My trip to Monaco Yacht Show this year was almost ruined by the force majeure situation :) Try to imagine the following, I come to a check-in desk all smiles, hand in my passport, the lady at the desk checks her computer and says that she can’t find me in the list for this flight.
“You are not registered for this flight” – she says in the most polite voice.
First few seconds I couldn’t even digest this information. I just kept smiling. Then as the situation gradually started to sink into my brain my smile faded.
“What do you mean, I am not on this flight? I have confirmation in my email. There must be a mistake! I am on this flight! Please check properly.” – I was beyond annoyed at this point. I honestly thought that the lady was just plain stupid.
Turned out that I indeed was not on the flight! There was some kind of misunderstanding between my travel agency and the airline, which resulted in me crying in the airline office at Malaga airport and almost kissing my Monaco trip good-bye. Because the airline said that it is not their problem and if I still want to fly now, I should pay 450 Euros. To this I just said: “F$%# You! Are you kidding me?! I already paid for my tickets! Do something!” “No, it is too late.” – they said and started to mind their own business, drinking coffee and chatting.
What would you do in the situation like this? When there is one hour left to your flight? I was shocked, I panicked, with trembling hands I started to call my agency. They were holding me on the line for literally 30 minutes and only when there was half an hour left to my flight, they solved the problem. Alleluia! Thank God, that the lady on the check-in desk (the one which I thought was stupid at the beginning, for what I apologize) haven’t left already. They usually close check-in desks 1 hour before the flight.
The lady on the check-in desk said: “Yes, you are on the list now, but it is too late. I can’t allow you to board the plane.” I plead and plead this holy woman and she agreed to call the captain of the plane and only after he said: “Ok, let her in!” She printed out my boarding passes.
You can’t even imagine what I felt then she said I am in! That I can fly! I literally started crying! I always wondered why girls, who participate in beauty contests, cry when they win the prize? Well, now I understand them. After such a nervous pressure, there is no other option.
So, when they said I can go now, I ran to the security. They asked me to take off my shoes, at that moment the boarding already started. I took my shoes off and ran barefoot to my gate through the whole Malaga airport! You might have already guessed correctly that my gate was at the farthest end possible of the departure area. Thank God and cleaning ladies for the tidy floors in Malaga airport.
No matter what have happened to me just a few hours before, I was so happy to be on the plane. You can’t even imagine!! So, it is only logical that I celebrated the happy ending of this madness with a glass of cava and the rest of my trip went down smoothly. Although, I couldn’t concentrate to read or do anything other than just look out of the window and drink.
I am in Monaco now and really appreciate every minute of it, because there was a great chance that I would not be here at all.
Stay tuned to my reports from Monaco Yacht Show 2011. By the way, if anyone of you are here by any chance, let’s meet up for a cocktail or something!
Yours,
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