Line Life, Month 12 — A Memphis Detour That Turned Into Something More
This trip was a little different from the usual rhythm.
It started as a three-day pairing with an afternoon report time—already a win compared to the early morning starts. The original sequence was simple: one leg out to Memphis on Day 1, a full day sitting in Memphis on Day 2, then an early flight back to Boston followed by a DCA turn on Day 3. A few days before the trip, I was able to drop the DCA turn—but that didn’t happen automatically. I had actually posted the turn on Facebook, hoping someone might be willing to pick it up for me so I could bring my daughter along. Some top-notch BOS FO stepped in and took it. That small act completely changed the shape of this trip for me, and honestly, I’m really grateful for it.
What was originally a standard three-day pairing suddenly became just one leg out and one leg back—with a full day in between. That was enough for me to think: why not make something out of it? So I brought my dad and my older daughter along.
This was also the first time both of them had ever been on a flight that I operated. That alone made the whole trip feel different right from the start. My 6-year-old daughter, of course, had her own interpretation of the situation—she was fully convinced it was “bring your kids to work day.” She kept asking why they were letting me bring her this time, why other people weren’t bringing their kids, and then very matter-of-factly concluded that those people who don’t have kids must be very lonely. I didn’t even try to explain. Some things are better left exactly the way she sees them.
Loading had been looking great leading up to the trip, and it worked out even better than expected—they both ended up in first class. Watching them settle in and enjoy the experience was honestly more exciting than the flight itself.
The flight down to Memphis had the potential to be messy. There was a squall line that had just moved through the area as we were getting closer. We were fully prepared to deviate, reroute, or at least do some weather work on the way in. Dispatch had clearly anticipated that as well—they planned us with about 20,000 pounds of fuel, which is the highest I’ve personally seen so far, just a few hundred pounds shy of max fuel. Even the fueler raised an eyebrow when he saw the number. In the end, though, it turned out to be one of those “prepare for the worst, get the best” situations. The line had already pushed through, and we didn’t need to deviate at all. Smooth ride in. Icing on the cake, I got along with the CA really well—easy conversations, relaxed cockpit, just one of those pairings where everything clicks. Makes a big difference, especially on a trip like this.
That night also happened to be the Final Four, and UConn Huskies men’s basketball were playing. I caught the tail end of the game back in the hotel room—always fun to watch them make another run. What a program.
Dinner was at a restaurant near the hotel, mostly covered by my credit card perks, which is always a nice bonus. After that, it was straight to the pool—my daughter had been asking about it the entire evening, so there was no getting out of that one.
Day two was exactly what I hoped it would be.
Woke up early—no alarm needed at this point—and grabbed breakfast downstairs using the dining credit (Hilton Gold status finally paying off a little). Then we hopped into the rental car that the company provides and headed out to explore. First stop: the zoo. We spent the entire morning there. My daughter had an absolute blast—running from one exhibit to another, asking questions about everything. From there, we drove over to Bass Pro—an experience in itself. Wandered around, took it all in, grabbed some food at Wahlburgers, and just took our time. No rush, no schedule pressure. We returned the car early and took the shuttle back to the hotel. And of course… back to the pool. Again. Chinese food for dinner, then winding down for the night.
The last day of the trip turned out to be just as smooth.
Report time was 6 a.m., and the hotel had scheduled the van for 5, accounting for the longer-than-usual drive since the hotel was a bit farther from the airport. On top of that, it’s a decent walk from security to the gate. Not knowing what TSA would look like that early in the morning, we decided to play it safe and booked an even earlier van ourselves—an hour ahead of the crew. That meant a 3:15 wake-up for a 4 a.m. van. Not ideal, but manageable. Grabbed some Starbucks to wake up, and by the time we got to the airport, everything was quiet and moving quickly—no lines, no delays, just straight through.
The flight itself was smooth from start to finish. I flew again—figured I might as well make the most of it and keep this trip memorable by flying both legs. My dad and daughter were back in first class again, fully settled into the experience at this point. We landed a little early, taxied in without any issues, and that was it—home.
Simple, uneventful, and honestly, exactly how you’d want to end a trip like this.
Only blocked a little over 5 hours on a three-day, which isn't ideal, but I can see myself bidding a lot more of this type of trip in the future.