Having a standby success is sometimes very difficult. When you watch your flight fill up and don’t get ready for the trip and suddenly it opens up seats, you have to jump and run to make it happen!
Have you ever jumped on a last minute trip? Flying standby gives us plenty of opportunities for last minute trips. But this story was the fastest we made it happen!
How fast could you move if you knew it meant 3 days in Hawaiian paradise? If you won a free trip, but only had 28 minutes to make it happen, could you?
7th Anniversary trip planning
We received an offer for a free condo on Waikiki in Hawaii for 3 days. We were thrilled. Despite not knowing if the flights would be open or not, we booked it and paid the taxes, hoping for the best.
As the time arrived, it became obvious that the flight would be too full for us to make it. We watched our anniversary trip alone slip away.
The morning we were supposed to go to Hawaii, instead, we got ready for church. We took it slow and easy. Then on a whim, I checked the flight just to see.
When I logged in it said there were 3 empty seats now! Enough for us, but not for the kids to join us. I was shocked and looked at the clock. I told my husband, “We have 28 minutes to get in the car and head to the airport, plus figure out a plan for the kids. Should we do it?” After a call to his mom to pick up the kids, he said, “Let’s go!”
And the race was on.
28 Minutes and counting
Packing for the adults was easy: flip flops, swimsuits, IDs and phone chargers.
Packing for the kids was much more difficult. Especially considering they were flying to Utah with grandma after spending the afternoon with my brothers family. They needed strollers, car seats, winter clothes, bottles, diapers, wipes, etc.
After 30 minutes of the craziest packing I’ve ever done, we jumped in the car, still in our church clothes. We dropped the kids off with my brother to watch them while grandma was still flying to pick them up. We gave instructions for the kids over the phone as we drove.
Late to the airport, we pushed through security and ran to our gate which was already loading. Without stopping, we got our tickets and boarded the plane. As we settled into our seats we started to wonder if we were making the right decision.
What could go wrong?
My husband called his mom to make sure the plan with the flights were going ok. She was flying standby to from Utah to Phoenix to get the kids, and flying back to Utah standby with the kids. So many things could go wrong!
As we took off my husband’s phone rang with a text that said, “We have a problem…” and then our plane flew out of service.
We spent the next 7 hours sick with worry about what the problem was, if our kids were ok and wondering how could we possibly be so irresponsible to leave them! It was quite possibly the worst flight ever, and I didn’t even have a child with me! My mind ran wild with the possibilities of things that could go wrong. Did I mention I was also 5 months pregnant? Anxiety on overload!
Standby Success!
As soon as we touched down we found out that the problem was a simple ride to the airport that was easily solved. Our kids were fine and well cared for. My brother dropped my kids off at the airport with my amazing mother-in-law who took them through security and flew them home with her. They were sound asleep and we were free to reconnect and celebrate our 7th anniversary.
It was a miracle we were able to pack for a trip to Hawaii and set up sitters for our kids in only 28 minutes. But, thanks to the service of our family we were able to have a 3-day getaway.
As usual, Hawaii did not disappoint.
You can read about our favorite stops on Oahu here.
How fast have you packed for a flight? Could you find a sitter for your kids in only 28 minutes?
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