“Once a year, go somewhere you’ve never been before.” — Dalai Lama
Adventure awaits
One of my travel buddies, Elaine, asked me if I wanted to visit Vietnam. She told me to find a friend and join her on her adventure. For more than a decade, I had discussed venturing off to Vietnam with Erin. I phoned Erin, and this time, the stars were aligned. In March, the three of us flew across the world to discover the untamed treasures of Vietnam.
Airport fiasco
Prior to our excursion, I spent a few days visiting friends in Los Angeles. The three of us planned on meeting at the airport to fly to the exotic orient. Erin was en route via car from San Diego, and Elaine had flown from Florida. When I arrived at LAX, my hands flew across my iPhone, informing my friends I was at the check-in counter.
Erin and I found each other first. With a bounce in our step and a sparkle in our eyes, we checked in. Elaine had arrived prior to us, so we assumed she would be at the gate. However, we were wrong. We joined her in line, with our feet barely touching the ground. When she handed the agent her ticket, we learned there was an issue with her reservation. I stopped breathing, as the knots tightened inside my stomach.
Elaine had booked her trip with a friend, who decided to bail. When Elaine tried to check in, the airlines informed her she was listed as “canceled.” Her friend had a seat, but Elaine did not. Somehow, her information had been mixed up with her friend’s. She called the travel agency to fix the issue. At 9:00 p.m. PT, the corporate office was closed. The airlines informed Elaine there was nothing they could do.
Options explored
Erin and I moved to the side, to give Elaine space. She discussed her options with the travel agency. As I gazed over, I could feel the tension thickening the air around her. Her eyes blazed daggers and her voice was constrained. I knew her options were looking bleak. I asked, “What are they offering you?”
She responded, “A flight tomorrow morning, without a hotel room.” Elaine would lose a day and be stranded at the airport. This was unacceptable.
Time to involve management
I wandered off, as I often do, and marched over to the check-in counter. I demanded to speak to a supervisor. When the manager arrived, I explained the situation. I could not understand why they could not give Elaine her friend’s seat since the other woman was not traveling. The airlines said they could, but only for a few thousand dollars on top of what she had already spent. I shook my head in disbelief, as my eyes shot death at them.
The manager on duty informed us she did not have the authority to help us. She said she needed approval from the corporate office. However, she doubted Lady Luck was on our side. In a calm, controlled voice, I insisted she roll the dice and dial corporate.
This exchange lasted for approximately two hours. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 12:00 a.m. Every thump of the clock grew heavier and louder, as Elaine’s options appeared grim. We thought she would be forced to meet us in Vietnam the following day. This would impact all of us negatively. How would we connect with her to finalize our plans? Our first few days were filled with a multitude of possibilities, but nothing was concrete. She would also need to adjust to our time, while her body would ache with exhaustion. My limits were pushed past their breaking point. I had enough, and my dam was about to burst.
An alternative plan
I informed the lady she needed to rectify the situation, right now. Otherwise, I was going to create a social media hell. Confrontation and threats are not my style. I grabbed my cell phone and ripped off a Tweet. First, I targeted the travel agency. After a minute, I fired off another Tweet bashing the airlines.
Ironically, within five minutes, our problem was resolved. The man Elaine was speaking with stated, “It’s a miracle! The system updated, and you are on the flight!” Elaine was able to fly to Vietnam with us. I floated to our gate, giggling all the way.
I removed my Tweets from Twitter. After all, I did not want to negatively impact either business. My goal was for them to fix their mistake. The next morning, the travel agency tweeted, “We are sorry for the inconvenience, and we are happy your friend made the flight.”
Lesson learned
The lesson learned? Fight for what you want. Stay calm and focused. When one road is blocked, carve out your own path. Happy travels!
—
Previously published on “Change Becomes You”, a Medium publication.
—
***
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want to join our calls on a regular basis, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
Talk to you soon.
—
Photo credit: Jerry Zhang on Unsplash