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How did it feel for you to fly for the first time since 9/11 ? Did it feel the same? Did you feel relaxed, comfortable, or were you scared?
My return flight home was last Friday, 9/14, only 3 days behind the original schedule.
Here are some thoughts and observations during my home coming:
- the desire to get home and to get there fast was by far stronger than any fears I might have had of getting on the plane again
- the crowds in Minneapolis airport on Friday morning were hard to describe: it was an endless sea of people trying to figure out where one line ends and the other one begins
- there was a line of a thousand or so people waiting to check in at the United counter. 1K/First Class check-in line had 3 passengers and 2 agents. This saved my bacon, and I managed to get a seat on the only one scheduled plane for Friday: MSP-DEN It was departing in 1 hour, and it took me good 45 minuted to get through security
- United people were fantastic, every one of them: gate agents, FA's, pilots, 1K room attendants, etc. I promised myself to never get mad at United again for pitiful little problems of the past ( upgrades, delays, etc. ) In my eyes, United redeemed itself for many years to come
- before departure, the capitain asked for a moment of silence and a prayer. He promised to make our flight the safest one we've been on in our life
- during the flight, you could smell the tension in the air if someone moved or got up from his seat for any reason. Actually, it was more than tension, it was fear
- inching my way to the West, I managed to get a seat on my second flight of the day: DEN-SEA ( thank you again, United ) In the waiting area by the gate, there were 2 Middle Eastern looking men sitting quetly, waiting to board our plane. One of them had an airport employee badge on. I can't discribe in words the fear and the hatered that filled the boarding area. 300 eyes were glued to these men. Somebody apparently went and talked to gate agents because one GA showed up a minute later with 2 policemen in tow. The cops casually walked by the gate a couple of times and then stopped by these two men. Document and ticket checks followed. Nothing suspicious was found. Still, for the next two hours of the flight the fear in the eyes of some of the passengers was real.
- although not related to the travel subject, I have much more loyalty to my company now. The way they cared, worried, helped me to get home was unbelivable. They even sent one of our company jets to pick me up in the middle of nowhere ( almost ) in Minnesota. It was Wednesday, and there was a confusion regarding the FAA private aviation restrictions. After 30 minutes in the air on the way out to get me, the plane was turned around and had to land back home. I Grayhounded for 8 hours all a way from the Canadian border to MSP.
- and the last "deep" observation/thought: no matter how much physical luxury you may surround yourself with in the time of crisis( nice hotel, executive club room, great food and wine...), if your heart wants to get home, nothing else matters.
So I am home and save now. Would I want to fly again? Sure! But not for a while. What about you? How did it feel to step back on the plane again?