I got into ORD at 1030 on Thursday. We had about 3hrs of "airport appreciation" before we were to do a CVG turn. Luckily we had ORD as our overnight. We went to the gate and the plane had called in 10 out. We had been looking at the radar in the crew lounge and looked ominous. We knew if we pushed it would be a VERY long day. But it only took about five minutes of standing at the gate before UA canceled our CVG turn. The inbound a/c had diverted (probably due to our brilliant fuel conservation program where usually arrive at the gate with about an hour of fuel). So were done! But my Captain calls crew support "ask" what we should do. I couldn't believe it. While this is happening the ORD security evacuating the terminal! If they are evacuating I don't think we need to call to get permission to leave. Of course SKYW crew support, sitting in sunny St. George, gives the knee-jerk reaction and tells all the crews that are on ready reserve until their original release time. That means sevens hours of ORD airport appreciation for us. DOH! But, in the manual is says that will give us a hotel room after six so we told them were heading the hotel at six hours (There was no way they were going to do anything with us anyway. We had a 0525 show time the next day.)
We got the hotel and it was still pouring with lots of lightning. It was an impressive storm! We met downstairs for a beer and I got phone call - from crew support! I didn't answer, which is standard practice for the crews, and waited for the message. Then the captain's phone rang and then the FA's. They were doing something with us. I was on a shorted version of the trip and my release was for 1028 in DEN the next day, so I knew it couldnt' be that bad. In the end, we got what rarely happens, a bonus. I was done. I had a deadhead home the next day and that was it. The rest of the crew had a deadhead to CVG for the rest of their trip. And all of our show times were about 1700 (sleep in!). I got up and flew back to PDX (where my gal lives) but not before I got the 0600 call from crew support trying to reflow me. I told them my original release was 1028 and that put the kabosh on that. So I got the PDX yesterday at about 1100 and managed to fly a three day trip with only two legs.