The airport fiasco

So, Sam was to return home from his dad's house in Colorado on Friday morning at 8:45am via airplane. He has flown many times and it is normally not a big deal.
I left the house at 7:50ish since the airport is a little bit away and it was Friday morning late rush hour. Luckily the traffic wasn't bad at all so I got there fairly quick. I pulled into the parking lot at 8:15. Awesome still plenty of time. Then I get a call from my ex, saying that his plane didn't take off until late because they were having radio trouble and there was bad weather in Denver so they had to de-ice the plane so it could take off safely. So I am like cool it shouldn't be too long.
So Zach and I go int he airport to wait, because I wasn't going to drive all the way home just to turn around and drive all the way back.
I get in and check the arrival board. So far they just have it at a 10 minute delay. I am thinking "yay that isn't too bad at all!"
Little did I know!!!
So about 30 minutes later I go check the board again and it says it isn't to arrive until 9:30!!! Wow. So I hunker down in a chair, feed Zach breakfast and then call my mom to let her know what is going on and kill some time on the phone.
After I get off the phone, I look down and it is barely 9 am!!! Then the boredom sets in. I start watching the people as they pass by.
There were several military personnel going all different directions. I thought about the great sacrifice they, and many people in the past have made for our country and was grateful.
I saw several college age students walking around returning from spring break destinations and thought of the fun they must have had.
The airport security lady came over and chit chatted a little while with Zach. HE smiles and then dozed to sleep. So I looked at my clock again - 9:14!!
Man this is taking forever. So after watching some more people, texting my sisters, talking to Anthony on the phone, and visiting with an airport employee I look down at my clock again- 9:25!!!
Now we are getting somewhere!! So I decide to go walk over to the gate he will come out of. A few other people waiting on passengers from the same flight started to straggle near also. One lady I saw walk past 3 times. I thought to myself I should have offered her a seat next to me, but she didn't seem like she wanted to chat.
So finally the plane pulls up to the gate at 9:37. I was so happy Sam was finally getting off the plane.
So, then it came time to get the luggage. We go to the luggage gate and wait and wait. The bags finally started to come up. We were at the wrong baggage area. Luckily the one we were supposed to be at was only 15 feet away. We step over and wait some more. Finally the bags come up. People step in and get their bags and head out. We are still waiting. The baggage lady says that was all the luggage on the plane. Well, Sam's wasn't there. In fact there were about 10 people who's bags weren't there.
We go into the baggage office and they tell us that it was a late check-in (meaning it was checked it after the 2 hour mark prior to flight) and it was probably on the next flight. In that case we were to come back and pick it up. If it wasn't on the next flight, they would deliver it to us when they found it.
At that point I was a little perturbed!! I was ok with waiting for the delay, but then the baggage. ARG. So they gave me a slip of paper and told me they would call.
I went about my business for they day. Ran my errands, played with the kids a little. Finally, while we were out running errands, the phone rings and they have the luggage. THANK GOD!! Almost all of Sam's clothes are in that bag. He would not have fun wearing the same 4-5 outfits over and over until they found the bag.
So Anthony and I drove back up to the airport with the kids after we were done with the errand and picked up the suitcase. Luckily that was a quick in and out thing. IT was 2:30 pm by that point. So something that was supposed to be done by 9:30 lasted all day!!! Wow!
So now comes the decision - do I continue to let Sam fly, risking this type of thing to happen again (and with the new fee of $25 per trip for being an unaccompanied minor) or do I drive and meet his dad half way in Hayes KS 6 times a year??