So my "cush" assignment last night was even more cush...in a bad way. I deadheaded to Chicago on American Airlines. I asked for a first class seat (all travel while deadheading is free...so why not?) and got one. Good thing. I ae a nice baked chicken dinner on the way. We arrived early.
I walked toward the American Eagle gates and checked the departure monitors.....gate G5. As I got to the gate I noticed a large crowd of passengers standing around and a flight to Montreal, Canada still on the board....already delayed almost 2 hours. Not wanting to get involved with upset passengers I went across the hallway to an empty gate and pulled up my schedule. They added on more flying Saturday including an overnight in Little Rock, Arkansas. My flight tonight was still showing to leave from G5. Over the next few minutes several passengers walking by made a B line for me as I was an airline employee standing behind a counter, which held a computer. I helped the best I could. A few were looking for the flight to Northwest Arkansas...my flight. I told them if they sat near by I would let them know as soon as I did. I checked my schedule again...now G1.
We all gathered our things and walked to G1. There I saw the other flight attendant going on my trip. She is a very tall blonde Russian woman that is not the norm around here. She is very nice though. I put my bags behind the counter and notice a CRJ 700 (the plane I fly at American Eagle) outside at the gate. I pull up my schedule again to check the tail number of the plane I was supposed to fly. The tail number had been removed. Not good. I tell the flight attendant the news and leave the area. The customers I previously helped didn't seem to notice my escape. I sat down in an empty area next to a set of departure monitors. Within a few minutes....my flight cancelled. Bad news for the customers got worse as the next flight was already delayed by an hour. Those that thought they would be home at 9:50 would now not arrive until almost midnight.
I found an empty computer and checked my schedule again. It showed my flight was cancelled...but nothing else. The first flight attendant that deadheaded up with me found me. She is a very nice woman and this would be my first time flying with her. Most people in this business are very easy going and most interactions are as though you have known them for years. Kinda hard to describe. I tell her the news. We check our schedules. They now have us deadheading BACK to Dallas Fort Worth on the last flight leaving Chicago. I was to show up for a 1:35PM flight Saturday to Springfield to do a turn and then the Little Rock, Arkansas overnight.
Going back to Dallas was fine for me. I lived there. The flight attendant though commutes. She commuted in that afternoon, to deadhead to Chicago and is now deadheading back to Dallas. Because she is based in Dallas she has to find her own place to stay. Commuters have to budget for these little events. Most stay in hotels nearby that give crew discounts.
We checked first class. It was full. Coach it was to be.
Springfield, Missouri is a very nice city. I assume it is anyway. I have never been there. I have been assigned to fly there 9 times (including this trip) over the last year. I have never gone. It's always downgraded. This morning I checked my schedule.....gone...downgraded again. Now I have the whole day off until 6PM when I fly to Little Rock, Arkansas.
Going with the flow
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