This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kaci Jane Hansen. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In the early hours of the morning on January 3rd, I was putting my suitcases in the back of an Uber and heading to the airport in San Juan after a Puerto Rican New Year’s celebration with friends. They had all left on the 2nd, but my flight was early the next morning.
A text came through to say my flight had been delayed by 360 minutes.
Once I got to the airport, it was totally chaotic. People were crying, and there was hardly space to move.
I soon realized my flight wasn’t just delayed — I wouldn’t be getting back to New York that day. It was later confirmed that my flight had been canceled.
I was rebooked for a flight 5 days later
I got on the phone with Delta to try to rebook my flight, and was told by an automated voice message that it would be a two-hour wait. When a representative finally came on the line, the call was accidentally ended. I phoned back and was told I would have to wait nine hours to speak with someone.
While waiting on the phone, I made my way back to my hotel, where I had a quick sleep because my booking hadn’t run over yet. But when I woke, I had to check out. There were people and suitcases in the lobby, everyone trying to get a room.
Delta rebooked my flight for Thursday, January 8th, my birthday, and five days after my original flight was meant to be.
Just out of curiosity, I checked to see how much it would cost to charter a private flight — it was about $22,000, which is clearly too expensive for me to afford.
I’m worried about losing my job
I managed to book an Airbnb until Thursday. I was really lucky to get somewhere because when I was looking, the availability just kept disappearing.
Although I feel very fortunate to have a flight booked and a safe place to stay, I am terrified about how this may impact my work.
For the last year, I have been auditioning all over the US for a part in a production. I got it. It was going to be my big break. I told everyone about it and planned my life around the filming, which starts on January 6th.
I’ll still be stuck in Puerto Rico when filming starts.
The production team could cut me in two seconds. It would be perfectly justified if they did. That would mean that a year of sacrificing and working endlessly would have been for nothing. And what if I don’t get another chance like this ever again, to do a job that I have worked so hard for?
No one is paying for this — for being stuck in Puerto Rico — except for me.
I’m having to spend extra money and won’t get reimbursed
I’ve had to shell out at least $3,000 for the extra five days here. That’s a lot of money I didn’t budget to spend. Everything I’m spending is out of pocket — I’ll never get reimbursed.
And if they drop me from this role, my next paycheck isn’t going to come.
Each time I think about the impact this delay in Puerto Rico could have on the future of my career, I get anxious and tearful. I’m trying, I’m really trying, to have a sense of humor and see some bright side in all this, but I’m struggling right now.
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