Hurricane Dorian is on course to hit Florida, and it’s expected to be upgraded to Category 3 before that happens. The moment I heard about it on Sunday (thanks, Kerry), I immediately put a plane ticket on hold for my dad since he lives in Delray Beach, and when you need a flight at a time like this you need to act fast, as there are only so many flights.
One of the things I love about American Airlines (if you have elite status) is that they waive last-minute ticket fees. AA also allows you to put flights on hold when you’re paying with miles, even if the flight is the next day. While looking for my dad’s flight, there weren’t a lot of choices around midday or the afternoon. So even thought my pops isn’t a morning person, I put the 7am on Thursday out of PBI on hold, just in case the storm got stronger. And at that point, forecasts projected a direct hit.
Then, yesterday, before I had to purchase the ticket, I checked again. Sure enough, an afternoon flight had opened up, so I started the process of booking it. Once I had the seat secured, I logged into AA.com using another browser and canceled the original ticket. I did that because AA won’t let you book or hold two tickets for one person for the same day. I’m not sure if other airlines allow that.
So I booked the flight. I used 25,000 miles so my dad could fly first class, but he does have to make a stop. Fortunately, he doesn’t mind, since it gives him something to do and a chance to meet more people. He’s a people-person and the type of guy that you don’t want to sit next to on the plane when you want to work or sleep (ha!).
Getting him to the flight…
To get him to the airport, I was going to book him a car with Blacklane concierge service. It’s amazing for people who need a little hand-holding (or business travelers who are in a hurry) as the drivers make sure you don’t get lost or waste time standing in lines. But Blacklane usually needs notice more than 24 hours in advance to arrange for a concierge. And we didn’t have that time.
It’s a bummer, because I love the service and I had a credit to use (I’m a Blacklane brand ambassador). My mother-in-law used Blacklane concierge and its limo service yesterday when she traveled, and said that her concierge took all of the anxiety out of traveling. She even said that she felt like a celebrity and would travel anywhere in the world with them. So in the end, I ordered wheelchair service for the big man (he’s 90 and can’t walk long distances). Hopefully, he won’t get lost and miss his flights. Fingers crossed.
More on Hurricane Dorian
We left Fort Lauderdale yesterday evening already had it booked. It’s going to get bad. At least your dad was able to get out on time!