Sequins and Sea Breezes: 32 hours... in an airport

32 hours... in an airport

2/23/2016

Things to know about flying stand by

Ok, so technically the title of this post is a little misleading. If we want to get specific it was 32 hours in 3 different airports but who's counting, right? Most of you know by know that Kerri and I had a long weekend in Dublin planned out last week but it definitely didn't go as planned. And honestly, the story is almost to funny (at this point, not so much on Wednesday or Thursday) not to share so why not explain what happened and how we made the most of it... kinda. 
It actually all started with my parents who up and decided they wanted to go to Dublin. They originally asked us to go back in January but Kerri didn't have a lot of time off at the time and it was pretty last minute so we decided to schedule it for February instead. My mom works for an airline and my dad used to so we get to fly at a deeply discounted rate on something called non-rev (non-revenue) or also known as stand by. The deeply discounted rate sounds amazing (and is!) until you get stuck somewhere. See, flying non-rev means you aren't guaranteed a seat together or even on the airplane at all so you try to book traveling non-rev around times you know there are plenty of open seats available on the flight, which is exactly what we did... or so we thought! When we originally listed ourselves on the stand by list 2 weeks prior to our trip there were plenty of first class and coach seats available so we thought we were golden to make it to Dublin but boy were we wrong.

JFK Delta Sky Lounge

I started out the day waking up at 4 am to make it to the airport by 6:15 am after going to bed WAY later than I should have the night before due to looking at last minute flight information with my mom. Surprisingly we made it on our first flight, sitting together and in an exit row next to a flight attendant and we were on our way to NYC to wait out the 11 hour layover. Our flight attendant was super awesome and she hooked us up with some mini bottles for cocktails for free to help our layover be not so sucky. 

Things to know about flying stand by

After landing at JFK we had about 5 hours to kill before my parent's flight landed so we worked, walked around and checked out some of the stores and restaurants before deciding to grab some lunch at PizzaVino. Lucky for us, terminal 4 at JFK airport has a lot to do and see so we really weren't too bored waiting for my parents to get in so we could head up to the Sky Lounge. 

JFK Delta Sky Lounge

The Sky Lounge is the perfect place to spend the day if you have a long layover. In the warmer summer months they have an amazing outdoor patio, free wine, beer and food and (in my opinion) the best part... showers! Oh yeah, and free wifi and plenty of places to sit and unwind while charging your electronics. 

JFK Delta Sky Lounge

Not to mention it's a great spot for people watching and celeb sighting! We saw Anthony Anderson and Keanu Reeves all in a matter of minutes just hanging out in the Sky Lounge. 


After spending about 5 hours in the Sky Lounge we headed down to our gate to prepare for boarding but oh what a mess it was when we got down there. There were people every where, the stand by list had grown exponentially and it was definitely not looking good for us making it on board. Little did we know that the Dublin Film Festival happened to be the weekend we were heading over there so flights booked up unexpectedly at the last minute bumping us from getting a seat on the flight. Lucky for us... or so we thought... we had a back up plan! Don't make it to Dublin? No problem! The flight to my favorite city in the world, London, left  a little over an hour after our flight so that left us with enough time to rebook ourselves and get over to the gate. When we got to the gate for London it was just as much chaos as the flight to Dublin. After seeing the stand by list and some of the same people waiting at the London gate who were at the Dublin gate I knew there was no chance we would be making it to the UK.

I'm not going to lie, at this point I threw a mini hissy fit then sucked it up and headed back to the Sky Lounge for another drink and figuring out our next steps. I suggested staying in NYC for the weekend or looking into another US destination just to get out of town and make the best of it but due to extreme exhaustion and maybe a wee bit too much wine everyone just wanted to head home. The Sky Lounge eventually kicked us out and we proceeded to a gate around 2 am to catch a quick 1 hour catnap before jumping in a cab and heading from JFK to LaGuardia. Just to recap, at this point we've been up almost 24 hours straight and tensions are definitely running a bit high. 

This trip marks the first time in my life I can say 1. I didn't have to wait a single minute for a cab out of JFK airport  and 2. I was among one of the first 10 people in line for check point security at LaGuardia.

In effort to cut this short I won't get into any more details about our experience at LGA other than of course with the way our trip was going we didn't make the first flight back to Orlando so we had to move to a different gate (again), I had to go talk to a gate agent about getting my ticket rolled over because for some reason they were showing that I had actually made it to London (newsflash people, I'm standing in front of you, I obviously am not in London!), and the icing on the cake? We happened to be on a flight home with the one person Kerri and I absolutely positively did not want to be stuck on an airplane (or anything else) with. So basically the travel gods were 100% against us making this trip and I'm actually thankful we were able to make it back to Orlando about 32 hours after we started our journey. It was definitely not the adventure either of us had planned on our wanted but looking back on it now I just have to laugh at massive bad luck on this trip! Once back in Orlando we definitely made the best of our weekend and the weather was gorgeous so I really can't complain. While I think I'm going to hold off flying non-rev for awhile one bad experience isn't going to turn me off of it forever.

Sorry this was so long! I honestly could have written so much more about our experience (32 hours is a LONG time, especially when you're awake for pretty much all of it) and I had planned on making this funnier but I got exhausted just writing it...maybe I'm still not quite at the laugh about it phase but I know now that next time I should specify what kind of adventure I want!




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49 comments

  1. Oh my gosh that sounds so stressful!! Luckily you had the Sky Lounge, having to wait it out there sounds a lot better than just hanging out in a terminal!

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  2. OMG I hate that stuff! I have had that happen one other time and I was alone, so it was rough. At least there was some things to do while you waited for so long.

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  3. you poor thing! this sounds exhausting and frustrating all in the same! Glad you managed to have a great weekend regardless! Make today work, Rachel -CubicleCouture

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  4. UGH, how horrible. It SUCKS when travel plans don't work out an a flight is delayed for a little bit, this is the worst. I'm glad y'all were able to make it safely home {despite being stuck on board with someone yucky} and managed to make the best of it at Epcot. <3

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  5. Traveling is great, until it doesn't work out as planned. It's the worst when this happens to you. Luckily, Dublin isn't going anywhere so you'll have to plan again!

    Christina :: Simple and Delish

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  6. Oh man, few things are more frustrating than airline and travel issues. SUCH a headache! Thank goodness for the Sky Lounge to help ease the pain some!

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  7. Thank goodness for that Sky Lounge and a pretty weekend at home to make things a little bit better! Hope your next flying adventure goes better than this one did!

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  8. girl at the end of the day - it was def an experience that was mostly fun! til the end but hey! that's why we have stories haha. and we made it home safe. bc it wasn't meant to be. great recap of our trip! meanwhile mine was all word vomit hehe. i'm glad i spent that experience with you over anyone else! and really, it can only go up from here right? :)

    xoxo cheshire kat

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  9. Wow! This sounds miserable. I'm glad you guys eventually made it back home, and at least had access to the Sky Lounge so you weren't AS miserable as it could have been (although it still sounds pretty awful). Glad you can look back on it now and laugh. Non-rev is definitely a plus, but it can also be a HUGE headache. Ugh. Hopefully you guys make it to Dublin soon!

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  10. Geez.. What a stressful 32 hours!!! :-( I'm so sorry that you ladies had to go through that. I would have cried. But at least there were some positives to this experience. Like food. And wine haha. When you ladies finally make to Dublin it will be even more amazing too!! :-)

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  11. What a crazy day! Traveling- always full of such big ups and downs! Sounds like you're making the most of it though :)
    xoxo
    Brooke|LookBrooke

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  12. Yikes this whole story makes a whole lot more sense now, but what a nightmare! I can't imagine being awake and sane for 32 hours especially if plans didn't work out the way you wanted! Glad you guys were able to make the most of it and the Sky Lounge at JFK looks awesome!

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  13. Wow, that is so awful!!! Luckily airports have alcohol is all I can say!

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  14. Ok, how did you guys get stuck on a plane with someone you didn't want to be on one with?! Non-rev is awesome/the worst. My brother is a pilot and anytime we have used his non-rev seats it is pure chaos. I can't handle it!! I'm sorry you had such a time!!

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  15. how frustrating!! i saw on your snaps you had been up and how long the flight had taken and everything---i had NO idea it was because of all of that. i would have thrown a hissy fit too, girl! i'm sorry it didn't work out. here's to hoping the travel gods are with you next time. hugs! and wine!

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  16. Oh man, the worst is having a plan and things not going according! What a mess! You're such a trooper! Xo

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  17. Ugh!!! Flying standby is so sand stressful!! At least you got some free cocktails out of it but that seriously sucks you didn't make it to Dublin! :(

    <3 Shannon
    Upbeat Soles

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  18. Oh my that is so horrible. You poor things, at least you were still able to enjoy the weekend. Access to the sky club sounds fab! I only once flew non-rev and it was terrible. The guy at the check-in counter hated me so much that he flagged me for extra security. I didn't really think much of it until I over heard the security tell me that the check-in guy was the one who flagged me. He did it on purpose so that I would miss my flight. I don't really carry much on so it was pretty simple. The only thing was that I had an autographed baseball in my bag which I carried on for safe keeping. It was a signed ball from Derek Jeter and I had to leave it behind. I could never fly non-rev again, it's just too much for me. Plus, I need to know where I'm sitting before hand.

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  19. Oh MAN, girlfriend- this sounds stressful! And I'm sorry you didn't end up making it to Dublin (or LDN- I LOVE London, too!). Glad you're home!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  20. What a nightmare! You are better than me for only throwing a mini fit- mine would have been full blown! Bless your hearts!

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  21. I was following your snaps and was so sad for you guys! Sorry it didn't end up working out the way you thought :-( The Delta lounge in NYC is legit though right? We had a layover there from our flight to Greece and it was so awesome but I'm sure after a while all you wanted to do was get the hell out of there.

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  22. Sounds stressful! I don't do well after not sleeping, so I could imagine it was crazy being trapped in that airport. At least you were able to enjoy some wine. :)

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  23. Oh my goodness that sounds horrible! The wait-list seems like a great option, but it would be SO nice if they let you know before you spent so long in an airport that you most likely wouldnt have a seat. Ugh!!
    www.amemoryofus.com

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  24. I don't blame you guys for just wanting to get back home after all of that-- I would have been so stressed and disappointed, but I'm glad you guys still had such a good weekend once you got home!

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  25. OMG I get anxiety just reading this!!!! That is so awful!

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  26. wow that sounds exhausting..
    yay for the sky lounge

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  27. Ugh that is CRAZY!!!! You've clearly got nerves of steel! Hopefully you'll make it to Dublin (or even London) in the near future!

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  28. Sounds stressful! I always have the worst like at JFK airport!

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  29. So disappointing, but really does make such a great story!!

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  30. That is absolutely awful! I am sorry for you that you didn't make it to Dublin! On another note - I had no idea about the lounge at JFK so thank you for sharing! I have to check it out!

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  31. oh my gosh! this sounds horrible! i am so curious who you all were on the flight home with that you didn't want to be. jeepers though, seems like everything that could go wrong did. that sucks major balls. i would be chucking hissy fits as well, especially at the idiots thinking you were in london.. um, hello?! meanwhile, Keanu Reeves?!?! that is awesome. not as awesome as london or dublin of course, but still.

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  32. I've never had that happen to me before. But I don't fly hey at least you had wine :)
    xo, Jessica || The Petite Diaries

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  33. Ugh I still feel so awful this happened to you girls, but yay for making it back home in time to catch up on rest and an absolutely gorgeous weekend weather wise. I've always been so intrigued by flying non-rev, and now I can see there are definitely downsides to it. *Fingers crossed* the next time you try you get to your destination with zero issues <3
    Green Fashionista

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  34. That's seriously so crazy that not only was it the Dublin Film Festival but that it was also London Fashion Week! You'd think that they wouldn't have two of those things scheduled at the same time! It sounds like you had one of the worst travel experiences ever, but it sounds like y'all made the best of your time when you got back to Orlando and can laugh about it now!

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  35. Man oh man!! I was wondering what was going on from your snaps! The WORST luck!!

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  36. That sounds like the most stressful 32 hours! :( Such a bummer you didn't make it to Dublin, but I am glad you made the most of your weekend at home. :)

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  37. While this is quite the crazy story and disappointing end...that lounge sounds pretttttyyyy sweet. I'm so sorry this happened to you, but it's a story to remember, right? Hopefully next time you get where you want to go girl!

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  38. Oh my goodness... this is insane!!! I hate that you guys didn't make it and I can only imagine how frustrating standby can be. At least you have good weather in FL though and hope you've gotten plenty of rest. Better luck next time!!!

    xo, Kristina
    Medicine & Manicures

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  39. Oh no!!! I'm sorry you ladies had such a stressful experience (but at least Terminal 4 is pretty awesome, I always love spending time there). At least now you have a new story for cocktail parties!

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  40. I was following along on your snapchats during all of this and felt so bad that you were stuck in airports!! But how cool that you saw Anthony Anderson! He's hilarious!

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  41. I'm so sorry that the weekend didn't go as planned...travelling is hard, travelling on stand-by even harder! I'm glad you made the most of your weekend and hey a few celeb sightings sort of made up for it lol! xo, biana -BlovedBoston

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  42. That sounds so crazy, so sorry you had to deal with that!

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  43. This is quite the travel story - certainly one you won't ever forget! Hopefully you will get to make it over to the UK soon!

    Zelle
    Southern Style

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  44. This sounds like it was so stressful! Quite a travel story! Something you will not forget for a very long time!
    xoxo,Victoria
    www.coffeeandablonde.blogspot.com

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  45. I feel so bad for you guys - what a horrible experience! And I can't believe you got stuck on a plane with someone you didn't want to be around - yikes! At least there was wine... and celeb sightings ;)

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  46. Oh wow! Airports make me feel like I'm sitting in a hospital waiting room, I would have had to bunk in the sky lounge to take that feeling away! Good luck for your next destination!

    CarolinaClover.com

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  47. This sounds so stressful.

    But seriously, nothing better than a good glass of wine (or two) when you're stuck at the airport!

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  48. LOL I would've straight up LOST MY SHIT. Bummer that you didn't get to get out of the states as planned... at least it came with a good story though, even if it was a pain in the ass! lol

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  49. Insane is an understatement! Thank goodness for wine to make the "trip" a little bit better! Xo, Stephanie

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