Not Quite the Movie "The Terminal", but My Observations and Reflections from Chaos at an U.S. Airport

Anger raged... A lady was reduced to tears...

No, this isn't a scene of a Middle-East Conflict rally.

It's not even the aftermath of a tornado.

It's because of a flight delay...

Yesterday, my flight from New Orleans to Las Vegas was delayed, not once, but twice. It was originally supposed to depart at 2:25 p.m., it was initially delayed to 4:45 p.m., the gate agent announced that it was due to delay of the arriving aeroplane due to bad weather.

So we waited patiently by the gate. Then at around 4 p.m., we got another announcement, that it was delayed until 7:30 p.m.!

This time, the explanation was that they're waiting for a pilot from another connecting flight that fly that plane to Vegas.

Cue the bedlam that ensued.

Irate passengers started shouting at the gate agents, demanding explanations and exploring other options.

Was I annoyed? You bet...

Was I concerned about whether I will even get to Las Vegas? Yes, it crossed my mind...

However, instead of thinking how I could fill that 5 hours delay by "doing something productive" like read a book, or write a LinkedIn post ??, I decided to do something different.

I fully embraced the moment to reflect and contemplate.

Here is what I've learnt from what emerged:

1) Businesses Need to Tighten their Systems for Optimal Asset Deployment

Flight delays may be the norm, but in Singapore, where I'm from, we're so used to things just working like clockwork. So I embraced the feeling of how things don't "just work."

The Airline I was booked on was Spirit Airlines. I've also read about the horror stories of Spirit Airlines and their lengthy flight delays, but I've never experienced it till now. It was my first, and probably last time flying with them.

I've also heard about the airline's financial struggles, teetering close to bankruptcy, and I am no aviation expert, but it doesn't take intelligence of Einstein proportions to understand why.

The plane that was supposed to transport us 200 angry and impatient passengers has already arrived, and was parked at the gate.

I don't know that much about how these budget airlines in the U.S. roster their pilots, but it was really quite inconceivable to me, that a multi-million dollar asset was just sitting there on the tarmac for over 3 hours just because we were waiting for the scheduled pilot to arrive and fly it.

In the Airline industry, especially the budget sector that Spirit Airlines was competing in, margins are ultra thin, and maximising asset utilisation is key to profitability. Rostering issue and not having back-up plan causing idling assets is just a recipe for failure.

2) When Emotions Rage, Be the Cool Observer

I "retreated into my safe bubble" and turned the entire situation into a "people watching exercise." After all, I am in the middle of the U.S. and right in front of me is a situation where I get a glimpse into the people and their culture.

A lady broke into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. It must have been important for her to get to Vegas on time, otherwise, I thought it was an overreaction, "It's just a flight delay, lady! It's not like somebody just died."

A man seated 2 seats away from me was shouting into his mobile phone to tour agents who booked her ticket. I thought to myself, "Go easy on the tour agents, man! It's not their fault. It's the airline you need to ask questions of!"

But what struck me was a lady who was screaming at the gate agents, while trying to control her 2 kids, 1 of them was screaming uncontrollably, his shrill voice filled the terminal building for over 30 minutes, and the lady could do nothing. I admit, judgement flashed across my mind, "Why is she screaming uncontrollably? Her energy is rubbing of on the child!"

Later, they boarded the plane and sat 2 rows behind me. I rolled my eyes and cursed under my breath, "oh please! There goes my peace and sleep!" However, she sat close on the same row as another couple with kids of their own. They chatted, and the other couple even engage her child in conversation, and their kids made friends with each other. It worked magic, somehow all the kids stayed "well behaved" on the flight, and I was able to sleep.

As I caught on in their conversation, she's been on the road for 2 weeks now. The airline had cancelled her original flight to Los Angeles, and she's been rerouted on this flight. The delay will mean she will miss her connecting flight.

No wonder she was screaming, and her kids were cranky. My judgment immediately turned to empathy.

I am reminded that it's always easy to jump to judgments, but when we replace it with empathy, this world will be a much better place.

And... Finally, we Got Going!

Finally, when the gate agents announced our flight for boarding, the entire group cheered loudly like we've just won the Superbowl or World Series.

On the flight, I was treated to a beautiful sunset, and we had the bonus of landing in Vegas at night where we saw the Strip in all its illuminated glory.

About the Author:

Hi! I'm Coen and I'm a speaker, trainer and coach. My Life Mission is to help the Voiceless Find their True Voices, One Story at a Time. As an avid traveller, I'm passionate about travelling and learning about different cultures, and distill my lessons into speeches, case studies in my workshops, and also write about my adventures. Follow me ?? for more stories that Inspire.