10/18/2026
STORY TIME: MamaNat Airlines: One Employee. Four Honeymoon Couples. Approximately 47 Browser Tabs. And a VERY Tired Director of Operations. 😂 Y'all. WHAT. A. WEEKEND.
I spent Friday and Saturday running what I've affectionately named MamaNat Airlines. No, I don't actually own an airline. I don't even have an assistant. It's just me, my phone, FlightAware, the airline apps, FAA updates, and approximately 47 browser tabs.
I had three honeymoon couples returning home from the Caribbean this weekend and another couple leaving for Mexico on Monday. What could possibly go wrong?
Friday morning, I started noticing issues with the incoming aircraft for two of my couples. Both were connecting through Miami and were supposed to be on the same flight home to Memphis.
One couple was returning from St. Lucia, and I could tell their first flight was going to be late enough that their Miami connection was in jeopardy. Before they even left their resort, I was researching hotels near the St. Lucia airport in case they couldn't get off the island, along with options in Miami in case they made it that far but missed their connection.
Unfortunately, Miami was where they ended up spending the night. I arranged their hotel, helped coordinate transportation, and started gathering documentation in case we needed to file a travel insurance claim. They finally made it home Saturday afternoon after connecting through Charlotte.
Meanwhile, my other couple returning from Barbados actually made their Miami connection. Their airplane, however, was another story.
The aircraft originally assigned to their flight had been sent elsewhere, and the replacement was coming from San Diego. Then Miami weather decided to join the party. Their departure kept getting pushed later and later.
Here's where things got interesting. They have children at home, and their childcare was leaving at 7 AM Saturday. They live almost an hour from the Memphis airport, so getting home wasn't just a matter of convenience. They REALLY needed that flight to operate.
I stayed up tracking the replacement aircraft, watching the delays, and checking whether they were actually going to get off the ground. They finally landed in Memphis around 2 AM Saturday and made it home around 3 AM.
Four hours before their childcare needed to leave. A little too close for comfort!
Saturday morning, I was back at it. In addition to checking on my stranded Miami honeymooners, I booked an 11-person family cruise to Alaska. Four staterooms, including an accessible suite, with flights, hotels, transfers, and excursions still to coordinate.
By Saturday afternoon, I was tracking my third couple returning from Barbados through Charlotte to Birmingham. Their incoming aircraft was running late, which delayed their departure from Barbados. Fortunately, they made up some time in the air and landed in Charlotte with a comfortable connection window.
At some point, I decided I was officially done being productive for the day. I had never changed out of my pajamas and robe, so I fixed myself a vodka cranberry, grabbed some popcorn, and settled onto the couch to watch Auburn football. I also put a turkey breast in the oven for dinner.
Auburn took down #1 Georgia, we had turkey, rice, and gravy, and I was feeling pretty good about my Saturday evening. My honeymooners had landed safely in Charlotte, and their final flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 11 PM Eastern. Surely the last leg would be uneventful.
HA. Famous last words.
Their flight pushed back from the gate almost on time and then proceeded to take what felt like a guided tour of Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
I watched that little airplane sit, crawl, stop, and crawl some more. At one point, the map showed it practically parked between Panda Express and Starbucks. I was beginning to wonder whether the crew had stopped for orange chicken and a coffee before their last flight of the night.
FlightAware kept predicting takeoff times, and I kept looking at the map thinking, "There is absolutely no way they're taking off in three minutes. THEY AREN'T EVEN NEAR THE RUNWAY."
Charlotte was reporting departure delays averaging 30 minutes and increasing. Airplanes were taking off everywhere. Just not MY people.
By then, I'd taken my magnesium and was ready for bed. My biggest concern was that the crew might time out before they ever got airborne. The flight to Birmingham was only about 50 minutes, but that doesn't help much if the airplane never leaves Charlotte.
They finally took off just after midnight Eastern, nearly an hour after leaving the gate. At that point, I decided MamaNat Airlines could turn operations back over to American Airlines for the final leg because the director of operations was going to sleep.
Now, remember that FOURTH honeymoon couple? They're leaving for Cancun on Monday.
Except I had them on my calendar for Saturday.
Naturally, I tracked their Delta flight from Atlanta to Cancun, watched it land EARLY, and texted the bride to make sure they'd arrived safely at their resort.
She replied, "Hi! We leave on Monday!"
Well, that's embarrassing. 😂 🤦🏼♀️ I apologized, and she told me I'd given her a slight heart attack.
At least ONE flight arrived early this weekend. Of course, my clients weren't actually on it. 🫠
Somewhere in the middle of all this, I decided traditional wedding vows really should include one additional promise: "In sickness and in health… and in travel delays."
These newlyweds have already gotten a little practice with that last part!
Here's the thing about this entire weekend. I didn't even book these couples' flights.
They're my clients, though, and I know how stressful travel disruptions can be. I'd much rather recognize a potential problem early, have a backup plan ready, and help them navigate it than wait until they're standing in an airport wondering what to do.
There's also a reason I call this whole operation MamaNat Airlines.
Years ago, when I worked as a school counselor, some of my students called me MamaNat. Apparently, I never completely outgrew that mama hen mentality. I think of my clients as my ducklings, and when they're traveling, I want to make sure they're taken care of and eventually get safely back in the nest.
I know they're grown adults who can handle themselves. Still, if I can make a stressful situation a little easier, why wouldn't I?
That's the part of being a travel advisor that doesn't show up on an itinerary or a confirmation email. It's not just making the reservation. It's being someone you can reach when plans change, someone who's paying attention, and someone who genuinely cares whether you make it home.
Sometimes that means arranging a hotel in Miami. Sometimes it means researching backup plans before a client even knows there's a problem. Occasionally, it means sitting in your pajamas and robe, watching tiny airplanes crawl around an airport at midnight on a Saturday.
You enjoy the trip. I'll think about the details.
Now, if you'll excuse me, the director of operations at MamaNat Airlines needs a day off - and possibly a new robe. 😂
