Staring at the phone, listening to that tinny loop, wondering if I’d sleep at the airport. Then a human finally picked up, laid out the change fee like ripping off a bandage, and slid me into the only seat left that evening. Not cheap, not painless, but the confirmation email hit while I was still at the gate. I stopped grinding my teeth and went to find a sandwich. Would’ve loved fewer hoops, but at least I wasn’t stuck.