Sitting at Midway

So I'm starting to do the ISP-MDW shuffle, taking one of our new sales reps out on regular visits to a major ad agency we deal with in Chicago.

Blasted out of ISP at 6:45 this morning, into a rainy MDW and the taxi ride to the client. A full day of meetings ended earlier than expected, so we hustled back to MDW, hoping to get the 4:50 (local) flight home, rather than the 6:25, which was already showing a one hour delay. We get to the counter with a hour until flight time and are told just go to the gate and get listed as standbys, crawl like lemmings through security, then hoof it down to the last gate in the concourse. We check in, and are told it will be full, but we'll make the flight.

Just as they are about to start boarding, a huge t-storm squats down on the field - they brought the ramp rats inside the lightning was so close, and I couldn't see the a/c at the gate, the rain was so heavy & windswept.

As quickly as it hit, it left again, and we started boarding, about 20 minutes late. Of course as standby's, we're about the last to board, and I end up in a center seat, but at least the weather is clearing, and we're heading home...

Once we were all seated and the doors closed, they announce ATC is holding all eastbound departures indefinately due to the storms that just passed. About 10 minutes ago (1+15 after our original departure time) they announce we will be leaving the gate - not that we are departing, but there are more storms approaching, and we need to be ready in case they do release us...but we aren't moving yet.

Why is that you ask? Well, it seems that they had a panel open to connect ground power, and with the storm that moved through it got bent and they can't get it closed, so maintanance is working on it. It's now approaching the delayed departure time of our originally booked flight, and we're showing no signs of movement.

The moral of the story? Take you time, don't change flights, and enjoy dinner and a couple of beers at Harry Carey's in the terminal, rather than spend the time strapped in with no food, drinks, space, or hope...

i've had this happen to me a few times when coming home from PHL from training. moral for me, get my ass to CLT for those session!! i feel your pain moose, been ther emany times myself.

Ooooh this brings back memories of my days commuting LGA-ORD-LGA. Thankfully I only had to do that for 4 months, but then had the odd trip here and there and those summertime storms really screw things up. This was in the days before LGA traffic got "better." I had one flight, IAD-LGA where the flight time was 40 mins, and the the taxi time to the gate at LGA was 90 mins! I do not miss those days at all.

Yep that sucks Jon, that happened to me only two weeks ago at DFW. We pushed back and then sat for 3.5 hours in the hot Dallas sun. AA did give us drinks and sell snack packs but they quickly ran out after the second hour and for the three hour flight to LGA they only had very limited selection of drinks and no snack packs. Your 100% correct get to the airport early, grab a bite to eat, get a snack to take with you and take your time!

I'm going to Long Beach this coming week on jetBlue (poor MidnightMike) we are getting to JFK early, grabbing a later lunch early dinner and enjoying the trip.