Airlines...

I saw Sriram's post about his recent airline experience. That made me write about my vivid trip to India last year. My annual year-end trip to India began at Chicago (after meeting some friends there). What happened? O'Hare, Snow storm in Europe and lousy flight connections happened!! :-(

The flight was supposed to leave at 4.30 pm. But because of a delay in the corresponding incoming flight, my flight was delayed by 3 hours. At about 7.45 pm, we boarded the flight. By the time everyone had boarded, it was time to de-ice the plane again. We were sixth in line for the de-icing truck. So, we sat inside the plane very patiently. At about 9 pm, the plane took-off. But, by the time I landed in Europe, I had missed my connecting flight to Chennai. The airline people did not know what to do and I did not have a transit visa. So, they booked me a different flight to Delhi, connecting to Chennai on a different airline. I had to stay in the airport lounges for 8 hrs until my next flight. Unlucky me - whenever I tried to call home to let my family know that I missed my flight, etc, the phone was either engaged or I could not get the line.

After the over-crowded airport lounge for 8 hrs, I got on the flight to go to Delhi. My seat was the one just before the pantry, hence, with absolutely no pushback effect on the seat. When the plane is moving on the runway, the airhostess tells me that they have lost both of my luggages. It was PROBABLY still with the airline which flew me from Chicago to Europe. They hoped to get it to Delhi on the next flight from Europe. I was dismayed. But at least I wasn’t lost, just my luggage.

Without any more events, I reached Delhi. Filled out forms, immigration stuff for my luggage, etc. Actually the airline had misplaced luggage belonging to lot of people. So there was a huge crowd in that counter. Finally my turn came, after finishing the formalities; they tell me that I had to go to the domestic terminal (which was a 20 minute taxi ride) for my flight to Chennai.

You might think that I would have taken the taxi to the domestic terminal, got into the plane and reached Chennai sound and safe. No!!! Because of excessive traffic between the two airport terminals, I missed my flight AGAIN!! The next flight to Chennai was after 7 hrs. The airline authorities took pity on me and upgraded my seat to first class after all this. By that time, I had lost all energy to be excited about any kind of upgrade. I waited for the next 7 hrs in the first-class airport lounge. Ultimately, after being delayed for 21 hrs, I reached Chennai at 11 pm on a Saturday (as opposed to about 12 am on Friday), but ‘luggage-free’.

So, during the stay in Chennai, my everyday routines were preceded by prayers for a simple and hassle-free return flight to US!!