Planes, Delays, and Everything in Between

Well, this wasn’t the blog post I intended to write today—but as I’ve said before, I go with the flow. This is a post about a flight delay travel experience.

On Wednesday morning, I headed to the airport in Málaga to begin a trip back to the U.S. The adventure started right outside our front door as my husband walked me to meet my airport shuttle, only to be passed by a familiar-looking van that stopped just a few meters ahead. The driver stepped out—a familiar face—and asked for my name. It was my shuttle. He was early. Ten minutes early! This may not seem like much, but in Spain, where fifteen minutes late is on time, this was practically a miracle.

Though this was my shuttle home, it was not the shuttle that picked me up; it was booked through the same company that took me to the airport, Suttledirect.com. Photo taken by Valerie Valentine.

My first flight out of Málaga started twenty minutes late—not unusual. But thanks to favorable winds, we still arrived at London Heathrow ten minutes ahead of schedule—a small win.

Then things got interesting.

As soon as we landed and I turned off airplane mode, I received a message: my connecting flight—originally scheduled for 2:50 p.m.—was delayed until 4:00. No problem.

But about twenty minutes before this new departure time, after priority passengers were already boarded, just after I had cleared security, passport control, and boarding pass screening, I was heading down the stairs to the jetway when we were suddenly told to turn around. Everyone, including priority passengers, had to go back upstairs.

Waiting at the gate at Heathrow Airport in London. Photo taken by Valerie Valentine

Five minutes later came the announcement: one of the flight crew had fallen ill, and we’d need to wait for a replacement. The new departure time was now 5:30 p.m.

Not only were we held in limbo, but they actually disembarked all the passengers who had already boarded. And of course, there were not nearly enough seats in the gate area for everyone to wait.

Pilots walking through the airport at Heathrow. Photo taken by Valerie Valentine.

Around 5:00 p.m., the replacement pilot arrived and confidently walked into the secure area—only to turn around and exit—wrong door.

As we were getting ready to re-board, two flight attendants passed by, chatting with passengers. One of them joked, “Hopefully his directions will be better on the plane.” We all laughed, but I filed it under things you’d rather not hear before takeoff.

Boarding finally began at 5:30, our last announced departure time, not by group number—everyone at once.

Once on board, the head flight attendant gave a thorough (and heartfelt) apology. He explained that the first delay was due to a technical issue. The second was the captain’s departure. And the third? Catering problems.

I selfishly thought, Oh no—am I not getting the gluten-free meal I ordered? (I’ll save my food and environmental allergies for another post.)

Exit row seat with extra leg room and a stowable monitor for announcements and movies. Photo taken by Valerie Valentine.

An hour after our last announced revised departure time, we finally had wheels up at 6:42 p.m., London time. After a long and relatively smooth flight, we landed in Houston at 10:14 p.m., local time—a flight of just over nine hours.

A travel day that began at 8:00 a.m. and should have lasted fifteen hours ended up stretching to twenty-one. 😥 Whew.

Reflections From the Journey

Travel, like life, is unpredictable. What begins with a smooth ride can quickly spiral into delays, detours, and unexpected waiting. But somewhere in between the frustrations, there are moments—small wins, shared laughter, and stories to tell. This trip reminded me that patience isn’t just a virtue, it’s a necessity when we’re at the mercy of the skies.

Whether you travel often or only once in a while, delays have a way of teaching us to release control and embrace the journey—however messy it gets. And at the end of the day, even a twenty-one-hour odyssey ends with the simple relief of landing safely.