For any Sale Representative who makes a living having to travel to designated territory knows it is not always glamorous. There are both pros and cons to business travel, but this blog will highlight the downside to frequent travel for work, particularly one recent experience I had last fall.
One of the major cons of air travel is that you are at the mercy of many things outside of your control including weather conditions, staff shortages and airline schedules. In years past, inclement weather was always the biggest reason you might be delayed and, at times, for an extended period depending on the severity. Now with Covid, we are experiencing fewer flights per day and staff shortages due to illness or exposure to the virus. Navigating these delays is quite frustrating and not an enjoyable experience. These delays might have you miss a client meeting or keep you from getting home in time for a family commitment.
Recently I was flying home from Knoxville, TN, which is a very small airport, and we were experiencing inclement weather in the area causing delays to almost all flights. My direct flight was cancelled so I jumped on another flight that was routed through Washington DC to get me back home to Chicago O’Hare. After boarding the flight, we were quickly told we had to deplane as this flight was cancelled as well. Fortunately, I was in the front of the plane so was able to work with the United rep at the gate to get me on another flight. I should mention my rush to get home was due to my wife flying out of town early the following morning and someone had to be home for our son. The gate agent was able to put me on a flight to Houston with a connector to Chicago O’Hare. Outside of the 6-hour delay at the Knoxville airport, this flight did take me roughly 1,000 miles in the wrong direction. Despite the long diversion, I was able to make it home late that night and wake up with my son the following morning. Disaster averted due to the kind United agent who took the time to get me on the last flight that day out of Knoxville.
Flight delays are all part of flying the friendly skies and, knock on wood, do not happen all the time, but when they do it can cause a lot of frustration, missed meetings, long days and too many hours killing time at the airport. Given these challenges due to staff shortages from Covid, bad weather, & layoffs, I have learned to build additional time into my schedule to accommodate. Overall, jumping on a plane is much more relaxing and quicker than driving to many parts of my territory.
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