The Miracle Oversold Flight

Because we have so many completely random travel transit stories that don’t fit into a particular category we wanted to create a series of posts to share them.

Basically the good, the bad, the ugly and the randomness of the PROCESS of traveling like stories from the flight cabin, going through customs, being sick while traveling, trying to make connecting flights and even technical difficulties like when Larry’s plane fell out of the sky and had to make an emergency landing…

We’ll share these over a number of posts and to start us off I wanted to share a story that has come to mean so much to me. One that I never would have thought could affect me for so many years.

All because of one incident in an airport…

It started with a birthday…

A few years ago, while Larry and I were still living in Australia, we planned a summer trip home to Newfoundland with dates perfectly planned to arrive just in time for my Grandmother’s 100^th birthday!

It was a joyous event to celebrate for the whole family who were able to make it and one we were so lucky to be present for and a part of. Especially because in less than two weeks, just a few days before we were set to fly back to Australia and mere hours before my Dad was meant to fly back to camp for work, my grandmother unexpectedly passed away in her sleep.

I was so grateful that both my father and I had visited her the night before, and to have the opportunity to still be present for the proceedings over the coming days as our extended family and friends once again came together to celebrate my Grandmother’s long life for the second time in recent weeks.

But though I considered myself so lucky to have had the time I had with my family, our flight back to Australia was set to be the same morning as her funeral. And as much as we wanted to be there, with a flight change quoted to cost us upwards of $5,000 we just couldn’t afford it…

Parting ways…

So…the morning of Nan’s funeral, my parents dropped us off at the airport, at the time not yet knowing when we would see each other again.

And though it could have been a very emotional moment saying goodbye in that terminal, I think we all chose to just be happy for the time we had had together. And then we parted ways knowing that my Dad, who had just said goodbye to his son, would then be leaving the airport to meet his mother and escort her to the church to say goodbye to her as well.

But we all acted strong…

So we went on following through the motions of check-in, security, etc, and waited for our flight to leave. Until an announcement was made that our flight was oversold…

The flight was oversold by TWO SEATS and any volunteers could have their flight deferred to the next day.

Instinctively moving without barely thinking, we ran to the check-in desk…

To our dismay another couple was already there but after an initial heavy feeling of disappointment that the opportunity was lost, WE WERE CONFIRMED FOR THE DEFERMENT!

At hearing this, I broke down at the counter like I have never broken down in public before.

A happy ending…

The wave of sorrow and shame that I had thought I had done well to suppress for missing the funeral completely overtook me.

But shortly thereafter…

…having left our bags at the airport…

…after grabbing the first cab we could throw ourselves into…

…after making it to the church with 10 minutes to spare…

…after surprising my dad in an overwhelming emotional release for everyone involved and being there to support of my family during this hard time, my tears of sadness were merged with those of a relentless joy that I had also never felt before.

…All because United Airlines oversold their flight…

It meant the world…

I tend to identify this story as the single most humbling moment of my entire life. And is the closest to what some would consider a miracle that I’ve ever experienced because of how much it meant to me.

And for all the ways those two weeks of events had to connect in the most perfect of ways, I continue to find myself emotional, grateful, and in sheer awe of the magic of the universe that led to my family being able to be together on that day.

Is this really that surprising though? Aren’t oversold flights common?

All I know is that the timing of several events that week had to come together perfectly, and it ended on this final serendipitous moment. And between Larry and I, after flying literally hundreds of flights, we have NEVER been on an oversold flight where a flight change was offered, nor have we been since.

But whatever the cause or coincidence and though part of a hard time for my family, this memory, for so many special reasons, continues to be the happiest single moment of my life and one that I always return to for comfort…

In Loving Memory…

What’s Next?

Because emotions run high in the airport and while in the air and because the most unexpected things can happen, we have plenty more stories that we look forward to sharing. Next time we’ll share Larry’s story of troubles in the air over the Pacific Ocean…which to be honest STILL makes me nervous sometimes…

Until then, we’d love to hear your stories as well! Do you have any transit stories that you’ve never been able to forget? That made you happy? Mad? Emotional? Or Laugh? Let us know.

Cheers guys!

Chris and Larry

YouTube – Subscribe Here

Instagram – @GaysAroundTheBay

Email – Submit your email in the subscription box

Thanks guys!