In January, I flew from State College to Atlanta. Can I tell you how much of a pain in the ass it… wasn’t?
Despite the fact that I am very much not a morning person, I had ambitiously booked myself a 5:17am flight and it still ended up being one of my favorite flying experiences to date.
Marvel along with me.
After a quick 10-minute drive from our house to University Park Airport’s front door, I found myself checked in, through security, and sitting at my gate within 15 minutes.
I texted my husband (my ride to the airport, who, by the time I got to my gate, was already back home!) to share in my amazement.
That level of travel day efficiency was already banking major points in my book, but the fun didn’t end there.
As I settled in to wait for boarding to begin, I saw one of the employees from the security line walk into the seating area holding a black coat.
“Did anyone leave a coat?”
They walked around inquiring about the coat until they found the appreciative owner who had misplaced it.
Lovely. My still-waking-up brain briefly considered whether something like that ever happened at LAX. I ranked the likelihood “doubtful” and felt a moment of gratitude for our great local airport and its thoughtful employees.
And still, the fun didn’t end.
After a while, it became clear that our flight’s crew was running late. We were minutes away from boarding time and our gate agent was on the phone, wondering if anyone knew what was going on.
Eventually, we found out.
Over the loudspeaker, it was announced that, believe it or not, our crew was stuck in an elevator at their hotel and our flight would be delayed.
We all “Oh my gosh! That’s nuts!”-ed together, simultaneously laughing at the unexpectedness of it and mentally calculating how this would affect travel plans.
But before anyone had a minute to worry about it, our agent was already walking through the seating area, calling passengers by name, recognizing others from check-in earlier that morning, and distributing backup itineraries to anyone in danger of missing a connecting flight.
No waiting in line, no wondering what needed to be done. I had never experienced anything like it.
And yet… the fun didn’t end there!
Because this pleasant-despite-a-couple-
Our crew, eventually freed from the malfunctioning elevator, arrived in good spirits and we all boarded the plane.
Can I tell you I was feeling so fancy with my eeextra wide armrest and complimentary mini bottle of water, while seated in the most luxurious section of our expansive 50-ish passenger aircraft?! (I’m being dramatic, but in all seriousness. My left elbow did have an extremely comfortable flight.) 😉
Flights out of State College are typically pricier than Pittsburgh, Philly, or Harrisburg, but it’s wonderful to have the option to occasionally treat yourself to this ultra-convenient way to travel. I’m appreciating even more the benefits of our small-but-mighty local airport that made a very early morning flight not only bearable, but memorable.
Laura Mustio made her way to State College via Pittsburgh in 2015. Her writing celebrates our area’s hidden gems, treasured locals, and not-to-be-missed experiences.
