Never say never….

Several weeks ago I boarded a plane where the attendant had just made some announcement about the flight. As I was moving toward my seat a woman hurried past me going the opposite direction….off the plane. People were laughing….apparently she had boarded the wrong plane. All I could think was…”How do you board the wrong plane”….how embarrassing

that would be!

Well….you stand in line waiting to board a plane….(we all memorize our flight number don’t we?)…they call for zone one and you head to the gate keeper with your ticket…that ticket is scanned and off you go down the stairs schlepping your luggage and you board the plane! Now if you are on a small plane you could be boarding 1 of 3 planes at that gate. The pilot says something funny about the weather in Pittsburg and you laugh….thinking he’s a little quirky and take your seat. You talk to the person across the isle about the woman who boarded the wrong plane on a recent flight and wonder how that could happen….suddenly someone tells you that you are in the HIS seat….you say “no” my ticket says “3B”…he says… “your ticket says

Memphis to Nashville”….you say “I know, that is where I am going!” He says…”this plane is going to Pittsburg!”…boy, did I have egg on my face….I was on the wrong plane! Up I got with everyone around me laughing….as I departed the plane with another family that had  also boarded the wrong plane …I returned upstairs baffled at how the scanner failed to pick up that I was boarding the wrong plane and noting that the gate keeper never really looked at the ticket.

Important Travel Tips:

1. When boarding a plane at a gate with multiples flights be sure you know your flight #…check your number and check it twice!

2. Be sure when you are boarding a commuter jet that you are going to the correct plane amongst many….sometimes there is no one to direct you to the correct plane.

3. If necessary ask the flight attendant when you board if this plane is going to your destination!

#airtravel #boardingplanes #embarassing