I am writing this blog from terminal A18 at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. I’ve been here since 7:30am and am now not scheduled to even board my flight until 11:40. As a working mom my time is beyond precious to me. It is finite. I simply can’t make more of it. Every second is jam packed with items from my to-do list that seemingly are never ta-done: chaffering kids to practice, meeting with clients, trying to maintain a happy marriage, birthday parties (the endless rounds of children’s birthday parties), girlfriend time, sick dog to the vet time, can I fit the gym in time, and, and and!
So when my precious time is ripped away from me I tend to get a little…hmm what is the word I am looking for here…oh, yes….freaking pissed off.
Which brings me back to terminal A18. Overbooked. The airline told me the flight was overbooked. So here I sit at gate A18 wasting half a day that I don’t have to waste. Half of my one of two days I have to spend with my children. Do airlines even understand what overbooked and losing half a day means to working mothers? Now I appreciate companies with healthy bottom lines. But not if that bottom line comes at the expense of my family time. These four hours represent approximately 10 percent of my weekly forty eight hours of weekend family time. What is the equivalent impact to this airline?
Well ten percent of its daily 6,700 flights would be 670 flights. Fairly large number, I’d say. Ten percent of its annual revenue of $26 billion is $2.6 billion. Nothing to sneeze at. Ten percent of its approximate 110,000 employees would be 11,000 people. Impressive number? I think so.
But as a working mom how do I quantify ten percent less time with my children, my husband, my family, and friends? I really don’t have an apple to apple comparison of the cost. How does a working mom put a price tag on losing the most precious commodity in our lives? What is the human cost if being overbooked?
I don’t have a good answer but I do have another two hours left to contemplate it.
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