It hasn’t been long when I pleasantly missed my flight! Yes, I pleasantly missed my flight. I had to travel from LA to Buffalo via Charlotte. While I left for the airport a bit tight on time, it was good enough to reach there in time. However, the LA traffic had something else in store for me. The slow moving traffic almost for the whole stretch, made it impossible to make there in time. While I reached there half an hour before the scheduled departure, it was already too late to check-in my baggage as most of the airlines have a cut-off time of 45 minutes before they stop accepting any baggage for the particular flight.
As I walked into the airport, I was almost relaxed. I knew that I had missed my flight so no need to hurry and all. I started thinking about plan B’s and plan C’s (which I didn’t have). Anyways, I had a US airways flight, so I reached the full-service counter. After the initial greetings, I simply told that lady that I think I’ve missed my flight. I didn’t know what to expect. And to my surprise, she gave a very reassuring smile and said, “Let me see what I can do for you!”. Wow, never I would have expected such a reassurance while traveling in India. Within a couple of minutes, she said “You’ll reach your destination half an hour later than your initial itinerary”. That was so relaxing. So simple it was. I immediately gave my nod to proceed. Nothing could have been better that day (except for not missing the flight.). Well, no point mentioning the rest of the story. It was a usual longish travel day. I was in Buffalo a little later than I had planned for.
I don’t think I could have had any smoother experience of missing a flight and then reach with an alternate itinerary and that too without spending an extra penny! Even through they say US Airways is not the best when it comes to the customer service, I don’t see any scope as to how the whole process could have been better. I was completely sold. And let’s keep in mind that it is a low cost airline. Full marks to the airlines.
I can understand that I was lucky to find a seat on an alternate itinerary. At times and on busy routes, the process may not be smooth. But then, missing a flight is the passenger’s fault. So we can only be grateful if we find an alternative and certainly can’t crib if the airline is not able to manage one. What matters is the attitude. Logistics is not always in one’s control.
I haven’t heard of such a customer experience in India. Or may be, I don’t even know what happens if I miss a flight here! Traffic in Indian metros is no better than LA. But I am eager to know. I don’t want to miss a flight to know this, so if you’ve had an experience, please share it here 
. I hope we have everything it takes to provide a similar customer experience. In fact, we may be doing so, just that I am not aware of it.
So next time when you are traveling in the US and realize that you are getting late to catch your flight, do not press hard on the accelerator and increase the chances of an accident! Relax and reach safely. Missing flight is not all that bad after all!
Happy missing flight! (well not recommended though)
The Hollywood Sign
It has been a while since I’ve put an article. But then, this is not the first time it has happened. Well, a lot has happened over the last couple of months. A lot of travel, places and people.
So where have I been all the time and what have I been doing to find an excuse for now writing a post? I can answer the first, I was in Los Angeles/ Hollywood most of the time. But the second one…Hmmm..tough to answer. More than the work, it was the schedule which prevented me from posting something, in spite of so much happening around.
Finally I seem to have some time to put up a post (that is because I have to wait for my flight back to India for 3 more hours!). So all the while, I was living just a block away from the famous “Hollywood walk of fame”! Yes, the same place where people come from all over the world to have a glance at the entertainment capital of the west. How exciting! Well yes, it is, only if you have come as a tourist. It loses importance when you walk the same streets everyday, for two months. And that’s what happened to me. I remember almost every shop and restaurant along a mile, on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (on both sides of the road J). Anyways, that place is worth watching if you are in and around LA. Just walking on the road for about half a mile, you would witness an ambience which will remind of the best of Hollywood movies. The pirate, the hulk, the spiderman, the batman, spider woman, the mask man……….and the list goes on. Yes, these are the characters you would witness not once, not twice, but almost every time you walk down the street. And while you walk down the street, once every while, you can witness the famous ‘Hollywood’ sign on the hills. The trademark I must say.
Now when I am on my way back, I realize how lively that place was. I wouldn’t say I miss it, but it does deserve a mention here.
Currently, there’s nothing which can excite me more than getting back to India! Ah, how much I missed the Indian food, I can’t even describe. What and how did I manage to eat in the last couple of months deserves a post dedicated to it.
Hopefully I’ll settle into my regular schedule soon and find time to put some posts and catch up!
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