Flying back to home base usually meant trying to beat a storm, this time the lightening storm beat us there.  Thankfully, the Captain and First Officer had agreed at our previous stop to fill up the fuel tank completely, instead of just a partial fill.  They felt that tower was incorrect in thinking we would beat the storm.  Woman’s Intuition I guess, as they were right!

As we neared FLL, we were diverted over Nassau to wait the storm out.  Then, the storm stalled.  We circled for about 45 minutes, after about an hour and a half flight.  People were getting edgy, night had fallen, and the distant lightning show was no longer amusing its audience.  Finally the plane was diverted to Fort Myers, Florida (across the state’s panhandle) to fuel up again.  I learned in flight attendant school that diverts were something that shouldn’t last too terribly long and were avoided at all costs.  This divert turned into a 4 hour experience.

The whole time I had three very nervous unaccompanied minors and two very friendly gentlemen helping me with them.  Once we landed I let the minors call their parents on my cell phone – good thing too because the parents were completely in the dark.  The two gentlemen helped me turn the event into a party.  With comped drinks to the whole flight everyone had a blast.  A full plane with happy, content, and most importantly safe passengers in a stressful situation is every career flight attendant’s goal.

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