I’ve flown countless times, both domestic and international. I was also flying the same route I had taken multiple times – Austin to Dallas, then Dallas to Incheon. Yet, none of that experience could have prepared me for the flight I was on this time.
The night before my flight, my boyfriend and I were on a packing spree. Running on short naps and the multiple cups of coffee in our system, we were able to tape everything up, although barely. I had never pulled an all-nighter before, so I was more than just exhausted; the breeze from the air conditioner was enough to rattle me. Arriving at the airport thirty minutes later than we were planning on, we rushed to check in. If I hadn’t been frazzled enough, the panic settled in right then. My attendant kept telling me that the time for my layover at Dallas was not enough, looking me in the eyes and repeatedly claiming that he was certain I was going to “miss my flight.” He shrugged it off, said that the situation was my problem and that he “couldn’t do anything about it.” After breakdown upon breakdown, I ended up saying goodbye to my boyfriend in panic mode, with both sadness and anxiety swarming my brain. I remember people passing by and staring at me full-on crying, but I couldn’t care less; all I had in mind was the attendant telling me I couldn’t make it.
Once I arrived in Dallas, I hit the ground running. I thought I thoroughly knew the Dallas Fort Worth airport, but oh boy was I wrong. I was lost from the moment I got off the plane. If the frantic search for the baggage claim area wasn’t enough, I was going in and out of the airport on the lookout for a way to reach another terminal. Every time I had a layover, I used the Skyline Metro they have. It’s fast, efficient and convenient. But this time, I wasn’t able to because I did not have a boarding pass. That’s when I realized that the flaw wasn’t just with the lack of time I had between the two flights, but the ticketing process itself. I hadn’t booked a connecting flight.
I ended up riding a shuttle that took ages for me to get to my terminal. Desperate for any kind of help, I called my airline, only to be told that their check-in time had closed at 11:10. Checking the time, it was 11:20. I knew I was doomed. They were suggesting that I reschedule my flight, but I had to try something – anything other than to be stuck in this airport. Once I was off the shuttle, I was sprinting with tears running down my face. For the first time in my life, all the panic was making my face cramp. One frantic step after another, I reached the desk for my airline. The attendant saw the alarm in my face, the tears in my eyes and the sweat rolling down my forehead, and to my relief, was more than willing to check me in. What happened after was a blur, but all I know is that as soon as I got to my seat on the plane, I crashed.
Everyone is bound to experience an airport disaster. But, I got home and am writing this article in the comfort of my bed in Korea. I got lucky this time, and I definitely learned my lesson: connecting flights save lives.