It's no fib; this is a true story but unbelievable.
I was flying from Kolkata to Delhi. The aircraft took off and was well high up in the sky. The "fasten your seat belt" sign was switched off by the pilot and initial discipline that is usually imposed on the travelers during the take off activity, was lifted. The passengers started adjusting themselves in a more relaxed environment now. Some pushed back their seats, others started pulling out the in-flight magazines from the front pockets and still others started dozing off and so on. Usually, I do no such things in the aircraft; I am on guard normally to notice any abnormalities that might be taking place in the cabin. In a way, I am a bit of an observant.
In this process of my observations, I found that all of a sudden a passenger sitting around three rows ahead of me got up from his seat a bit over-excitedly. He appeared very nervous. Clumsily he opened the overhead baggage locker and started pulling out his luggage. And with the other hand he was making a gesture to the air hostess to stop the aircraft with a half shout. The words were not coming out from his mouth because of his nervousness. He was finding it hard to speak out.
Then, I became more keen to find out as to what was to happen next. The person sitting next to this gentleman asked, "What's the matter? Why are you taking out your luggage and what is it that you are requesting the air hostess to stop the aircraft in mid air?"
The nervous gentleman told, "When I asked you as to when will this aircraft reach Mumbai, you told me that this aircraft is going to Delhi and not Mumbai. Then I realized that I had boarded a wrong aircraft. I have the ticket with me to go to Mumbai and I have to go to Mumbai and not Delhi. I am obviously in the wrong aircraft."
His neighbor then called the air hostess and asked for a drink of water for the other person to calm him down. The air hostess- quite a young lady, in the mean time, had heard the half cry of the person to stop the aircraft in mid air. Now that she knew the whole matter, she just couldn't control and burst out into a giggle. That made our nervous gentleman more nervous and he asked her to summon the chief stewardess. The young air hostess briefed the chief stewardess before she came for the rescue.
She assured, "There is no problem. There is a connecting flight from Delhi to Mumbai and as soon as we land in Delhi, we will put you into the Mumbai bound aircraft at no extra cost. Just relax and don't worry at all." She offered him another glass of water.
Till date I am not able to imagine and understand as to how that miracle took place. Despite so many checks and scrutinies at different stages of ticket checking-in, security checks and boarding check-ups, how could the passenger board a wrong aircraft and also found out an empty seat in the aircraft as if it was meant for him.
Be careful in your future travel expeditions. Don't entirely depend on the airlines' check-in processes. Keep your senses open to board the correct flight.
Related Books
1. "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" (available from Amazon, get it online as a paperback or an eBook)
Read many more management anecdotes/management case studies in the eminent author Shyam Bhatawdekar's best selling book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" available online from Amazon as an eBook as well as a printed book.
2. "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World (Volume 2)" (available from Amazon, get it online as a paperback or an eBook)
Read many more management anecdotes/management case studies in the eminent author Shyam Bhatawdekar's best selling book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World (Volume 2)" available online from Amazon as an eBook as well as a printed book.
Other Related Reading
For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/
Also, refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/
For “out of box thinking” articles by Shyam Bhatawdekar, refer: (Out of Box Ideas) http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/
Read other blogs of Shyam Bhatawdekar at: (Home Page for Writings of Shyam Bhatawdekar) http://writings-of-shyam.blogspot.com
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