Sometimes, even carefully laid-out plans fall through quickly. That is why I have a growing list of itineraries for new destinations! I experienced a change of plans on my most recent weekend trip to Wisconsin that required non-rev flexibility. 

The Journey to Wisconsin

My plan for the weekend was to catch the last flight out of Charlotte after work, getting into MKE around midnight. On the way home, I was going to take the last flight out of MKE back to CLT on Saturday so that I had a day to prepare for the following work week. 

There were numerous open seats, so the plan seemed like it would be smooth sailing. Despite having a last-minute change of plans, it went smoothly overall because I was willing to be flexible (see my blog post about flexibility). 

The first change occurred because my job offered us two hours of pay for showing up to work, so I had an extra day off! I jumped at the opportunity and immediately had my husband book me on an earlier flight. I drove to Charlotte, parked, enjoyed my time in the lounge, and boarded around noon, arriving in Milwaukee by mid-afternoon. More time for fun! 

I got lucky with this unplanned change. Little did I know, but President Biden flew into CLT that same afternoon. If I had stuck to my original plan, the shutdown at Charlotte Airport could have affected my flight. Allowing for non-rev flexibility made for much smoother travels.

Returning to Charlotte

An Example of Non-Rev Flexibility

I knew the return trip might have some hiccups. There were storm systems forecast in Charlotte. As a precaution, I left adequate time for my return trip with a full buffer day. When I checked my flight that afternoon, I saw it was delayed for two hours. I would not get into Charlotte until after 11 at night and then had to drive home on top of that. Wanting to avoid an extremely long day, I perused the American app to see what flights left earlier. 

There was a flight that was departing mid-afternoon with many seats open. I again had my husband change my reservation and immediately left for the airport. I arrived in enough time to get through security and get a quick snack for lunch before boarding. With the delays in Charlotte, we sat on the taxiway for an hour, waiting for a gate. I got home around 10 pm, but had I not taken the earlier flight and left my parents’ house immediately, it would have been after 1 am before I got home. 

Being that I work full time and get up at 5:00 am daily, those extra hours of sleep are precious to me. Adjusting my plans resulted in a smooth trip home and allowed me extra time to sleep. Who knows how long I could have been stuck in Wisconsin if I had not left when I did! 

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