Have you ever experienced facing long delays during travel? Or indeed, any situation where things do not go as expected?

When you reach for positive thoughts, and stay focused on what you want, you can create a more favorable outcome.

This is a success story from a client, who turned a travel upset into a first class adventure.

Think First Class

by Jessica Pelham

“I was on a long-haul flight from Bangkok to Washington DC via Tokyo. My 15.45 flight to Washington was cancelled, so suddenly I and 500 others were jostling to the transfer desk to get onto other flights out of Tokyo. Absolute mayhem. I was way back in the queue, and faced a long wait ahead.

In fact, a fellow passenger helpfully remarked, “Same thing happened to me last week. Waited seven hours and still ended up here overnight and flying on the 15.45 the next day.”

SEVEN HOURS in a queue!! I’d already been travelling that amount of time!

Exactly at that time, I was standing near the entrance to club class. I saw a few passengers from my flight joining the much shorter queue to club class.

What If UP

I remembered what Miriam said about What If Up. I thought to myself  “I know I have a coach ticket only, but what if I had a first class ticket? The queue would be shorter, right? Well what if I join the club class, then I can join that queue in there?”

This idea made me extremely happy! It instantly lifted my mood. I started to feel grateful for where I was right there, right then.

“Wow, once inside club class”, I thought, “I am going to wait a very short while! Perhaps, this was exactly meant to work out this way!”

Rampage of Appreciation

Suddenly, I felt a whoosh of thankfulness. I was super grateful the airline had double checked and once it realized it had mechanical failure it cancelled the flight! Hurray! I was glad they did! The airline was doing its job, and I for one was super pleased they were looking out for me!

I started to mentally thank everyone, the two ladies on the reception desk, the stewards and stewardesses doing their best to find seats for everyone, the engineers who were trained and who had paid honest attention to the plane to check its safety.

I thanked the management of the airline that took the tough decision to cancel the flight. I even thanked the weather, as this had given the engineers more time to check the plane.

Even the passenger who had said: “SEVEN HOURS’ WAIT” because that gave me the idea to go to club class instead.

Inspired Action

Once the idea of first class passenger got eagerly lodged in my head, I walked up to the door to club class and asked if I could come in, even if just for an hour, so I could join the queue to get a new flight.

“But honey'” said the lady behind the desk “it is the same as waiting out there!” I told the story of the passenger, seven hours, he waited!!!

She said “you need to be invited.” I did not know anyone there. I waited and asked one stranger if he could invite me, but he was not on the same flight. Before long, the lady said: “You can pay a guest fee, and I will invite you”.  So she did!

Once that was settled, I joined the business class queue, and immediately I had doubts. I thought to myself: “You are going to wait in this queue, and just when you get to the desk, they will say “sorry, mam, this is coach ticket, we cannot help you, go and join the queue outside.”

So I started to think again of all the business class passengers in the queue ahead of me speedily getting their tickets sorted, and a steward coming to help me, and finding the best way for me to get to Washington. I imagined that I would not even get to the desk.

While I waited, I purposefully relaxed my face, my jaw, my shoulders, my neck, I thought of how privileged and lucky I was to be alive, to be here, to be in club class, to have had the inspired thought of coming in here, and just believing it needn’t be a seven hour wait. I just had to join a different queue, that’s all.

A Happy Outcome

Soon, a new steward arrived, not one of the people behind the desk. “I’m so terribly sorry to keep you waiting, is there an airport you would like to fly through?” I replied, “anything is perfect, I am so grateful you are helping me.” And I meant it.

He got me a flight, at 18.45! And better yet: via HONOLULU with a seven hour layover, He said he was terribly sorry for the layover.

But I was not sorry!

In Hawaii, I had time to see the sights, travel to Pearl Harbor and give thanks for all who have fought and given their lives.  Including my Grandad, who made it home in 1945, and my Dad was born in 1946. So I was truly blessed to be there :).

Always Think First Class

So next time you fly coach and your flight is cancelled or delayed, just give thanks.

Thank everyone, one and all, silent and out of sight, people who are working, doing their best to get you home safely.

And lastly, perhaps you can adopt my new motto:

Always think ‘first class’ when you travel ‘coach’!”

Jessica Pelham, MA (Oxon) NGH CHt is Grey Matter Network Master Hypnotist, VP-National Guild of Hypnotists Bangkok Chpt

Comments Please

So, what do you think of these ideas?  First Class Thinking, What if UP, Rampage of Appreciation… Leave a comment below and I’ll offer a free coaching session to the first 5 people to respond. Thanks.

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Image Credits:
* Airplane PublicDomainPictures air-84603_1920/ Pixabay
* Travel Icons Vector 15779351 / Bigstockphoto

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