Captain Helpful To The Rescue!

(I am coming home from a conference and have to change planes at New York LaGuardia. My first plane is delayed, and then canceled, and the first airline isn’t particularly helpful. I manage to get a ticket on the last flight of the evening on another airline, but I am told wrongly that my luggage is in New York, not my final destination. I am sitting near the gate for the new airline, and am nearly in tears with stress. A crew member for the new airline is sitting nearby.)

Me: “Excuse me? I’m on this flight, and I wondered if there is enough time to go out, find my luggage, and get back in through security.”

Crewmember: “Probably enough time, but definitely check to make sure security isn’t closed or you won’t get back in.”

Me: “Yikes, didn’t think of that. Thanks!”

(I went to check, and sure enough security is closed. Dejected, I go and sit back down where I had been.)

Crewmember: “Any luck?”

Me: “No, they’re closed.”

Crewmember: “Did you check their website? They might have a baggage locator.”

Me: “Thanks, I’ll check.”

(After a few more minutes, I go to a page that asks me to put in some luggage ID number.)

Me: “Do you know which of these numbers is the luggage ID number?”

Crewmember: “Hmm, not sure. But try this one.”

(Sure enough, that number worked, and my luggage was actually at my destination. My stress level went down about 25 notches at that point. When the new flight finally boarded, an hour-and-a-half late, it turned out the very nice crew member was actually the captain of my flight. I made sure to thank him profusely for the help, and the ride home. Whoever you were, Captain Helpful, thanks for taking the time at 11:30 at night to be pleasant and helpful to a very stressed out traveler!)