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Welcome
Friends,
Well, this is fun: I gave today’s writing assignment to ChatGPT to compare outputs. My original was shockingly better—so, no robot assistance to boast about here.
Anyways.
Heathrow Airport in London shut down today because of a fire at an electrical substation (what on earth?!), so I am pausing our originally scheduled programming to talk about it.
604 words—let’s get going.
Links
Heathrow airport closed for 16 hours after a fire at an electrical substation, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers around the world. British Airways’ CEO was quick to release a video (providing a pretty sober outlook).
Breakdown of Delta 4814’s recent wing strike at LaGuardia.
In other news, a Southwest 737 nearly took off on a taxiway in Orlando earlier today.
Story
It is remarkable that a little less than five square miles of land west of Central London has caused such a stir across the globe today. And yet, that is the reality of modern air travel and our world’s connectivity in 2025.
While events like this electrical fire are exceedingly rare, airports shut down all the time for less dramatic events (like, ahem, weather). Here is how I navigate air travel when it simply becomes a waiting game that is out of everyone’s control.
Take a deep breath: it is difficult and frustrating to not be where you planned to go, especially when what comes next is a question. Feeling upset is totally normal and valid—but letting your emotions rule the day is no help at all. Breathe a little, remember this will all be okay, and move onto step two.
Don’t just wait in line: my uncle from Austin taught me this in 2003. If you are ever stuck in an airport, do not just line up with everyone else. Control your destiny by getting on the airline’s app, calling reservations, sending them a direct message on X, and finding an agent at the airline’s lounge (if that’s an option) to help you out—I know this sounds straightforward, but I am shocked by how many people just get in line and wait for a gate agent to solve their problems (bad plan).
Have a game plan to leave: one reason I book all of my flying on the American Express Platinum card is their delay reimbursement program. Basically, if you get stuck Amex will reimburse the cost of your hotel room and reasonable expenses. This allows you to better contingency plan to actually get out of the airport and solve for next steps from a hotel room versus waiting in a crowded terminal.
If you are stranded trying to get to, through, or out of London—I am sorry. Stay in a positive mind-space (seriously!) and look for creative options.
For everyone else on a going forward basis: stay cool and control your destiny.
Big Picture: Getting stranded in airports is part of flying. What happens next is up to you, so play the game well (but also I am sorry for how awful it can be sometimes).
Happy flying.
Remember, this life you are living has meaning. Thank you for reading. I am grateful you are here and would love to hear from you. If you'd like to write me a note, simply reply to this email. Otherwise I'll see you in the next one.
Be well today. -Tommy
P.S. If I can ever help you plan your next travel adventure (slash help make your points go farther), I’d be delighted. You can schedule time together here.