Free Ride

There are few things in life for free so when something comes your way it's always a pleasant surprise. I am at JFK airport waiting to board my flight to Amsterdam. I didn't pay for my ticket, I used frequent flyer miles instead. I had a rather unattractive seat on an overbooked flight and was not looking forward to it. I flew business class last year (also on miles) and was reminiscing how comfortable it was.

Soon after I arrived in the gate area, they announced that the flight was oversold and they needed 8 volunteers to give up their seats. The price? A later flight to London (8:45pm vs. the 5:25pm direct flight) and then a short flight to Amsterdam in the morning. The arrival time was 2pm rather than 7:30am. They offered $400 in Delta flight credit, which would come in handy during an Ironman year. It sounded good, but I didn't move on it. Then minutes later, when I was just about to step onto the plane, they made the announcement again and this time I decided to go for it.

While the gate agent rebooked my flight, I asked if there was any chance for an upgrade. She didn't even hesitate, she typed a few things in and said she could do it for the JFK to Heathrow portion of the flight. So not only did I not pay for this flight, but Delta ended up paying me to fly business class.

Since I suddenly had time to kill, I stopped off at Duty Free and am now enjoying free drinks in the Delta lounge. This trip is off to a very nice start.