Among frequent travelers, few tired jokes and anecdotes circulate continuously, "Hey, have you heard that rats die 25% quicker when subject to frequent jet lags?"

Like professional golfers that bounce a ball with a wedge club, we tried to top each other with the worst travel experience. I now have one to enter this year's contest.

When I tried to board my 16:55 flight back to Beijing from Hong Kong, they told me the flight has been delayed. Beijing airport is completely fogged in and closed. No planes go out and, therefore, none goes in. Soon, the board painted the doom picture.

Six flights to Beijing changed status: KA992D delayed from 1:40pm to 7am of next morning, CA112 from 2:15pm to 11:55pm, KA902D from 3:10pm to 8am, CX312 from 4:55pm to 2:50am, KA900D from 5pm to 8am, and CA110 canceled altogether. The average delay was about 12 hours.

Passengers stormed the counter and tried to win the prize of clerks' attention. I observed all tactics: intimidation, anger, personal emergency, Ms. Good Manner, Mr. Charming, and the tried-and-never-worked voice-raising. I was looking at spending 11 hours in the airport. What to do?

I approached when the crowd has thinned down. After getting the standard vouchers for food, I pitched, "I need is a place to work. The airport provides free wireless internet. But my computer battery cannot last 11 hours. Can you find a place to plug in?" The request surprised the girl. This is not the usual demand for hotel, more reimbursement, flight re-route, that she must say no to about 500 times that day. This is a request she can actually say yes. She picked up the phone and got me accesss to this lounge, operated by a 3rd party (not the airline). I had my computer firing up and a soft drink on the side.

I snoozed a few times until finally the boarding time. Arrived home, uneventfully, at about 7am, almost 24 hours after leaving for a routine 5-hour trip.

Mike, this does not top your story, but pretty close.