I was traveling by myself to India for a conference. I left from DFW to Atl. To Paris to Delhi.
I got on the flight to Atlanta without any problem. That is the last part of this story that worked out as planned.
I had over 2 hrs in Atlanta before the flight to Paris. Plenty of time. We sat on the tarmac in a Dallas for a long delay while a bad storm had closed Atl for over an hour. When I arrived in Atl I had 40 minutes. The international concourse was the farthest out. I took the train to that concourse and ran toward the gate. As it got close to boarding, ( no time for food) they said to have your passport ready. I reached into the pocket of my travel vest and what should have been my passport was my checkbook. I found a corner and dumped my backpack…found it. My seat was tucked in a corner cramped in but I was on the plane. We left Atlanta late… when we arrived in Paris there was 30 minutes till the flight to Delhi. It took forever to deplane as you got off into a lift that took too long. I had 15 minutes to change concourses… it looked grim. By the time my pod got us into a transport I stopped looking at my watch. About 10 of us had slightly bonded and ran..full put..ran to the gate. Pretty airport. There was our gate…there was our plane.. they had just closed the gate and there was no chance they would open… but there are 10 of us all off the same plane delayed by weather, No no go to the re-ticket window, We did. A snobby lady at the front of the line gripped and finally they said we will put you up overnight and you will be on the next plane tomorrow. O Great I said well all do that… no.
They took our tickets and passports. Then they came out and said. Come with me we will put you on a flight to Bombay and you will get to Delhi the next day . Come now with our passports in hand she us thru the airport. I kept asking how can we inform our families of our change of plans… just get on the plane. We did.
I got on and the flight crew was wonderful and since I’d been so cramped on the first flight I was really sleepy. I went to the back of the plane and talked to the flight crew. I explained that the 10 of us who were moved on to the plane late were to get to Delhi but we had no real information is there someone we could talk to. The Burser on the flight was named Bobbie, I laughed said that’s my name too. I gave them my seat number…And Bobbie came by. I asked about arrangements, we’d be put up in a hotel in Bombay overnight and on an early flight to Delhi. There would be an agent who would meet us and take care of us. They dubbed us “ The Delhi Group”. We would Arrive about 10 am. Really only 12 hours later than we were supposed to.
I thought if something happens to this plane we will all just disappear. I had no hope about my luggage.
True enough they announced the Delhi Group should form to the right of the hall once we exited the plane. They got us thru customs. It was however now about 1 am in Bombay. Our flight to Delhi was at 6:30. I couldn’t see how we would have more than an hour in an actual hotel room. When I asked the agent she said I see that. I asked if there was someplace we could go in the national terminal and wait. The whole group thought this was a good ideal. I said we are also really hungry. They walked us over to the national terminal and took us into the restaurant. They said we could stay there and order whatever we wanted. I became ‘the white woman’. I was the only non Indian in the group. When we went to order they asked me what I was eating I said whatever you are eating. We had a feast. The group helped me find the computers and phones and I got in through to my cousin to tell her what was going on. She said she I wasn’t on the flight they checked with the airlines who said I hadn’t even gotten on in Atlanta… so I was lost for that time. I emailed everyone else to tell them I was ok.
The restaurant has padded benches along the side and we could stretch out and sleep for a couple of hours. What a fine group of folks.
We got on the plane in the morning after a quick breakfast. I arrived as I had said. Our luggage would come in that night at 11 pm we could get it the next day.
My family happily greeted me!!! Whew.
Picking up the luggage is a whole new story for another time..
there you go
The Spirit Will Tell You 