Twenty- five Seven

Travel Troubles: Part 2

September 17, 2023
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After a luxurious shower and a quick scrumptious breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon ( thank you United for the food voucher) I was ready to seize the day. What would the day bring? Definitely some joy as my host insisted I spend the day with her.

“What will you do after you check out at 11?” she asked.

I told her I’d wait at the airport till my flight departed.

“Are you nuts? The airport won’t allow you to check in your luggage 11 hours before your flight!!!”

I suppose she was right. So I waited for her to come and fetch me. And I’m glad I did because I spent another lovely day in the company of my generous hosts rather than wander around the airport like a lost soul. I didn’t bother to check whether passengers were allowed to wait at the airport for so many hours. Besides, there was nothing to do before checking in baggage. In hindsight, waiting at the airport WAS a bad idea.

Time to take off

This time round, I was keeping my fingers and toes crossed. After all if rumours were to be believed, United was facing a major software glitch and mine wasn’t the only flight cancelled that night. Of course lightening never strikes twice but with my current mode of travel set to delays and cancellations, I wasn’t too sure that I’d really be on my way to Dubai till I really was!

Perhaps, the last time round I hadn’t taken the name of the Lord so this time my host and I said a loud ‘Jai Shri Krishna’ before setting off in her Jane Bond Car. The anxiety in the car was palpable though we did talk about things that didn’t relate to my journey. This time, however, I insisted that in case the flight was cancelled, she should not bother with me especially since she had a scheduled doctor’s appointment the next day.

Baggage Check

Since I’d already checked in the day before, I was familiar with the procedure and even though my flimsy, limp boarding pass didn’t stay still the first time I scanned it, I didn’t miss a heart beat. Luckily it did get scanned.

It was time to check in my luggage.

“Where’s the baggage tag?” asked the lady, as I put the bag on the weighing scale.

“Well, I just took it off and threw it in the trash so that you won’t mix it up and send it to Delhi.”

“But you’ve already checked in the bag. I need the tag.”

“But that was yesterday and my flight was cancelled.”

My heart sank at the thought of going outside the airport and looking for the baggage tag in the trash. Which bin did I throw it in?

Luckily, she seemed to understand my dilemma and the bag was checked in with a new tag. But I was already wondering if the bag would still go to Delhi while I went ahead to Mumbai……..

Having had the experience of missing my dinner the day earlier, I decided to encash the vouchers sent to my phone. Unfortunately, I couldn’t locate them on my phone and decided to splurge on a Pepperoni pizza. This was for Ms. Papaya who loves pepperoni pizza. So I sat down at Forno Magico for an American style Pepperoni Pizza.

The tables were filled with grouchy passengers busy scrolling on their phones while waiting to be served. I wondered about the service though because there wasn’t a waiter in sight.

I spotted a QR Code pasted in the corner and figured that I had to scan the code, get the menu and order my meal. While I was waiting for my meal, I found the vouchers hidden somewhere on my phone and tried to get the order placed on the vouchers. But after talking to two waiters, decided to encash the vouchers for chocolates from Cibo Express.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Alas! the pizza was a major disaster. It was thick and stodgy and quite tasteless. Besides it was ridiculously over priced.

Why is it that food and beverages sold in places where customers have little choice, are always so over priced? Airports, especially, should be aware that passengers are already harried and are likely to spend more if the food was reasonably priced.

So I wasn’t in the least bit surprised when my $40 voucher from United only got me three small Toblerone bars, 3 Tic Tacs and 2 Kit Kats. Well, I suppose that was better than letting the vouchers lapse.

Calling all passengers to Board UA 164 to Dubai

I was waiting at the Gate happy to read that boarding would begin in 5 minutes. Five minutes became 10 and there was no sign of the plane at the end of the airbridge!

The flight crew came to the gate and waited to board the plane that wasn’t there. By this time I knew that something was up and quite prepared to spend another night in another far off hotel.

This time there were whispers that they were waiting for a Gate. When the plane did come 10 minutes later, I heaved a sigh of relief. There would be a delay of 20 minutes but that would leave me enough time to board my next flight to Mumbai.

But……

Now that we got the plane, we were waiting for the cleaners! There was no cleaning staff available to get the plane ready for take off. My heart started beating faster.

Finally when we got to board we were an hour late but the Cabin crew assured me that we would make good time. I really had no choice but to go with the flow. This time round I was all prepared to spend one night in Dubai.

Emirates flight EK500

By the time I landed at Dubai International Airport, I was more than convinced I would miss my onward flight. I had just about an hour to check in and with no boarding pass in hand, things were looking difficult.

The airport looked quite empty and I couldn’t find a single manned Emirates counter. Finally I did spot one and ran towards it. Of course there was a glitch.

This time United hadn’t booked me Premium Economy while my original booking reference number with United had me as a premium economy passenger. I told the lady at the counter that it didn’t matter to me even if I was booked as cargo.

I just wanted to get home.

The minutes ticked by as the time for boarding became less. Dubai airport was huge and there was no way I could run anywhere to board the plane!

But it seemed that my Delay & Cancel flight mode had changed. The Emirates staff bent backwards to help me, even sending someone with me to take through Security and right up to the air train. Of course, they reminded me that this was over and beyond their duty because United was still not responding to their calls to sort out the ticketing issue.

I will always be grateful for this help because I finally did board the plane and make it back home!

Takeaways

Life’s lessons are never learnt until they are truly learned and there are several things I learnt on this trip.
- You can never be prepared for everything or for every eventuality. Life always springs surprises. Embrace them.
- On a more practical note, always check out the layout of the airports you are going to be using. Find out where the escalators and elevators are. Find out where the food and beverage outlets are.
- It will be easier for you to navigate the concourse. Find out if you will be allowed to stay in the concourse without checking in your baggage and what facilities there are for such passengers.
- Plan on what luggage to take. Try and take only ONE bag. Avoid a carry on bag. It is easier to navigate unknown airports where porters aren’t available.
- Check out the hotels near the airport and make a provision to spend more money than you had budgeted for. You never know when your flight will be cancelled.
- Always carry a fresh set of underclothes with you in your carry on bag or purse. I was lucky I could at least shower even though my departure was delayed by a day.
- Have a battery pack or different cables with you because I found that my Universal cable didn’t fit the port in the aircraft ( my phone was newer than the plane). Luckily the passenger in the neighbouring seat had 5 cables with her and let me charge my phone during the flight. Some of the ports at the airport were not working and the ones that were, were obviously full.
- Always have a print out of your boarding pass, vouchers etc in case your phone dies or you can’t find messages on your phone.
- Stay calm. Avoid alcohol. Don’t hesitate to ask strangers for help if you need it.
- Keep your spectacles handy.
“Don’t waste another moment crying over what went wrong! If it wasn’t a blessing – it was a lesson.” ~ Paula White

So all’s well that ends well.

Do you have any such travel stories to share?

Ciao

From tomorrow I’ll be posting about the simply marvellous time I had in New York despite the travel glitches so do continue to visit this space.
Travel Troubles : Part 1

September 16, 2023

After CoVid & Before CoVid

Photo by Manfred Irmer on Pexels.com

If you thought that traveling is fun, you can think again. Especially air travel. What was once perceived as glamourous, exciting and fun can be quite a challenge as I found after my recent trip to the US.

It all began with an invitation to attend a wedding in New Jersey. So I decided to thrown in a short visit to New York City as well.

While both the visit to New York and the wedding in New Jersey were wonderful and well worth the effort, the journey to and from was disastrous. Despite the fact that I was flying Premier Economy in a well established airline.

This trip has convinced me that the long term effects of CoVid are far from over. And it will take a while before things return to pre-CoVid days.

In fact there is a marked difference between life BC ( Before CoVid) and AC ( After CoVid).

Offices still wear a forlorn look with many employees preferring the newly evolved hybrid pattern that allows them the freedom to work from home and go in to the office for only two or three days a week. Some businesses have closed down while others are struggling to get back on their feet.

The lifting of strict quarantine rules in several places that had severely restricted the free movement of people has resulted in an almost maniacal urge to travel. People are dying to break the confines of their safe safe bubbles go out in the world and explore they’ve always wanted to discover or even catch up with old friends and family having learnt the transience of being during the CoVid years.

And, stuck in our homes, we’ve developed a new skill : navigating the internet to fulfil our needs from shopping for the most basic stuff to attending zoom meetings and wedding ceremonies streamed live!

It is no wonder then that even though several travel agencies have downed their shutters, once silent airports, the world over, are now hives of activity. But sadly, though many airports are improved, many airlines face manpower shortages and operational glitches which account for many a delay and even cancellations!

New York to Mumbai

My travel this month was totally unexpected and even though it was well planned, I had quite a few heart stopping moments – particularly when I was huffing and puffing through large airports, making my way to the connecting flight.

Ever since Russia and Ukraine went to war, American planes do not fly over Russian airspace. Now that is understandable but considering that Delhi is as much in India as Mumbai is, I can’t understand why United can fly to Delhi but not to Mumbai. Of course, the airline must have its reasons but this meant that I had to go to Newark either via Delhi or Dubai or any other European transit airport. With visa restrictions and rules changing by the minute, I thought it wiser to fly via Delhi.

So I took the late evening Vistara flight to Delhi to catch my onward flight ( UA 83) to Newark. Everything was fine and we were all ready to take off when the pilot announced that a passenger had to be off loaded because of a family emergency. That’s when my heart started beating faster because every minute in Mumbai meant less time to clear customs and immigration at Delhi. And the plane was an hour late because the cabin baggage had to be identified for security reasons before take off.

However, United made sure a Staffer was waiting for me at Delhi airport to whisk me through a deserted Customs and Immigration though I had to literally hot foot it.

I just about made it to the boarding gate. Whew!

Once inside the plane, I was all prepared to enjoy the experience of travelling United Premium Economy ( a first for me) but I should have been forewarned when I was handed a bottle of water at the air bridge. Oh oh! This generally means that the cabin crew weren’t going to be handing out beverages very soon.

And I was right! The in-flight service left much to be desired. The food was disappointing and after the first round of beverages no one came around asking for more . Nine hours later, we were given a mid-flight snack best described as doughy stodge. Similarly, the breakfast before landing was pure rubbish.

But in fairness to United, the Cabin Crew did attend to you if you asked for assistance.

However, the nonworking head set, the dirty blanket and the dodgy buttons controlling the seat backrest and leg rest wasn’t something I was expecting from United.

Delays & Cancelations

Delays seemed to be the theme of my journey. If my journey to Newark induced heart racing anxiety, the return journey was a downright nightmare.

I was all set to leave with my baggage checked in, my boarding pass in my Wallet and my good byes said to my host.

Photo by Josh Sorenson on Pexels.com

After identifying the assigned Gate, I wandered around the vastly improved Newark Liberty Airport and made my way to the Gate. It looked surprisingly empty but I didn’t receive any notification indicating otherwise on my United App.

I waited for a while before gathering courage to ask someone if I was waiting at the right place. “Yes you are,” she drawled, “but the plane is not boarding from here”.

I dashed to the nearest signboard and began my frantic walk to the other end of the terminal. There were just minutes to spare before pre-boarding.

When I went to the right location, I found the Gate number missing. Was I dreaming up everything? What do I do now? Who do I ask?

Customer Service was nowhere in sight and every body else seemed to know where to go, striding confidently with their cabin baggage. Everyone except me. Luckily, I spotted another Indian and hesitantly asked him if he was traveling to Delhi. I meekly and followed him to the right Gate when he said yes.

As mentioned before, I heaved a sigh of relief when I found my seat and was relieved that there were still 12 minutes before take off. But the computer systems decided to play up and we were de-boarded instead.

The next few minutes we were told that the problem would be sorted out soon but after an hour, we were given food vouchers on our United Apps. By this time the airport restaurants were out of food and our only options were the vending machines or Cibo Express a Food and Beverage outlet that had a few fresh items on its quickly depleting shelves.

Before any of us could make a sale, we were told to clear our bags and make our way home as the flight had been cancelled. All this was by word of mouth with one passenger telling the other with no notification on the United App.

Customer Care Where are You?

Waiting for checked baggage at Baggage claim was surprisingly easy but once the bags were picked up there was no Customer Care around to help with the next step that was availing of a hotel stay for the night and re-booking the next flight!

Customer care was a whole floor up, accessible by an escalator ( the elevator was impossible for me to locate), a feat that would have been difficult with my heavy bag. Fortunately, I caught the eye of a young attendant at Baggage Assistance and asked her if she knew a way out. And EVA, this young lady turned out to be a Godsend.

I am nervous about using a mobile app because I might just choose the wrong option with my fat finger pointing to a small screen. But Eva not only accessed my United App but helped me choose the hotel, book a taxi to the hotel and re-book my flight to Mumbai.

Thank You Eva!

This time I would go directly to Mumbai via Dubai which suited me fine as I’d heard horror stories about Delhi Airport being a mess with the G20. And I could do without any more hassles on the way home.

Post midnight in a taxi

By this time it was way past mid night and my host in New Jersey who was tracking my flight’s progress in her home, was insistent on coming to the airport to fetch me. But she had already made a trip to the airport which was hardly a hop, skip and a jump away from her home and it wasn’t fair to bother her so.

Besides, it was the airline’s responsibility and not hers to see that I was safe and sound. So, despite her protests I waited in the Taxi line with my taxi voucher and hotel voucher in hand.

Photo by Rodolfo Clix on Pexels.com

By now I wasn’t surprised when the taxi service operator came out to announce after a 10 minute wait in the slight drizzle that there weren’t any taxis available. But within a few minutes, she began banging away on her key board and assigning taxis to passengers waiting in line.

When it was finally my turn, I was taken aback when a tall, hefty man in a Stetson and dark glasses stepped out of the cab to load my suitcase in the trunk. My imagination began working overtime. Was I being brave or foolish? Would I sleep in a bed or would my body be found lying dead in a ditch?

With my heart thumping in my chest, I tried to look out for any road signs that would indicate that I was on the right road. Having visited this part of New Jersey before, I tried to look for names seemed remotely familiar but for all I knew we were going deeper into the darkness to a place that I’d never heard of before.

My relief at making it to the hotel in one piece was short lived: United had booked me only for a night with a check out at 11 am while my flight was taking off only at 9 pm the next day!

I would deal with that tomorrow, I thought, as I slipped the key-card in the door.

I wasn’t shocked when the door refused to open.

Once again, I lugged my suitcase to the lobby, got a new key and went back to a new room. It didn’t matter that the air-conditioning made a racket, it didn’t matter that the bed was too high. I was too tense to sleep anyways.

Watch this space for more as I conclude my travel troubles back to Mumbai.

Ciao
Mumbai’s newest cultural Hub

August 20, 2023

What can one do if one is spending just a few hours in Mumbai? Quite frankly, I’d tell such visitors to stay in their hotels and enjoy a few hours of quiet because getting around from one part of the city to the other is time consuming and more often than not, all you’d really be doing is spending hours in the traffic.

Mumbai is a historic city that is quite different from any other Indian city. It has a vibe that combines money with busyness and every one seems to be in a hurry to get somewhere. With iconic buildings ,historic spots and plenty of food options, the city offers a unique experience : but sadly one can only take one Bombay experience at a time.

However, if you do want to combine everything in an abbreviated way, I would highly recommend a visit to the newly opened Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre . It is not that new really but it is now that it is making its mark as a cultural hub in the middle of this city.

Well located in the newest business area of Mumbai, Bandra Kurla Complex commonly known as BKC, with broad roads, swanky buildings and a five star hotel, the NMACC rounds off this business hub in much the same way as the old NCPA rounded off the Nariman Point business area.

The NMACC is a complex of three theatres with different seating capacities to ensure that Mumbaikars, particularly those in the Northern suburbs get a chance to experience the rich cultural traditions formerly restricted to those in the South.

More than an Opera House

Initially, with most galleries and boutiques situated in South Bombay, the NCPA took pride of place at the very end of Marine Drive. Built alongside the Arabian Sea, it has for long been the Mecca of all things Cultural and has hosted many an event for its patrons, dripping with their diamonds and emeralds. stepping out of their chauffeur driven cars,

I don’t mean to down play its importance, because in its time. it gave us a chance to hear wonderful artists and performances . But like everything, it has become small and too cozy and rather inaccessible to the general public, who often found it a fiddle to go to with its limited parking space, and poor public transport connectivity. Often times, I found that while a cabbie was somewhat reluctant to take me to the NCPA, there was simply no one available to bring me back when the show was over!

So even though the NMACC doesn’t have a grand sea face location, it scores over the NCPA with the sheer size of its car parking space. And you needn’t fear about getting lost because there are enough attendants to guide you through the maze. It is advisable to take your own car because public transport is of course no where to be found. And we all know how conveniently Uber taxis find it difficult to find you and expect you to do the hop, skip and jump to where they park themselves.

But all in all, once inside the GRAND THEATRE complex, one is in for a visual treat. With live artists displaying traditional skills, this space is a platform for local artists to showcase their talents. One doesn’t have to go to the interiors of India to get a glimpse of how various art forms and handicrafts are made all over India. From time to time, there are artisans and craftsmen at work displaying their skills and work for all to see.

Even though I didn’t make it to the first day, first show list, I was fortunate enough to experience the NMACC first hand when I went to see “The Sound of Music”.

Initially, I was taken aback by the sheer incline of the steps in the balcony and had to hold on to the railings and walk carefully so as to avoid tumbling down. I was also a bit taken aback by how close I was to touching the Swarovski studded lights on the ceiling light.

But, I soon settled down to enjoy the performance and by the time I went to see my second show, “West Side Story”, I was quite familiar with the place and was less daunted with the seating.

I also knew that despite the number of stalls in the restroom ((as it is called these days), there was only ONE restroom for women (and one for men) so at interval time, there was quite a rush. So one should be smart enough to time one’s loo break.

Similarly one should also time one’s snack break, preferably having a coffee or snack before the show because the lines during the brief interval are horrendous. And naturally no drinks or food are allowed inside, so it would mean a quick gulp before rushing back to the show.

All that is old is not always gold

“West Side Story” itself is an old musical and touted as a timeless Broadway classic. Sadly, though, I found the magic of a Broadway Musical sorely lacking in this performance. Perhaps I was way too up to get to see the expressions of the actors but more than that, I think this is a done to death theme that has little relevance in today’s times where everything goes. After all there are love stories that go bad, but like Little Po said on hearing the story of Romeo & Juliet, the whole idea was pretty ridiculous.

The story apart, the songs themselves were hardly ‘singable’ and unlike the ‘Sound of Music’ performance that had the whole audience singing along, I could hardly contain my yawns.

So it would seem that classics are not always classic and timeless. There does come a time when though the theme is timeless, the costumes, the sets and the context get dated and lose their appeal for different audiences.

If NMACC wants to pull in the crowds, it will have to bring more contemporary or more popular old shows that have more appeal to the Mumbai public. Musicals like ‘Lion King’, ‘Cats’ , ‘Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ with music that Mumbaikars are familiar with.

Thank you for the Music, Art and Food

But all in all, I am glad that NMACC is around and even though it is a trek, more often than not, it is well worth it.

Visitors to this city would be advised to make this a compulsory stop on their itinerary. Especially if you are here on a short visit, NMACC is perfect for a glimpse into India’s rich cultural tradition of the performing arts, handicrafts art.

And, the added bonus is the wide variety of cuisine available both within and around the complex.

Ciao