Surprising My Mom In New York!
- Konrad Tillman
- Jul 17, 2024
- 3 min read
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 all😅). 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. 🙂
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)😅.
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 ***?" x4😅. 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 😂.
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! 🙂❤️
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