North Carolina – 6 hour Diversion to Baltimore

Last week I flew from Seattle to Raleigh-Durham for work, a route I've flown plenty of times without any drama. We left Seattle on time, and the flight felt completely normal right up until we got close to Raleigh. That's when things started going sideways.

We circled the airport for a while, which isn't unheard of, but it went on long enough that we started running low on fuel. The pilot made the call to divert to Baltimore instead of risking it. So instead of Raleigh, we landed in Baltimore and pulled up to a gate.

That's where the real waiting started. The ramp had some kind of problem and wasn't working. You can't fuel a plane without the ramp in place first, so we sat there until that got fixed. Once it finally was, the fuel truck that was supposed to refuel us was busy with a different plane, so we waited for that too. By the time we actually got fuel, air traffic control had restricted the entire East Coast, since so many flights had diverted that day. It wasn't just us.

Eventually we started taxiing again. By the time we got out toward the runway, Raleigh-Durham had closed because of another thunderstorm rolling through. Once it reopened, there was yet another ATC hold before we could actually take off. We finally got in the air, and our pilot flew like he genuinely wanted to get us there. It was one of the fastest, hardest landings I've experienced. I actually caught myself wondering how long that runway was going to need to be.

We got off the runway and onto the taxiway, and then stopped completely. Lightning and thunder had started up again, right around us. I think that's exactly why the pilot pushed so hard to get us down when he did. There was a full ground stop at the airport and I think we were the last plane to land. We sat there for another 45 minutes before we finally reached the gate.

All told, we were six hours late getting into Raleigh. It sucked, honestly, but it's also the kind of thing that doesn't happen very often. It had been a long time since I'd been on a diverted flight, and I'd almost forgotten what a whole ordeal it can turn into.

It reminded me why I stick to a few habits on longer flights.

• I always keep snacks in my bag, because you can't count on the plane having enough food when something like this happens. This time, all they had to hand out were a couple of small cookie packets, so I was glad I had a couple of protein bars with me.

• I also make a point of drinking most of my water in the day or two before a flight rather than during it. I hate not being able to get up when I need to, and rough weather like this is exactly when you can't.

• And I always have entertainment downloaded and within reach, since you never know if the plane will have power or if you'll be able to get up at all. Six hours on top of an already five-hour flight is a long time to sit there with nothing to do.

While this wasn't the travel day I was hoping for, I'm always grateful for flight crews. They're the ones managing the safety calls and the delays, all while keeping a full plane of tired, cranky passengers in check. This crew was exceptional, and it showed. Every passenger on that flight stayed calm and easygoing, the whole way through.