The Power of a Smile

A smile can change the world.

A smile can change the world. Or at least a travel itinerary.

It was early morning. I’d arrived at the airport before sunrise, intending to fly to an afternoon meeting in Austin, Texas. The trip required a plane change in an intermediate city. No problem, I thought. Although it had rained and snowed the night before, this airport was no stranger to winter weather; everything appeared to be on time. Besides, the airline had built in potential weather-related delays to the flight schedule. The arrival time was listed as almost an hour and a half after the departure time. With only twenty-five minutes of true flight time, I figured that making my connection would be straightforward. So, when the pilot announced that the plane would need to be de-iced and our wheels-up time from air traffic control was forty-five minutes after our listed departure time, I wasn’t worried. That could still put us in early.

The plane was de-iced. And de-iced some more. It seemed that there was a lot of de-icing going on. Because I was chatting with a friend who happened to also be on the flight, I wasn’t paying too much attention to all the de-icing. Until, that is, the wheels-up time came and went. And the pilot announced that there could still be ice in the flaps.

Ice in the flaps isn’t good; that much I know. But the sun was now up, the temperature was above freezing, and the odds that there would be a real problem were low. Unfortunately, the odds were equally low that I would make my connection. In fact, it was pretty clear that those odds were zero.

“When’s the next connecting flight to Austin?” my friend asked.

“There’s only one more today,” I replied. “And it’s mid-afternoon – too late for me to make the meeting I’m supposed to attend.”

He asked what I’d do when we eventually got to the connecting city. “Probably just turn around and come back here,” I laughed.

Then I thought of an alternative. So I quietly stood up, walked to the front of the plane, and approached the flight attendant. I explained the situation and politely asked if there was any chance that I might get off the plane – before we left.

“I’ll understand if it doesn’t work,” I smiled. “It would save me a bunch of time though. And all I have with me is a small shoulder bag.”

Now the airport where I live isn’t big. In fact, there is only one gate and it is outside, requiring a short walk on tarmac from the terminal to the plane. Since our flight had pulled away from the spot on the tarmac where we began (for all of our de-icing), I figured it was a long shot that they would be permitted to open the door and bring the portable staircase back to the side of the plane.

The flight attendant was hopeful, however. “I’ll check with the ops manager,” she smiled back. “You never know.”

I found my seat, shrugged to my friend that it wasn’t too likely they’d let me off onto the slushy tarmac, and resigned myself to a travel day without much purpose.

Well, you guessed it: they let me deplane. About fifteen minutes after my request, the pilot announced that the issue with the flaps had been a sensor, not actual ice, and the plane would be airborne just as soon as it received some more fuel. “And, right after we let a passenger deplane,” the pilot added. Shortly after the announcement, the plane door opened and the flight attendant waved me forward. With an expression of thanks, and another smile, I headed down the steps and into the slushy morning.

There may have been nothing special about the crew’s approval of my request to get off before the flight departed; these folks were likely just doing their job and they were permitted to let me off. Yet I can’t help think that they did something nice when, by protocol, they did not have to. And I can’t help also think that my tone – and the honest smile that accompanied it – helped my cause, at least a tiny bit.

Did the world change because I was saved a round trip flight? Mine certainly did. I’m extremely grateful for the crew’s understanding and flexibility.

Small acts of kindness can have that sort of effect.