This morning, Jori and I arrived at 6:21 for our 7am flight from JFK to LAX. We were rushing, since there wasn't much time left to get there, but we weren't expecting to be locked out.

"I'm sorry, the flight is closed."

"What?!? It's not even 6:25!"

"Our flights close exactly 45 minutes before departure."

"&!#*%!!!"

Yes, we should have caught an earlier subway and arrived an hour and a half early, but completely locking someone out of a flight when they are there 45 minutes in advance seems excessive. I suppose I've learned my lesson but it's frustrating that we'll likely be waiting to leave until 4pm, which is the flight we now have boarding passes on. We were lucky to even get those, as some of our fellow standby buddies weren't able to fanagle the same deal.

These buddies are one of the few good things about waiting around in the airport. Like my last battle with airlines, I've met a few good people who are stranded here. It's like having your own support group.

With any luck, Jori and I will be in Palm Springs tonight, enjoying my grandparents' swanky pad in the desert. In the meantime, I'll be watching Divx episodes of the Amazing Race and the Wire.