If there’s one thing I’ve learned from flying frequently, it’s this: No matter how many times you’ve done it, air travel still finds new ways to surprise you.

I thought I was being responsible. My Sunday morning Southwest flight from St. Louis to Orange County (with a layover in Las Vegas) wasn’t until 9:30AM, so I arrived at the airport around 7:20AM, planning to park in the Terminal 2 garage like I always do.

And that’s where this particular day took a turn.

There was a traffic jam just to get to the terminal. That’s your first clue something’s wrong. And sure enough, when I got up to the garage entrance, not only was it full — there was a literal sea of people IN the road. Not walking. Not getting dropped off. Lined up.

As I looked closer, I realized this was the check-in line for Southwest. It was out the doors of Terminal 2, wrapped along the entire departures curb, then continued down the road. People were walking in waves to find the end of the line.

Luckily, I’m #CarryOnCrewForever, so I didn’t need to check a bag. But that didn’t stop my stomach from flipping — the chaos was giving me flashbacks to a different trip through STL just weeks earlier, when the airport computers were down and I ended up with a hand-written boarding pass.

With the garage full, I circled around to Lot A and parked there. I boarded a shuttle to the terminal and immediately realized this day was anything but normal. The driver let us know he’d be dropping us off at arrivals rather than departures because of the chaos upstairs.

As we drove, he casually mentioned that there was “some big convention” that had just ended and everyone was flying home today. That sent me to Google. Sure enough, I found that a Seventh-day Adventist convention in town had 60,000 to 80,000 attendees — and judging by the crowds at the airport, it looked like all of them had booked flights out on Sunday morning.

By the time I got inside and headed to security, I was still holding out a shred of hope that it wouldn’t be that bad — maybe this was all baggage-related chaos. But nope. I set the timer on my phone: 47 minutes in line. It could have been worse — it did get longer after I joined — but I was already rattled. STL can be pretty easy. I’m used to security lines being 20 minutes or less.

While I waited, I started hearing gate announcements paging missing passengers. At first, it was just a few names. But soon the announcements escalated to things like, “We’re still missing 18 passengers for this flight.” That’s when the tension in the security line went from anxious to desperate.

People were panicking. Some were in the wrong security lines. Some didn’t have the right ID. Some had luggage they hadn’t checked. Others were holding up the line at the scanners after discovering they didn’t need to take off their shoes by stopping to put them BACK on.

I actually started to feel guilty that I had plenty of time — and that I had packed light, that I had my documents in order, that I was ready to pull out my laptop and liquids. The stars had aligned for me. But a lot of people weren’t as lucky.

Eventually, I made it to the gate — about 10 minutes before boarding. The flight ended up holding for a few minutes — Southwest had clearly been made aware of the situation at security — and everyone got onboard. Nobody appeared to miss their connection in Vegas either. It was a remarable end to what could have been much more of a disaster, honestly.

But it got me thinking — if this ever happens to you, what can you do? Because this wasn’t just “holiday weekend busy” or “we’re short-staffed” slow. This was total system overload. And I’m so glad I didn’t cut it close.

If you can avoid checking a bag, do it

It’s not just about saving time on the backend. There’s a whole additional line you have to wait in to check that bag as you are departing.

Have your documentation in order

I cannot stress this enough: You need a REAL ID or passport to fly. So many people in line didn’t. If you’ve been putting it off for “someday,” today is that day.

Don’t cut it close

I’m officially too old and too anxious to be rolling up to the airport 45 minutes before boarding because it “usually” doesn’t take that long. Had I arrived 30 minutes later, I don’t think I would have made my flight. Chaos doesn’t announce itself ahead of time — pad your arrival like your trip depends on it. Because it might.

Speak up — kindly

If you are in danger of missing your flight, talk to someone. Anyone. A Southwest check-in agent. A TSA officer. They probably won’t be able to fast-track you — but they might. And being kind, calm, and respectful goes a long way in stressful environments like this.

Know what to expect at security

Rules change. Some people still think they need to take off their shoes — many don’t anymore. Be aware of what line you’re in (Pre-Check, Clear, Standard) and what it requires. Don’t be the person holding up the line because you forgot your giant bottle of lotion.

By some miracle (and I’m sure, some intervention from Southwest once they were clued in to the disaster), my flight was held just long enough. Everyone made it onboard. We didn’t miss our connections in Vegas. But it could have gone the other way fast. Airports are unpredictable these days, but your preparation doesn’t have to be.

Pack light. Arrive early. Have your docs. And if you do get caught in chaos, take a deep breath. It’s not just you. And you’re more likely to make it through if you keep your cool and remember: No one else planned for this either.

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