MCI to MDW to ROC to BWI to CHS...

What a day. The heavens decided to open up over the greater Chicago area and get our connection from Midway to Charleston cancelled, which we learned about before even leaving the ground in Kansas. Presented with the choice of staying in Kansas and trying again the next day or taking our chances in Chicago, I decided that it was best to head North and see what we could manage; worse-case scenario we spent a night in Chicago.

My mom and I nervously waited in the ticketing line after leaving the security area of Midway, browsing our phones for hotel rates and things to do in Chicago for a day. It is worth noting that Southwest, at this point in time, had automatically rescheduled us to the "next best flight," which was an 8:35pm venture the following (Monday) evening, getting in at around midnight. Gross. That means my mom and I would lose our whole Monday in Charleston and miss getting to see some family who were stopping in that day. Not great. It wasn't long before we were called to be serviced by a patient lady with kind (and honestly tired) eyes. "How can I help you today?" she asked, stern but friendly. I explained the situation to her, and my mom asked several clarifying questions about how Southwest does not pay for hotels or flight transfers to other airlines. "No ma'am," she asserted. Without saying much else, she got to work, "flipping back-and-forth" as she described to try and get us the Charleston through some random combination of hops across the USA. My mom and I quietly waited, and before long a text notification popped up on my mom's phone. "Your flight has been rebooked." Excited, we probed for an explanation. "I got one of you rebooked, Midway to Nashville to Charleston getting in at 11:45pm," she said, "but I am still switching back and forth to try and get another." At this point it was clear, my mom and I would probably have to split up and meet back in Charleston, as most of the available flights were single seats from all of the cancellation chaos that day. With luck, she was able to get the second flight booked. "Midway to Baltimore to Charleston, arriving at 10:35pm" Without saying anything else, she printed our tickets, we thanked her profusely, and we were on our way.

Now the way Southwest expresses their available seats is, I have now learned, not usually accurate, especially in the wake of weather-fueled cancellation chaos. After getting on her plane to Baltimore and going our separate ways, my mom began texting me her doubts that the plane she was on was actually full (there was a delay on the tarmac due to baggage). As per her instructions, I made my way back over to her gate to try and get on that plane, but had my doubts that I would be successful. To my surprise, and to the gate controllers dismay, my mom was there at the gate entrance explaining the situation to the manager. Long story short, a plane they initially claimed was full actually had several open seats on it due to the way they transferred a family to a different plane. I was able to get on that plane by my mom's persistence and the manager's kindness. To Baltimore!

The rest of the trip was uneventful with boring flights and a stop at Chipotle in Baltimore, followed by a drink at this tex-mex place. We landed in Charleston after midnight EST, and got home an hour later. I can assure you that the sleep that evening was fantastic.