An Unexpected Twist at 30,000 Feet
What started as an ordinary flight from New York to LA took a surprising turn when the passenger next to me—a well-dressed, smug man—turned my day upside down.
Halfway through the flight, I left my seat briefly to use the restroom, only to return and find my meal tray gone. The man beside me was happily finishing his second meal. “Oh, you were gone, so I assumed you didn’t want it,” he said casually, still chewing.
I was stunned. The flight attendant confirmed they had no more meals, offering me pretzels instead. Meanwhile, my seatmate polished off both meals and fell asleep, completely oblivious.
When we landed, an announcement revealed a last-minute gate change for passengers connecting to San Diego—my next destination. I nudged him, but he didn’t wake. I decided to leave him sleeping and rushed to my gate, barely making it in time.
Later in San Diego, a colleague mentioned seeing a man at LAX who missed his connection, looking disoriented and arguing with the gate agent. Her description matched my seatmate perfectly.
Karma had worked its magic. While I made it to my meeting on time, he was left stranded in LA. Sometimes, what goes around truly does come around.