Remember when I left there travelling here? Or now I’m here again, left here travelling there? Remember my flight was cancelled resulting in a bit of a rush to see if I could get on the early flight? Remember the nice ticket desk lady managed to do the biz despite her phone ringing constantly with fellow travellers requesting ticket changes?
If you do remember, and you should as it’s only a tad over a week ago, it was a bit of a morning although all went well and I had nothing but praise for the harassed, hard-working ticket changing lady. She done good. I thought at the time.
With thirty hours to go before departing from there for back here, I went along to do the old check-in on-line thingy.
I was presented with the unsettling message stating they, whoever ‘they’ are, couldn't retrieve my details. After a few tries, and getting the same message, I did all that checking of my bookings an’ stuff.
The good news, regarding my booking, was that it was marked ‘Confirmed’. The bad news, ‘Not available for on-line check-in’. Okay I thought, probably some sort of security stuff and I’ll just have to queue at the airport.
With a little lunchtime time to spare next day at lunchtime, I tried again. Still no on-line check-in available. As I had this lunchtime time spare, I decided to phone the local ticket desk, out of curiosity, so went in search of an occupied office.
When I located one I bobbed my head in and enquired, “Could I possibly use your telling bone pretty lady?”
”Umm, telling bone, sorry, don’t believe I have one of those.”
”Yes you have, it’s right there in front of you.”
”That’s a telephone. You want to use the telephone? Please, be my gusset.”
”Guest. You mean guest. Although, on the other hand…”
After the usual multiple choice button pressing I was finally talking to a local ticket lady and explaining my situation.
The nice ticket lady assured me I should be able to check-in on-line and asked me to hold while she tried for me.
After five minutes of phone music the lady was back with me.
“Did you change a flight a few days ago?”
“That I did.” I replied, as I did indeed do that and thus this was the case.
“Whoever did it for you made a mistake when they re-booked your flight.”
”Oh dear. What did they do? Cancel the on-line check-in bit?”
”No, they cancelled all your other flights.”
“Riiight. Okay. So that’s why I can’t check-in on-line then?”
“That’ll definitely have a bearing on it. No flight - no check-in at all. I’m looking at your frequent flyer profile to see if I can help at this late time. I see, on the down side, you attempt to drink all flights dry.”
”Errr….”
”On the up side, you’re meal of choice is always the pasta and Lord knows, we need all the help we can get offloading that pasta. You a vegetarian?”
”No, but the other choice is usually chicken and I always remember that cartoon where the guy has just finished his chicken and opened the fortune cookie and it says, ‘That wasn’t chicken’.”
”Got ya’. Well, all-in-all, you’re a winner. I can try to help. Would you like me to try and make it all better for you?”
“Yes please, I’d like that very much indeed.”
“I’ll do my best to get you on the flight and e-mail you new tickets. If there’s a problem I’ll send you an SMS, okay?”
“Send me a what now?”
“A text message.”
“Can’t you just call me and talk to me?”
“I suppose I can do that.”
And a little over two hours later I was in possession of a very strong drink and a new ticket allowing me to fly as planned. I have nothing but praise for the hard-working ticket changing lady. She done good. The first ticket changing lady had obviously been a tad more harassed than I imagined.
Cool seat. Just me in a row of four with four pillows and four blankets. Slept like a traveller.
All together, thanks to a very lucky lunchtime phone call, a winner. Same as the guy below….
Quote; George Bernard Shaw.
“I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad.”
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