I've recently begun working at O'Hare as a volunteer for Travelers Aid, and I was most fortunate to run into Captain Flanagan on Saturday evening (3/13) while trying to assist a distressed passenger with a re-booking.
To make a long story short, I was attempting to assist a passenger who missed an AA ORD-SEA flight, and the ticket was issued by CO (005 stock). Calling CO was futile (epic hold times with weather wreaking havoc), there were no CO agents at the airline's T2 check-in hall, and there were likewise no CO agents at their gate area (B1-B4). Proceeding with the distressed passenger down the B concourse in hopes of tracking down a UA agent, who might then have possibly assisted by paging their CO counterparts, I ran into Captain Flanagan near B5. Needless to say, I was thrilled at this welcome turn of events!
True to form, Denny was quite busy helping a crowd of UA passengers gathered all around him, and I waited my turn. Finally having his attention, Captain Flanagan listened intently to my predicament and immediately took out his cell phone to dial first one contact, then another, before finally obtaining an internal number to CO's ORD operations office. Dialing that number and identifying myself as a Travelers Aid agent, I was able to finally make headway on the distressed passenger's ticket, and the passenger and her family ended up making the next AA ORD-SEA service, which departed but an hour later.
Always a UA brand ambassador, Captain Flanagan would not let me get on with my business without first giving me his business card, with a warm smile.
^^ to Captain Flanagan!