Surprising My Mom In New York!
Intro
Well, if you are unsure as to one of the purposes of this trip, it was to surprise my mum in New York. Following a flight from Los Angeles on American Airlines that I got for a stunning fare and a long night in the Greenwich lounge, it was finally time to surprise her!
A bit of background: She was flying on an American Airlines flight, landing at 6 am from New Delhi. I decided it would be nice to surprise her after not seeing her in about 6 months, so I booked a flight to Ecuador with an overnight layover in New York.
Let's get into it!
The Surprise
Pulling an all-nighter isn't for the faint of heart, even if I do pull about 5-7 a month (due to traveling).
At this point, I had to grab a coffee from the Dunkin Donuts that was open in terminal 8 and go for a walk. Trick: always get moving to stay more awake
Then I headed into the Flagship First Check-In to have a brief discussion with them regarding the surprise. I enquired first if I could meet her at the jetbridge, but of course, they declined (I wasn't expecting them to say yes at allđ ). Secondly, I asked if we could utilize the Chelsea Lounge for breakfast, and after some discussion, let's just say we found a loophole in the system since she didn't have an onward flight (not mentioning anything).
After clearing TSA for the 100th time today (it felt like), I waited at gate 4 for her plane to arrive. Excited? That is an understatement. đ
Finally!!! Yay!! After a brutally long 16 hour flight, the 777-300 was pulling into JFK.
Funnily enough, as the jetbridge attached, I was able to get a sneak peek of her through the window of 1A (considering I was the one that cleared her to 1A)đ .
The next mission came off getting back out of terminal 8 to the arrivals hall since she was arriving internationally. Thank gosh we were in the US or I am not sure that this plan would have worked as well.
Passing by the British telephone box, I was getting nearer to the arrivals hall. The one thing I knew is that she didn't have checked luggage and has global entry (unlike me (I know I know I am working on it)).
Well, I waited, and I waited, and I waited, and I waited even more. Until all of a sudden, I spy this woman coming through the doors. I asked one of the guys I met if he could record a video of me surprising her, and he happily obliged (the really amazing guy from Pakistan).
Let's just say my mum doesn't swear, but all of a sudden, you hear, "What the ***?" x4đ . Her face lit up like I had never seen before. I tell you what, this was worth the all-nighter 100%!!
Truly, it was a moment that she and I will never forget and still talk about to this day.
Anyways, after dropping her carry-ons off in the car, we headed back upstairs, through TSA (again), and over to the Chelsea Lounge, where we had a delicious breakfast.
Shocks were heard, conversations were heard, and, all in all, it was a fantastic time. American Airlines ended up changing my ticket and gave me credit for the unused portion of the trip as I decided to head home with her for the day! Well, they were about to make more money from my family tomorrow anyway đ.
Final Thoughts
Even if this was a very long night, this is a memory that will stick with my mum and me forever. American Airlines was very supportive during the whole surprise, and I would like to thank them for it.
If you happened to read this blog, I hope you enjoyed! đâ¤ď¸
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