I just lately lower a protracted layover very brief on the airport.
My flight from Maui landed in Chicago with over 5 hours earlier than the ultimate leg to Philadelphia.
I spoke to an airline agent about altering my flight. Minutes later, I used to be within the air.
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There’s nothing worse than ready for what looks like an eternity on the airport for a flight — particularly after you have simply spent hours sitting on a airplane.
I used to be ready for this on a current journey again from Maui to Philadelphia, with one very lengthy cease in Chicago.
However after getting little sleep on a close-to-eight-hour, in a single day flight, I did not wish to settle for that I needed to wait 5 hours in Chicago earlier than getting on the two-hour flight house to Philly.
With somewhat ingenuity, nevertheless, I discovered a technique to keep away from the wait and get house earlier than that flight even departed. One of the best half? It did not value me a factor.
The important thing to my success was merely checking the departures board to see if we may make an earlier flight
My first flight left Maui’s Kahului Airport at 5:16 p.m. native time and landed at Chicago O’Hare Worldwide Airport at 6:05 a.m. in that point zone. The following wasn’t scheduled to depart till 11:11 a.m.
I knew it might be a hellish itinerary after I booked it, and will’ve deliberate to go on an earlier flight from Philadelphia from Chicago however it left simply over an hour to make it in time — and that is if there weren’t any delays. (My rule of thumb is to depart at the least an hour and a half between flights.)
After all, the flight landed early in Chicago.
Simply as I used to be gauging my husband’s temperature (lukewarm) on leaving the airport to get breakfast in Chicago, and doing the mathematics to work out how lengthy we would have as soon as we really received into the town correct, I remembered that flight.
I used to be bleary-eyed and exhausted, however in that second, I discovered the vitality to run to the closest departures board. There it was: the 7:25 a.m. flight to Philadelphia Worldwide Airport, with an arrival time of 10:28 a.m.
If we may catch that flight, I may very well be napping by 11 a.m., I assumed.
I requested the airline if we may swap to an earlier flight
It was Memorial Day Monday, one of many busiest journey days of the 12 months, however I did not lose hope.
We made a beeline for a close-by United gate — each of our flights have been with the airline — and requested if there was room on the sooner flight.
A employees member on the gate suggested us to ask an airline agent within the airport or a digital one by way of United’s app about making the swap.
We could not see a United agent within the a part of the terminal we have been in, however there was a stand with a QR code you could possibly scan to talk to an airline agent. It pulled up a web page on the United app, and I began a chat with an agent.
With the clock ticking, I used to be skeptical that the digital assistant may assist us in time — by this level, the flight was boarding in 20 minutes — however however I requested if we may swap, and if there’d be a charge to take action.
I used to be stunned when the United agent mentioned sure, we may swap. And no, there wasn’t a charge.
Inside a few minutes, United emailed me new boarding passes and even assigned us two seats collectively. Success!
We made it onto an earlier United flight (not pictured).
Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photographs
It labored!
Then we remembered our luggage.
I requested the assistant if our checked baggage would make it onto the flight. They mentioned they’d do their greatest, and it relied on whether or not the luggage have been scanned after we would made the change. Worst case, we may determine it out with the airline and get a 20-minute trip from our home to the airport to choose up our stuff later.
The following problem was attending to the gate in time. We legged it by way of the enormous (and truthfully, stunning) airport to get to a different terminal, and even needed to hop on a prepare to get there.
On the lookout for the gate, I noticed we needed to undergo safety once more because it was a special terminal. Not very best in a time crunch. Fortunately, we’re each TSA PreCheck members so we received by way of fairly shortly.
We made it to the gate simply earlier than our group was referred to as, albeit out of breath.
Even our luggage made it, although it wasn’t a assure
Whereas the airplane was taxiing, I remembered the AirTags in our checked luggage.
I opened the Discover My app and seemed for my bag, and my husband did the identical. Someway, they have been within the appropriate terminal!
AirTags to the rescue.
Screenshot by way of the Discover My app
Fortunately, the remainder of our journey went easily. Our flight left 10 minutes early, and we — and our luggage — have been again in Philly by 10:24 a.m., and residential by 11 a.m. (10 a.m. in Chicago).
With the time distinction, we’d’ve had one other hour and 10 minutes on the airport earlier than our authentic flight. And we have been snoozing within the consolation of our own residence when it took off.
If you wish to do one thing comparable, here is my recommendation:
Subsequent time you might have a protracted layover, test the departures board. Monitor down an airline agent to ask for a swap to an earlier time if there’s one.
If there are seats accessible, ask if there is a charge to modify. If there’s, determine if it is sensible in your finances.
Perceive that even if you happen to make it for the flight, your luggage won’t. Put AirTags in your checked luggage you probably have them to see in the event that they make it — if they do not, contact the airline ASAP to make a plan to get your stuff from the airport.
Keep versatile when touring. If this trick labored for me on one of many busiest journey weekends of the 12 months, it would simply be just right for you.
