I read this article in the Chicago Tribune, Another East Coast storm grounds planes, although cancellations likely fewer than prior storm, and it made me glad that I’m not working at the ticket counter anymore. 

It was 14 March 1993 and I was working in Lexington, KY.  I remember the date because our flights were all full or oversold due to the sold out SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, held that year at Rupp Arena downtown.  We all anticipated a challenging Sunday with lots of passengers and bags.  What we did not anticipate was the Storm of the Century.  Because of the treacherous roads, most of our agents couldn’t even get to work that day; so, if I remember correctly, about seven of us worked from 5:30 in the morning until about 11 PM, working flight after flight with the occasional snowball fight in between. Because of conditions at the hubs, most other airlines were grounded. Nashville was operational; so, we loaded up our little Jetstreams and off they went, mostly on time. 

On another day, tornadoes were in the area.  The passengers were already on the aircraft when a tornado was actually spotted.  Everyone deplaned and went to secure areas inside.  One passenger complained the whole way in about missing her connection.  In the list of our priorities, keeping her from harm came before making her connection.

One afternoon, we were about three minutes late pushing off the gate.  The aircraft went out to the taxiway, then came right back to the gate.  It seemed that a small aircraft was on final approach and was unable to extend their landing gear.  They were coming in gear up, which meant that, at best, they’d slide along the runway, closing it for a period of time.  That is what actually happened.  The aircraft was severely damaged, but no one was hurt.  The runway was closed for two or three hours.  One passenger complained loudly that if we had left on-time, they would not have been help up be this delay.  The truth of the matter is, that three minutes made no difference.  The airport was already preparing for this emergency arrival. 

I often talk about how much less stressful and efficient travel is on a private aircraft as opposed to an airliner, and, in  most cases, that holds true.  However, snow and ice hold the same problems for a Gulfstream wing that they hold for an Airbus wing.  Runway closures park Cirrus SR-22s as surely as it does Boeing 747s.

Delays and cancellations because of field conditions or weather are almost as much a pain for airline employees as they are for stranded passengers.  There is absolutely no way the agents can fix the situations, either.  From behind the counter, we always understood the frustration of the passengers who had somewhere they needed to be.  They often saw the gate or ticket agent as the impediment between them and their final destination.  The natural reaction in a situation like that is to try to remove the impediment.  However, verbally attacking or insulting the agent doesn’t work.  In fact, it is likely to completely shut down an agent who might otherwise have helped you.