My plan is to leave for JFK at noon, so that I have plenty of time for my 2:55 flight.
Didn't think anything of it when my brother suggested we go get breakfast. I thought it was 11:00.
We walked about 15 (NY) blocks to Bedford neighborhood and sat down to eat. I looked at the time:
12:58
What?!
We'd just ordered, the place was slow...
We calculated that I'd be ok.
Paid when the food came, ate fast, walked briskly back to the loft for my bags.
I decided to take the "45" minute subway to Airtrain because it's more predictable than traffic.
I was standing on the platform as a train pulled up at
1:36
OMG! This train has a kazillion stops, and it's so slow! My brother lets me know that there is no Pre at T2, and the shuttle between Pre at T4 and T2 is 15 mins.
I watch the stops between me and the train, and they go by slowly.
Eric looks up seat availability for alternate flights so I know I can get on the next one standby.
When we arrive at Jamaica, I get stuck trying to navigate me and my bag through the exit turnstile and get to the elevator as the doors close.
Breathe... Escalator or wait?
I wait... Good thing cause the Airtrain is 4 floors up.
I decide its time to run, and as I go, I'm praying that I have enough money on my metro card.
Make it through the turnstile and am waiting for train 2 at
2:19
While waiting, I figure I have no time for Pre, so I take out my 3-1-1 and pack away my belt. Everything is ready for security. I'm at the mercy of TSA, and the people in the line!
2:35 exit the train, run to the terminal, sprint up the stairs and to the security line.
I figure "preferred" is my best bet and I'm standing behind 10 people ... I don't know what I look like, but the guy in front of me says "are you ok?" I realize I'm shaking. I tell him my flight is at 2:55, he says go ahead. I express doubt, and he starts telling everyone in front of me that I need to go!
They let me through, the nice people in the scanner line let me through, it's a small terminal and I figure I'm going to the same gate I used at arrival, and I get there at
2:47
The gate team is having some issues getting it straight with issuing standby tix, boarding multiple planes through the same point, and I just cut through and say "where are you for boarding Dulles?" More confusion and someone says "we close the gate 10mins before departure time"; I say "just let me through!"
I run down the jetway, to the covered walkway that has signs and separate tunnels for each of the CJ's, and of course, Dulles is the last one!
There is a rope across. I see the plane stairs still down, I wave at the ground crew, and they let me come by. I give them my bag, board, and am seated at
3:00
There were two ladies boarding behind me complaining that they had been waiting at the gate for 2 hours and had not heard the boarding announcement.
So, 1 hour for the train from stepping on to stepping off.
10 mins to get from train to gate!
I've never cut it that close before, and if I'd missed the plane - it would have been 100% my fault.
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