Well, well well. What can I say.

Incoming was late and I am thinking about the short connection of 38 minutes. So I ask the GA if this is the equip to return and she says no. Supposed to board at 1:10 and we boarded at 2:00. OK cutting it close but the pilot says 1:27 flight time, so I say should be fine. We push back and sit. Then we pull back up and the pilot says maint says something about speed tape? I am thinking now no way to make the connection back. Then they open the door and let pax deplane. Damm. I get off, and ask a supervisor GA what my alternatives are. She says she has helped many MR folks and prints out an alt out of RIC via Dulles and offer to switch itin for Sun. So she says wait, looks out the window at the planes tail #, and surprise, this equip is coming back, just not the crew! In the interim, I get two easy updates, one for each flight and yes this equip seems to be coming back. She says unlikely UAL has any inventory in RIC, so she hands me the alt itin and says if you get back on this plane to return, have the GA in RIC cxl this itin. No problem.

We finally take off around 3:45, two hours late. Get to RIC in about 1:20. I deplane and see the return pilot in the jetway^ and say see you in a few. We chat a little and he laughs saying yep he sees MR folks this time of year all the time. We board, only about 25 on a 319, and I am 1 of 3 in Econ + and only 1 person in F. Pilot come on says sorry about the delay and welcome to the guy who flew in on this plane and returning to ORD! Guy sitting across from me in 7C is MR'ing via ORD to SAC looks over and says is that you, I say yep. Chatted a little and off we go. Got back to ORD about 1 hour late. Wife picks me up and we go out and have our 27th anniversary dinner we missed Friday because I had the flu.

Its all good and a big thanks to the Ft'ers here for the tips^:-: