Airport Anecdotes: 2011-10-30

IF ONLY HE REALLY KNEW.....

He made me smile and tear up at the same time. How is that possible?

It doesn’t take much to make me happy but what it does take is consistency. It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy but what it does take is consistency. Do I need to say it again?

I travel for work and it gets lonely at times. Okay, it gets very lonely. Every little semblance of happiness I can get, I take it and again, it doesn’t take much to make me happy but what it does take is consistency. I fly to Chicago every Sunday and back to Atlanta on Thursdays. I travel Airtran and from the looks of it, I will never choose another airline. Why? Because of one employee who, for reasons not yet clear, I’ll call him Marcus ;-)

About nine months ago, I noticed Marcus. His smile was intoxicating and his demeanor just as inebriating. I walked up to the counter, in January, to upgrade my seat and there was Marcus. He smiled at me and handed me my new ticket-Seat 3F. To this day, that’s the only seat I ever get. I thought nothing of it, until three weeks later, I walked up again and he said, ‘hey Kelly, I already have your upgrade.’ I smiled, took the ticket and sat down, all the while, praying that my armpits would stop sweating. He noticed me and took time out to let me know he did. I thought that was really sweet.-he remembered my name and went out of his way to save me a seat. There are a couple of things that struck me about that. He noticed, he researched and knew what day I’d be flying back to Atlanta and made sure I had that same seat. That, to someone else is no big deal but to me, that gesture made those cold Chicago days feel so much warmer.

The next week, I got to Midway early. I usually book the 5:50pm flight but get to the airport early in the hopes of getting on standby. I walk up to the counter and I see Marcus and this angry black chick there. Before I can say anything, she goes, “if you’re standby, we’ll announce seat availability 40 mins before boarding.” How rude! I turn to walk away and I hear someone, in the most sexy voice say, “Kelly, here you go.” And he handed me my ticket, seat 3F, no less. I take it, smile and walk away, all the while, praying I look okay from the back ;-) Chick was MAD!

This became routine and soon, I was on the phone with my girl Keisha, giving her a play by play of my airport encounters with Marcus. I felt like a teenager with a crush and to me, it was enough to warm my heart and boost my ego. Hey, I’m a simple gal and I don’t require lots of attention but when I get it from the likes of someone like Marcus, it makes me giddy and I like giddy. So, we thought that pretty soon, Marcus would ask me out. I knew it wouldn’t happen, for a few reasons, one which will be made clear at the end (a little foreshadowing there), but because I work in Indiana, fly to Chicago and live Atlanta and he seemed just as shy as I did. Yes, I’m very shy, until I let you in.

It was right after September 11. I didn’t realize that Airtran had changed their flight schedule. I was used to leaving at 5:50pm but now, that flight was departing at 5pm instead. There I was, going through TSA and getting felt up when I hear this announcement, “Kelly Fleming, if you’re in the terminal, please report to Gate A12 for an on-time departure.” You know I hauled ass and when I got to the gate, there was Marcus, smiling and shaking his head. I smiled right back and told him thanks. “You know I have to make sure you get home Kelly,” he said and it was all I could do to keep from blushing. Aaaaah! I adore him ;-)

So, how does he know that I’m flying out ? Well, I presume that he’s gotten my schedule down and he has realized that I’m never on my scheduled flight. When I check my bag, he can see my name on the list and then, he goes ahead and prints my ticket for standby so that I NEVER have to wonder if I’m getting home early. So, about four weeks ago, I get to Midway and all my Airtran peeps had on yellow Airtran T-shirts. It was customer appreciation day. Me, being me, I ask where mine was, since I damn near should have stocks in Airtran, and Marcus being Marcus, says, “I got you.”

Three weeks go by and I’m sitting at Gate A14 with my cousin, waiting to get on yet another standby flight. I didn’t see Marcus and when I don’t, I tend to get worried that I may not get on. Not sure why I even bother. He always comes through for me. Yep, here comes Marcus around the corner, he sees me and turns and walks away. That threw me off. But, about five minutes later, here comes Marcus with a yellow T-shirt in hand, walks over to me and said, ‘I didn’t forget you Kelly’ and hands me a size Large. Now, you know I wanted to kiss him for not getting me an XL ;-) He then proceeds to tell me that he’ll get me a seat. I tell him I need two and he says, “no problem” and comes back with two seats for me and my cousin. And, for no reason, he decided to tell me his weekend plans-out of the blue. I wonder if it had anything to do with him seeing a man with me for the first time. Hmmm!?

I often wonder if he could get in trouble. Technically, I am an Elite member and I do get priority seating but I know that there are other frequent flyers who are always there before me who really should get first preference. But, how can I knock the man for doing what obviously makes him happy? And, me in the process ;-)

But. Today took it over the top. I wanted to get home. I needed to get home. For no particular reason but to be with my boonkie. My class ended early and I got to Midway a 9:30am in the hopes of making it onto the 10:20 flight. I should have known better. So, when I was told I wouldn’t be able to make it, I wasn’t surprised. I’d try for the 12:07pm. I got my behind to A12 with a light fixture in tow-this big ass box I had to take home to my mom. At the gate, I so expected to see Marcus, but it wasn’t him. Random dude. I was all of two hours early. I went to the counter and was told that though I was Elite, there were nine people ahead of me who had been waiting since this morning and would get preference and I would have to wait for the 3pm flight. I felt defeated but accepted that . My flight wasn’t until 6pm anyway and why look a gift horse in the mouth. So, I sat and found a magazine to read. About half an hour later, Marcus walked by, heading to another gate and he didn’t see me, or so I thought.

It was time to board and I didn’t even get up. I knew there was no way I’d be in the ‘A’ early. And then I heard, “Kelly has first preference,” and I turned around and there was Marcus smiling at me. I melted. That damn Marcus. And those other nine people who’d been waiting must have been wondering who the hell Kelly was. I get up and walk over to him and he whispers to me, “You know you never have to worry as long as I’m here” and yes, a tear came to my eye. I’m not sure why. I guess I’m a mushball or it’s simply that I appreciate kindness. I appreciate effort. I appreciate being appreciated.

The guy behind the counter tells Marcus that there were nine people ahead of me and Marcus just gives him the look, like, ‘dude, shhhh; I got this’. And he takes the light fixture and tells me he’ll take care of it. He walks me into the plane, puts my bag in the overhead compartment and then, this made me really smile. He points to seat 3C and says, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t get you your regular seat but at least I’ll get you home.” Are you kidding me right now! Man, I tell you. It was all I could do to stop from hugging him and planting a wet on those lips. But, I held back. I maintained. I just beamed from the inside. I sat down and he looked at me, ‘have a great flight and I’ll see you on Sunday?’ he asked, with a smile. All I could say was, “yes”. And, just like that, my day had been made.

I got right on the phone with Keisha and she just laughed at me. Hey, I’m a hopeless romantic. I’ll be the first to say I want the fairytale. I want the love story. I want the happy ending. I want the surprises and unexpected gestures of affection and I’m used to being the one to give it so when it’s reciprocated, I enjoy it thoroughly. And, I show my appreciation wholeheartedly.

This past Sunday, I was on the plane, headed back to Chicago with my girl Shanoa, who travels for work too and I was asking her what to get for Marcus for Christmas. I’d told her about him and that if she ever needed to get on standby, to ask for him, so she knew who he was. “He’s a cutie, isn’t he?” she said and I just smiled. We talked a little and she gave a few suggestions for an Xmas gift (and no, he’s not the only one getting a gift. I have to hook up my Thrifty and Hilton peeps too) but his gift must be special…not too personal but personal enough, so that he knows I really thought about it and that I appreciate everything he’s done for me in the last eleven months.

I’ll tell you what makes this little airport story so special to me. Each week, I feel special. Marcus understands my need to get home and get a few extra hours in Atlanta and he remembers-every single week. He thinks of me-every single week-and he makes sure that I know it. I’m planning a trip to Paris for my birthday and I need to switch airlines to American or Delta so that I can get points for a free flight but it’s so hard to leave Airtran-damn you Marcus!!! I’ll have to wean myself off, I suppose and maybe I’ll find someone who works for Delta or American who’ll make me feel as special. I doubt that very much!

So, big shout out to ‘Marcus’, from Chicago's Midway Airtran. Thanks for making a woman feel like a lady every week and thanks for making a lady feel like a giddy school girl. I only wish you weren’t gay.