Just-in-Time...

This is not one of those run-of-the mill stories of mine about my airline experiences. It has a twist - like the pleasant twist in O'Henry's short stories at the end of his narratives. My real life experience with Malaysian Airlines was out of this world - Hats off to their staff at Manila airport for combining as a team to get me into the departing aircraft just-in-time!

It was a normal Friday morning when Srikanth and I decided to have a very late breakfast around 1 PM on 12th March 2010 before piling into Jane's X-Trail at 2:10 PM. On hindsight, we should have paid more attention to Jane as she mumbled something about a truck having broken down in one of the highways leading to the airport. With the flight's scheduled departure at 4:50 PM we had a good 2 hours and 40 minutes to make it to the airport. Considering that it was a non-peak hour, we felt pretty comfortable leaving at 2:10 PM.

10 minutes later, I began to feel a bit nervous as the traffic in front of us had come to a grinding halt showing no signs of movement. The three of us were making casual conversation, while at the back of the mind, each of us were independently feeling a sense of panic of the unknown fear. With our minds working on an overdrive, I guess each of us was thinking of various options to reach the airport in time. Our casual conversation hovered around Metro Rail Transport in various cities. We spoke about the most recent MRT at New Delhi where a line was being extended to the newly refurbished airport terminal. This I said was being done to ensure better infrastructure facilities in anticipation of a sudden influx of tourists during the Commonwealth games in September this year.

This topic led us to discuss the MRT (Metro Rail Transit) in Manila and whether we should take a chance with this mode instead of inching forward by road. We lost some precious moments debating whether it would be wise for us to get down and walk to the nearest MRT station or whether it would be preferable for Jane to take a small detour and drop us at the station. With the traffic coming to a grinding halt, we decided that Srikanth and I walk down to the nearest station at Ortigas behind Robinson Mall and Jane would follow us in her car to the terminal station Taft Avenue. The plan was if Jane reached early, we would ride the last 5 kilometers to the airport in her car and if not, we would just hop into a cab.

When we got down from Jane's car little did we know that Ortigas station would be 3 kilometers away. In the hot and humid climate and with both of us lugging a bag that seemingly got heavier the longer we carried it, we had to criss-cross between stationary cars and the heavily populated downtown area to reach the station. Srikanth decided that going through Robinson Mall would save us time and it was a blessing of sorts. The mall is air conditioned and we got some time to catch our breath. With no escalators to the elevated platform at Ortigas station we huffed and puffed our way up the stairs only to realize that we had entered into the wrong side of the platform. It was like proving Murphy's law all over again: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. We did eventually make it the right side of the platform and as luck would have it, MRT decided to skip one schedule of the box cars. We ended up waiting a good 10 minutes to get into an already over-crowded MRT at 3:44 PM. Taft Avenue is the seventh station after Ortigas and we were both busy either counting the number of stations we crossed or looking at the watch to see the time.

When we reached the terminal station at Taft Avenue it was exactly 4 PM. Srikanth and Jane were in constant touch texting each other the relative positions of each. She was quite close to Taft Avenue by now. We were however a wee bit faster and after negotiating multiple staircases and landings to reach the ground level we had to forcefully stop a cab and hop into it. The poor driver was continuously indicating that he was hungry and he was on his way to a well earned lunch break. We said nothing doing...you just need to take us to the airport in 10 minutes flat. He must have been a skilled driver as the thought of a 'Time Challange' got his adrenaline flowing. He announced, "then you must pay me 200 Pesos". We asked him if he wanted that in advance...

Although just 5 kilometers away, the traffic on the last leg to the airport was also extremely heavy and by now Jane had caught up with us and was just behind our cab. It was a bit easier to talk to her about other alternatives should I miss the flight.

Jane in the meantime had done a smart thing by asking Mhy, one of her Managers working in the day shift to talk to the ground staff of Malaysian Airlines and keep them informed about the possible delay of their business class passenger. She then coaxed them into giving me time till 4:20 PM. With our cab just inching forward, both Srikanth and I had given-up all hopes of making it to the counter by 4:20 PM. We asked Jane to request Mhy and seek an additional 10 minutes grace time. Jane was still optimistic and kept telling that I would make it; but I wasn't so sure. Any alternative would mean that I stay an additional day at Manila and try and get our travel desk at Bangalore to get me a confirmation for the following day. But God in his supreme benevolence keeps a tiny window open when all doors are seemingly closed. We reached the airport at 4:27 PM and it took me a minute to cajole the security person at the entrance to allow me to enter without having to stand in the long 'Q' of humanity. It took me another minute to get my bags screened and I ran to the counter pointed to me by the airport staff as Malaysian Airlines counter. It turned out to be Korean Airlines. Folks at this counter pointed me to another counter which was on the opposite side and to the far corner. When I finally made it to the Malaysian Airlines counter at 4:31 PM, they had started to shut down. With a huge disappointment written all over my face, I made one last appeal telling them about Mhy's call informing them of a certain Mr. Rao getting stuck in traffic and her request that Malaysian Airlines give an additional 10 minutes. That did the trick. Mhy must have spoken to this very person with whom I was now appealing to be let in. With a tiny sparkle in her eyes, she said she would give it a try and talk to the officer at the gate. I guess she did and the rest was a formality. I could see Srikanth jumping up with joy when I signaled a thumbs-up sign saying 'Aal is finally Well'!

Both Jane and Mhy were like angels coming to my aid when I most needed! Malaysian Airlines, I can say walked not 1 but 10 extra miles to help a passenger, who had a genuine reason for the delayed arrival. They took absolute care from the time I was given the boarding cards; an airport staff member was assigned to me to help walk me through immigration.

At any or all given points in time, immigration 'Q' at Manila is over-crowded. The ground staff are careful with this department of homeland security and do not ask passengers to jump the 'Q'. I was losing precious minutes standing and waiting for my turn. I finally cleared at 4:45 PM. Post immigration, there is one last round of security check. Anything metallic like a belt, wallet, cellphone and laptop must be displayed for screening. Once the screening was completed the staff member assigned to me yanked the bag from my hand, asked me to carry the laptop, shoes and belt in my hand and screamed, "follow-me". A young man and with age on his side, he was nimble footed and ran like a deer. I was trudging behind him trying my best to run and probably looking and snorting like an angry hippo. I am sure it was a comical site for all people going about their usual business inside the airport, to see an Indian holding a laptop in one hand and belt and shoes in the other making a 500 meter dash to the aircraft. When I ran inside the aircraft, there was a hushed silence with almost all the cabin staff, ground staff and my fellow passengers staring at me, as if I were from a Steven Spielberg's box-office hit 'Creature from the Lost World'. Unbelievably, when I finally sat on my assigned seat, it was 4:50 PM.

Eureka! I had proved Murphy's Law wrong for once.

The 500 meters dash did have its ill effects on this aging and outdated model. Both my legs, one at the knee and the other at the ankle had taken a severe beating. With each step I took, 80 kilos of tare weight must have caused something to give way and I realized the pain only after gathering breath, sometime after the plane had taken off. With me dragging one foot and limping with the other, the onlookers at Kaula Lumpur airport must have wondered why the patch was missing from my eye, like in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.

As always, it was wonderful to be back home after a yet another adventure of sorts!!

Cheers!!