donna in mililani

well im always amazed how i get out of the impossible, stressful situations i get in everytime i travel standby...and it seems to me, with all the years traveling standby on united, every single scenario seems to be getting worse.....and this last trip from vegas was no exception. I knew even before i left that flying out of vegas would be risky to say the least, so i made sure i had a confirmed ticket on us airways (coz it was cheaper) for the short haul from vegas to sfo and then i would standby home from sfo (going into vegas wasnt too bad). Even w/ my confirmed ticket, problem would arise--without anybody's fault coz it was weather delay into sfo---low clouds or something according to the agent....fine....2hrs later, plane finally took off....knowing fully that i'd miss my scheduled connection on ua when i arrived. altho there were 2 other flits to oahu yesterday--both were full of confirmed passgrs who also arrived late due to the same problems i had...so i knew those honolulu flts would be packed w/ standby revenue people (no chance for people like me)....Next option was to fly to maui or kona...next flt to maui was leaving at 405pm and i was still standing at the ticket counter (outside security checkpoint in sfo!) at 335pm talking to a fellow agent to try to move my trip to maui instead..after checking me into that flite (by now it's 340pm) she said to run like hell because if i didnt make this one, there would be a very good chance overniting at the airport with the rest of the standby employees. I didnt train for marathons for nothing! i RAN! all those trainings came in handy! exactly 4pm i reached the gate podium and seeing the gate bridge still open and 3 agts talkin among each other, i handed one of them my pass and said 'am i too late?' 'No-you're good...we're actually waiting for 33 connecting passengers from a plane that just landed now..here you go' and she hands me a boarding pass that read 4A!!! getting on was big deal enough but first class? i couldnt believe my luck....of course, it was more than luck! God is FAITHFUL every time!
Oh, and hawaiian air put me in their first class seat too from maui to honolulu---at that point i didnt really care if i sat in the very back because i was already on local soil but God was being generous again...just showing off HIS love for me!