Lost in Transition - A Play in One Act
As a brief bit of clarification, before I return to the story at hand, the stories that I have been telling in this blog over the last few months all took place during the roughly 48 hours that it took for us to get from Waxhaw, North Carolina to Manaus, Brazil in September of 2024. These stories are not related to other trips that have taken place since then.
These stories are primarily written for the purpose of helping me process our transition to Brazil, for the entertainment of those who enjoy reading blogs about travel, and as an encouragement to any future missionaries to remember that even in the most challenging circumstances, silver linings are often woven throughout your journey.
With that said, let us get back to the Charlotte Airport on the evening of September 17th. The last post may provide helpful context for where we pick up with this one. If you are not into reading that much (what are you doing in a blog?!), here is a summary from ChatGPT that I found equal parts helpful and humorous:
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The family’s carefully planned journey from Charlotte to Brazil quickly unraveled when their initial flight to New York was delayed and ultimately canceled due to crew duty limitations. After hours of waiting in lines and navigating chaotic airline communication, they chose to reroute through Miami, accepting a late-night flight and an unexpected hotel stay. Despite the setbacks, they remained positive, trusting that God's plan was unfolding through the disruption, and leaned on each other and their friend Ethan for support.
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If you recall from the last story, when we had deplaned from the airplane that had been bound for JFK, we were in a hurry to get rebooked on a new flight and we did not have time to wait around for the stroller that we had checked at the door to the airplane. Hoping to get the stroller back so that tired Isabella could be pushed instead of carried everywhere, I headed back to the gate where our failed flight to New York had occurred. I was hoping to get the stroller back. As I mentioned before, the conversation that ensued was one of the more bizarre I had ever had with a gate agent.
Title: Lost in Transition
The Characters:
Gate Agent - mid 40’s, female, overworked, but friendly. Just handled over a hundred disgruntled passengers and still somehow appears to be in a good mood. Likely due to having just dealt with so many people, her general sense of professionalism has been replaced by a more frank and candid tone.
Flight Attendants - just want to get home to New York. They are torn between the relief of not having to work a flight full of passengers, and the angst of possibly having to spend a night in Charlotte.
Captain - mid 50’s, rested, confident, not properly informed about the situation he is walking into
First Officer - mid 40’s, also rested, clearly following the Captain’s lead, not looking to be very talkative.
Me - 33 y/o male, in the process of moving his family to Brazil and the masterfully crafted plan to get there has already started to crater. Still hopeful and excited, he just hopes to get his stroller back.
ACT 1
Scene 1
SETTING:
Gate B13 at the Charlotte Airport is calm following a chaotic scene where hundreds of people were just shuffled off their flight to New York and rebooked in a number of different ways. One gate agent remains, quietly typing away on her computer. Flight attendants from the failed flight to New York are milling about behind the desk.
I walk up to the desk and address the gate agent.
ME
Good evening, we were originally booked on this flight to JFK and when everyone was deplaned a little while ago, we did not get our stroller back. Is there any way to bring that up for us?”
GATE AGENT
(amused, but friendly)
Oh interesting, were you not moved onto the other flight to JFK? I thought everyone was moved onto that flight.
ME
No, we were told to go to the customer service desk down the hall and they rebooked us onto a flight to Miami tonight.
GATE AGENT
Hmmm, I see. Let me go see about the stroller.
(She disappears into the airplane boarding tunnel for a few minutes. Then she returns.)
GATE AGENT
I’m so sorry, but it looks like they moved that stroller onto the other airplane that is heading to New York.
Me
Hmm, I see. Interesting. The customer service people down the hall rebooked us onto a flight to Miami tonight. I didn’t realize there was another flight to New York.
GATE AGENT
Yeah, everyone on this flight was supposed to be moved over to another flight to New York. Hmm…
(I tap fingers on the desk and allow for some silence in hopes that the gate agent will somehow materialize our stroller despite the apparent issue. The Gate Agent slowly taps away on her keyboard.)
(The flight attendant crew for the failed flight to JFK are still milling about behind the desk as well. I gather from their chit chat that they still have enough duty time to complete the flight to JFK and were hoping for some pilots to materialize to take them there.)
GATE AGENT
(pointing passed me into the terminal)
Oh look! Here come our pilots!
FLIGHT ATTENDANT 1
(under her breath)
Let’s see if they will save our day!
(The new Captain and First Officer stride up to the gate.)
CAPTAIN
(wheeling his pilot suitcase around to an abrupt stop in front of himself)
Good evening! How is it going?
GATE AGENT
Good evening, are you our new pilots?
CAPTAIN
Yes, what is the situation here. Is everybody on board?
GATE AGENT
No (giggle), they were all deplaned an hour ago and moved to another flight. This is now a ferry flight. Just you guys, an empty plane, and the flight attendants.
CAPTAIN
Oh strange, on my app it is showing a full flight. Ok, what about the baggage? Any cargo?
GATE AGENT
No sir, it was all just transferred to the other flight going to JFK.
ME
Wait, even my bags?
GATE AGENT
Um, let me see. Can I have your ID, or boarding pass?
(I hand it over. Gate agent types away on her computer.)
Yeah, it was all moved to the other flight to JFK. I believe they just had everything that was on this plane moved to that other plane. That is so strange they rebooked you through Miami.
CAPTAIN
Wow, ok. So it’s just a ferry flight. (looking to the flight attendants) You ready to go?
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS
Yeah!
ME
Wait, so what about my bags? They are just going to JFK?
(The Captain and the flight attendants feign interest in my plight.)
GATE AGENT
I’m sorry, but yes. In JFK they will forward them on to your final destination. I’m curious now, though, when was your connection in JFK?
ME
I think it was like 10:30PM.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT 1
Put them on this flight!
GATE AGENT
Well now I’m curious if that would work. It is technically possible to just have one family on the airplane.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT 1
That would be so fun!
CAPTAIN
We need to figure that out soon, because that Tower is waiting to hear our plan and they are getting impatient.
GATE AGENT
What is your planned time into JFK?
(Captain taps away on his phone.)
CAPTAIN
At this point, our arrival there looks like it will be around 11PM.
(Flight attendants sigh.)
GATE AGENT
Well that wouldn’t work for you, sir. Your connection to São Paulo will already have departed. Looks like your best bet is to stay with your plan through Miami.
CAPTAIN
(whipping his carry-on suitcase around and heading toward the boarding tunnel. He gives Me a final acknowledgement)
Sorry it didn’t work out. Best of luck. (looking to the flight attendants) Shall we ladies?
(Pilots and flight attendants head for the airplane)
GATE AGENT
Well sir, sorry we couldn’t work something out. Like I said, your bags should meet you at your final destination.
ME
Well that is actually a huge relief. There are like 15 of them.
GATE AGENT
Wow
ME
Yeah, we are moving to Brazil.
GATE AGENT
Very cool. Well I hope the rest of your trip goes more smoothly.
ME
Thanks!
(END SCENE)
I then walked back to my family, and our friend Ethan, who were waiting back near the customer service desk that had rebooked our whole trip through Miami. I filled everyone in on my bizarre conversation over at the original gate and how we nearly got ferried to New York. We laughed about how interesting it would have been to be the only family onboard a flight like that. We also praise the Lord that we would not have to deal with the bags again until Manaus (This turned out not to be true. At 8AM the next morning, we received a call at our hotel in Miami that all the bags had been overnighted to Miami by an ambitious baggage logistics rep in New York. We had to go to the airport, collect all the bags, walk them upstairs, and recheck them to Brazil. It went fine, but was a bit of a hassle.)
It was currently about 9PM and our flight to Miami was scheduled for 1030PM, and was due to get into Miami around 1AM. I was not thrilled about that, but all things considered, it was not the end of the world. I looked up and noticed that we were standing next to a gate that was currently boarding a flight to Miami. I kind of laughed and told everyone that I was curious if we could just get on that flight.
I grabbed the passports, and Ethan and I headed for the gate agent. When I explained our situation, she said they had 5 seats available on that flight and printed us the boarding passes. I went back to Alyx and the girls and shared the good news. We were the last ones to board, and off we went to Miami, only slightly bummed that plan A did not work out, but happy that plan C was panning out better than plan B.
Boarding the not so late, late flight to Miami