her as a neighbor



Edit and how fitting this is my 1000th post-

Quoted: Quoted: HOW WOULD SHE FEEL IF THE PLANE CRASHED I'M JUST SAYING And your post adds what to this thread? Good woman DK

everyone was supposed to reply rofl u r so funny

I failed.
Your wife did good.

That was an incredibly selfless act of kindness on the part of your wife, especially after all the crap and nonsense she had already been through.

Congratulations DK, you have a real peach there. Treat her well. (and maybe move a little closer to one another?)

Quoted: Quoted: Wow. What did you do to deserve her? Or did you just luck out? I'm assuming it was temporary insanity on her part.

Wrong.  With how long it took your sorry ass to finally marry her, she had her chance to get sick of your act.  She has to be PERMANENTLY insane.

And now you must post pics.  YOU MUST!

I want to post something in response but I’m almost speechless. People do selfless, honorable, and decent things all the time of course. But to put herself through that for someone she’s never met when no one would expect her to… There’s a lot of good people in the world, and she’s one of them.

Quoted: Quoted: Wow. What did you do to deserve her? Or did you just luck out? I'm assuming it was temporary insanity on her part.

Wow DK, your wife is truely an amazing person! I think it would be a good idea too if you drove there and waited for her to arrive. I think she would really apreciate that.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Wow. What did you do to deserve her? Or did you just luck out? I'm assuming it was temporary insanity on her part.   Wrong.  With how long it took your sorry ass to finally marry her, she had her chance to get sick of your act.  She has to be PERMANENTLY insane. And now you must post pics.  YOU MUST!

That's a good point (and one I do occasionally remind her of, when I do something particularly stupid).  After a 7-year engagement, she knew exactly what she was getting into.

Definitely permanent insanity.  


Here's a pic from a year or so ago - if anyone cares, she doesn't color or highlight her hair, but women LOVE it.  She literally gets women that jsut walk up to her in public and tell her they love her hair.

that is amazing man. thanks for sharing. you found a good one for sure.

Very nice lady, wish more people were like that. Tell her thank you, that ment more to that military guy then she will ever know.
Oh ya, soldiers dont cry though.

Your wife is a lady of character.(wish there was a doff my hat smiley).

Wow, great story Prof!

Tell her random faceless dudes on that website you are constantly glued to think she did a righteous thing.

You definitly married up

Hat's off to a wonderful lady of a wife you have.  Best wishes to both of you as well.

Tell her many thanks ! Few people exsist like that anymore.

Good for her

<-- Danish beer

Your wife is a wonderful person.

Tell her I said thanks for doing that.

Quoted: HOW WOULD SHE FEEL IF THE PLANE CRASHED I'M JUST SAYING

Double Tee Eff?!

Very cool. Lucky you found each other.