Tale of Two Flights: A Spoiled Brat Flies the Airlines

Most of us have experienced some mind-blowing travel failures.

Dick Karl

Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

FLYING contributor Dick Karl says he once arrived to JFK for a flight to London only to learn our aircraft hadn’t left England yet. [Courtesy: Dick Karl]

Key Takeaways:

The author contrasts two recent airline experiences: a "ridiculous" journey plagued by extensive delays, unexpected re-routings, and uncomfortable interactions, with a "sublime" trip featuring unexpected first-class upgrades and smooth flights.
The challenging journey highlighted the unpredictability of commercial air travel, demonstrating how initial cost savings can be negated by significant delays, re-routes, and the necessity for costly last-minute alternative arrangements.
Conversely, the positive experiences underscored the benefits of loyalty programs and personal connections, providing comfortable and efficient travel, while all trips reinforced the professionalism of flight crews in ensuring safety despite operational issues.

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You hear a lot about how terrible airline flying is: delays caused by rowdy passengers, crews timing out, ATC staffing shortages, and all manner of weather. Most of us have experienced some mind-blowing travel failures. I once arrived at JFK for a flight to London only to learn that our aircraft hadn’t left England yet. Luckily, a bar was conveniently available.

Two recent airline forays could be classified as sublime and ridiculous.