An unread message from the airline sat at the top of my inbox, sent just twenty minutes earlier.
The subject line read, Important Update Regarding Flight Seven.
I clicked the link, my finger hovering over the trackpad. The email was automated, written in the flat language of a corporation that did not care about our plans. It stated that due to operational requirements, there had been an aircraft swap for our morning departure.
I leaned closer to the screen, trying to understand the small print.
The message noted that the original Boeing 737 had been replaced with an Airbus A319, which meant the seating chart had been completely rebuilt by a computer program. I did not know much about airplanes, but I knew a smaller cabin meant fewer window seats for the passengers who had paid for them.
A small yellow warning box appeared at the bottom of the screen.
It said that some seat assignments had been adjusted to accommodate the configuration of the new plane.
“We still have our seats,” I murmured, staring at the blue light of the screen. “We checked in early.”
