"Well, I woke up Friday morning with no way to hold my head which didn't hurt and the beer I had for breakfast tasted good so I had one for desert." (C&W song) A late night caused me to be the victim of my own complacency and I missed my plane from Oklahoma City. This placed me into one of the most stressful situations of the trip. I had to take a chance and go on stand-by for a seat on the 12.15pm flight to Chicago. This on a bank holiday week-end was something of a lottery, if I didn't get on this plane I would miss my trans-Atlantic flight. So I sat glued to the stand-by screen to see my position on the list. It was never stationary, if person with an AA advantage card came to check in I went lower down the list. if someone became impatient and went for another airline I went up the list. My dilemma started to dawn on me if i didn't get on the 12.15pm flight I wouldn't make Chicago in time for the trans-Atlantic flight. The options additional hotel, would I be charged for another flight across the Atlantic tomorrow all started to worry me. My hopes were lifted when my name went fro the stand-by list onto a cleared list but put on a downer when the AA rep said no one was on the cleared list, so sit down and we will call you if you are. Not one to give up I went back and stood in front of her desk. My name was clearly on that cleared list and if there was a spare seat on that plane my bottom would be on it. She looked at me and said she hadn't forgotten me, which was good. I stood my ground as she started to call people to board the plane. The plane now virtually full, I looked at her with sorrowful eyes as she said "Thomas Lynch?" and produced a ticket which I gratefully accepted. I could have kissed her as I ran for the plane. I got the last seat and was not in any frame of mind to give up that seat. The plane was small and only had seating for 54 people but the pilot put his foot down and got us to Chicago in time for me to catch my plane home.

Lesson one: Try to get to bed before 3.30am if you have to be up for 6.30am

Lesson two: Always allow a minimum of 2.30 hours for international flights, even if they are technically domestic, but especially if the airline is looking for extra seats for people who might have missed their planes the day before!!.