Fly Early in the Day ! (AGAIN!)

I recall an earlier post on this blog with the same title (minus the word AGAIN).

Today I was scheduled to leave Newark for Columbus, OH, via Detroit on Delta.

It was a clear but cold day in EWR.  What can happen, right?

Doesn't matter now as I got done with work much earlier and called Delta.  Their "same day confirmed" service is terrific and I was booked through ATL, departing Newark at 215 pm 4 hours earlier than planned.  When you change a flight like this, there is practically no chance of getting the upgrade this late.

So I was SHOCKED when I got to the gate at EWR and saw myself as number one on the waitlist, having hopped over 34 others!

And it cleared!

Same thing in ATL.  Hopped to number one over 19 others and the upgrade cleared again.

And we arrived here in CMH right on time at 730 pm, a good 3 hours before I was supposed to get here.

So, I check the status of my original flight out of EWR throught DTW.

The EWR/DTW segment left 90 minutes late, meaning I would NOT have made the connection and would have blown the trip.  Since I always have to get where I work, I would have had to rent a car, one way out of DTW to get here.  I estimate the drive to be 3 hours.

Another very lucky day.  When departing NYC airport, you have to leave as early as you can!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL935/history/20130206/1915Z/KEWR/KATL

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2361/history/20130206/2259Z/KATL/KCMH