About Me

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Pune, India
True me, is an undying spirit which is trying to surface in my body through true prayers offered to Krishna i.e. Sri Ram

Friday, May 30, 2008

Totally out of my mind during 2nd annual vacation in Bharat

Background:
Indian consultants in Sony Ericsson, Japan were entitled to one annual vacation of 2-3 weeks. Ofcourse, I was one of them. I'm working on this assignment since last 27 months. After having a ACL reconstruction surgery during first annual vacation, i was really looking forward to the second. After all, it had been 2 long years away being from my friends and family. My vacation was sanctioned from 8th march to 28th march. All i knew was that i am supposed to take flight back to Narita on 29th.

As usual, vacation period just passed away like a Shinkansen and it was midnight i.e. 00:00 of 29th march. I was hanging out with Rutu (a close friend in Pune) and just about to return home for packing stuff. I had already received 2 calls from my father for the same. Again it was so kind of rutu to have considered to drop me at my place in his Chevrolet. We were just riding towards the final corner to my house when i thought of confirming the flight timings on internet. As usual, the internet connection at my place was down. So finally, we stopped at a internet cafe near my place (on Paud road).

As i was tracking the flight schedules of all flights from mumbai-narita, suddenly it struck my mind that i had a booking for flight which was supposed to reach Narita at 17.10 on 29th itself. So i traced back its connecting flight from mumbai and it turned out to be complete disaster. My flight was to take-off just 15 minutes later i.e.00:30 29th march from Mumbai international airport. Needless to say, i had missed the flight as i was busy checking this schedule in the internet cafe in Pune. It was my false assumption that i had booking for 11:30 flight (also heading for Narita which i took while returning to Narita in my previous vacations). And then suddenly i came to know that i din't even have the travel ticket..not even e-ticket. Though i was sure that i had booking for the flight on 29th. I had hit the Panic button again.

I informed Rutu about the same. He couldnt resist laughing at that moment. We google'd 'Singapore airlines helpline' and found the numbers for mumbai office. Our effort went in vain as we got an autoanswering machine message in return upon calling the same saying that their staff would be available for help only from 9.15-17.30.I thought for a moment and evaluated the whole situation. Ticket re-booking via LnT office would have taken another 5-6 days. Though it would have put me in tough position after reaching onsite, i was momentarily more than happy to spend one more week in india with my family and friends. I returned home and updated parents with the latest updates. I enjoyed that moment shamelessly as i could see some unique reactions on my father's face..though they lasted only for few seconds. Then followed the questions which i had expected then. 'What are you going to do now?'

I decided to move on... reach mumbai airport at 9.15 AM ...calling helpline of singapore airlines for rescheduling the tickets. So it was Me, and my parents waiting in the parking area of Mumbai International airport at 09:15 AM on 29th. I gave a call to SIA helpline at 09:15 sharp.

It was answered by a woman (sounded like a 25yr old gal). I told her my name and asked her to check my booking details. In return, she confirmed that i had booking for 00:30 flight. I asked her about re-scheduling. She said that all the flights were full and there was no chance that i would get booking re-scheduled for 29th. It was then i told her that i was not carrying the ticket and that i dint have one. She was shocked and suggested to contact the travel agency that booked my ticket. So that they can arrange a copy of the ticket for me. It was not a good suggestion as 29th was a saturday i.e. weekly off for LnT travel dept. Also, an untold fact was revealed to me, of which i was unaware of till then. The fact that airport security does not allow the passengers to come in the airport if the passenger fails to show the air-ticket at the entrance. I was in deeper trouble now. I requested the booking id and ticket number to the helpline agent. Having the same written on my public telephone bill, i rushed to the airport security gates with my luggage. Meanhwile my parents unaware of these updates were waiting anxiously in the airport parking area.

Upon reaching the entrance of the airport gates, security guard requested to show the ticket. I told him the flight number for which i had the booking (which had left 10 hrs back). He checked rhe passenger list names who had booking for that flight and confirmed that my name was listed. I told him that my rescheduling has been confirmed (had to lie) and i have pick the latest boarding pass from the Singapore airlines counter. In return, he argued to show the ticket atleast to let me in. He referrred my case to the airport security head. Finally i was allowed to enter the airport with a security guard. I rushed to the SIA counter and told them the whole story. I was asked to wait for 10 minutes and then i had boarding passes for the flight to Narita at 11:40 AM...i.e. just 1 hr later. By this time, my parents had already come to the airport entrance. They were surprised to see me holding the new boarding passes.