As I returned my rental car and began the shuttle ride to the United Terminal at DCA Airport, the only thought racing through my mind was whether or not there would be standby room on the 2:26 flight so I could be home early to see my family. Only upon getting to the gate did I find out that the flight was already delayed until 3:15. However, there was an 11:30 flight that was delayed and currently boarding for me to get on standby…until it was announced that boarding was to stop! An ominous sign of things to come!
Fast forward to 5:00pm as they have now cancelled 3-4 flights, and now announce that this 11:30 flight had been added to the cancelled list! You could see the steam rising from people’s head, and you could hear the rumbling of folks talking amongst each other. The mob was gaining momentum and it was inevitable that the dam was about to burst!
When out of nowhere comes this voice over the loudspeaker that takes full command of the situation, stresses his disappointment and understanding of the passenger situations, and fills the void of integrity that #United has left open. More importantly, he does not just dash into an alleyway to escape the angry crowd, but rather steps forward after putting the mic down and proceeds to be the face of the company- standing politely and listening to the passengers who wish to vent- one by one! While none of the circumstances are any fault of his own, he recognizes and acknowledges the frustration of every passenger that wishes to speak and I am left to admire his actions enough to write this piece!
In a society that seems to lack morals and integrity, it is refreshing to see individuals step up to the plate, and hit a grand slam- and for no hidden agenda, other than to do his job and because it was simply the right thing to do! Captain Ian Hay- you reluctantly identified who you were to me, but it is because of you that these horrible circumstances had a silver lining for me! Be safe in your travels as I am sure to be on your flight sometime down the road! It was YOUR handling of the situation, not #United, that won me over as a passenger!
loweEducation 