You might consider it a minor quibble but I’ve missed flights before and it’s never been pleasant. And I certainly didn’t want to miss this one. Not at 5am, when all I really wanted to do was stay in bed. Or after a harrowing twenty minutes, lop off the bumbling ticketing staff’s head.
Arriving with what I considered a generous margin in hand, I was turned away from the gate because the printout of my ticket was mysteriously missing my name. Barely awake, and with not enough strength to be impatient even, I slowly made my way to the GoAir ticketing counter. Two fresh-faced fellows manning the desks promptly reminded me that I’d have to pay Rs 50. Nodding to indicate I knew the drill, I think I fell asleep standing up for a while… Fifteen minutes and several polite enquiries later, I still had no printout.
I think it was at this point that I finally flew into a rage. I mean how long does it take to give me a printout? What exactly is the problem? Can’t they ask their colleagues in the next counter to help? Or would they rather wait till the plane takes off to Leh without me? Even Indian Railways offers the greener option of ‘carrying’ your ticket on a cellphone screen!
Annoyingly, what my politeness couldn’t achieve in fifteen minutes, my anger did in under one. I finally had the printout and an assurance to boot that the check-in staff will be waiting, “madam, with your boarding pass”. You bet!