Many people that read the first story on the virgin passport felt sorry for the passengers and wondered if any one can ever get out of the trap that has been set by the officials in the airport. I would like to let you all know that on the odd occasion, some passengers even with virgin passports overcome this hurdle. Like with the lions and deers in the Savannah, not every trap catches a prey, sometimes external factors make the prey escape.
As a sequel to the "Curse of the Vampire Passport" i had to write this story. It was a friend of mine that tells me about her brother heading to one of the Asian countries for the first time. It was the first time he was ever going to travel and she said i should help as much as i could.
The first thing was to train the young man in a few minutes to be confident, how to answer questions as regards where he was going, how long he was staying, who he intended to stay with and how much he was travelling with. I could only do so much because i was really busy on that day so after instructing him, i left him to go through the immigration point , leaving him with my number in case he had any questions on what to do and where to go.
As i got back to work, running around the Airport as usual,i got a call from a strange number and it was the young man.
Passenger: Sorry sir, they did not allow me to board
Me: who?
Passenger: "...... Airways"
Me: Why? What did they tell you?
By this time, i had started to approach the boarding gate where he was to board. I saw him coming out with another passenger, who was furious. He had actually given one of the immigration officers $100 to secure passage through the screening point, because he had a Virgin Passport!! The Airline had gotten wind of this and instructed him to go back to collect his money as his travel allowance was too low to get into the country he wanted to go. I beckoned on the passenger following him to go back as i would intervene in the matter. As we got to the small room where this "taxing" usually took place the following ensued;
Me: Good morning sirs, my family friend here was unable to board his flight
Officer: Why? did you miss your flight?- looking in his direction
Me: No sir, his Travel Allowance was incomplete so he cannot be boarded
Officer: Why? is it because of the $100 tip you gave us?
(imagine a kid of say 18yrs giving out $100 tip)
Me: I think so, and his flight is leaving anytime soon
Officer: so, where do you work? - turning to ask me.
(i am in full uniform for the love of Christ, everyone in the airport knows this uniform)
Officer: He just gave us a little something oh, and the officer that collected it is not here
Me: Sir, that flight is leaving very soon!
Officer: ehen, which Airline do you work for again
Me: Sir.....
Officer: Okay, can you give him $100 and come back, the officer may be around
Me: Sir i am paid in Naira
He then reaches to the a small corner to pull out a well tucked in $100 note to give to the young man. He smiles to tell me once again "he just gave us oh", "where do you work again?"
I had to rush the young man down to the gates so as not to miss his flight.
So sometimes the green horn wins, remember that. - @lereboy
Wednesday 22 June 2011
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Control Thy Anger !!
You pay the price for your anger, for like i often tell my friends "Silence in Anger" is golden.
One recurring decimal of many airlines the world over is the phenomenon of over booked flights. In this industry, everything is expensive, office space, equipment, staff , fuel and everything necessary for day to day running of an airline especially from the Airport. So it is important the world over for flights to be about 80% booked. The truth is with that booking, the number of people that actually come to pay for flights are less, while those that actually fly on many occasions are much less than that.
It is in this regard that Airlines allow for over booking on flights especially on the high season by about 10-20% depending on the capacity of the aircraft. In this scenario, passengers are always advised to get to the Airport for check in early as the airlines are backed by IATA rules in this act.
For those that come in to check in as the flight fills up, the airline makes an announcement of the situation, collects tickets from those present within the time frame (to avoid late comers) and re-books them for free as well as make arrangements for accommodation and compensation.
However, in certain situations, it doesn't go so smoothly, like the case of Mr x. He came in just as the flight was closing due over booking. As tickets were being collated he kept on insisting on being on the flight. All explanations fell on deaf ears and his anger got the better of him. He picked up one of the tensile barriers used to control queues and aimed it for the check in agent behind the counter. His strength took it above the counter onto the display screens where the flight numbers and airline details (departure and arrivals) are constantly changing. This got smashed and trouble ensued.
As others were collecting compensation letters, Hotel accommodation and all, he was whisked away by the Airport authorities to the Airport Cell. The next morning he was taken to the Police station about 5mins away from the main building. He wasn't released for 5 days until he was able to pay for the Airport property that was damaged and this set him back by $10,000 plus 5 days he spent in jail.
He also had to pay for missing the flight he was put on (No show fee) as well as to get onto the next available flight (Date change fee).
Note: when travelling during the high season, endeavour to get to the Airport early, be aware of your rights, keep your cool in all circumstances and don't throw things around OK?
@lereboy signing out till next week.....
One recurring decimal of many airlines the world over is the phenomenon of over booked flights. In this industry, everything is expensive, office space, equipment, staff , fuel and everything necessary for day to day running of an airline especially from the Airport. So it is important the world over for flights to be about 80% booked. The truth is with that booking, the number of people that actually come to pay for flights are less, while those that actually fly on many occasions are much less than that.
It is in this regard that Airlines allow for over booking on flights especially on the high season by about 10-20% depending on the capacity of the aircraft. In this scenario, passengers are always advised to get to the Airport for check in early as the airlines are backed by IATA rules in this act.
For those that come in to check in as the flight fills up, the airline makes an announcement of the situation, collects tickets from those present within the time frame (to avoid late comers) and re-books them for free as well as make arrangements for accommodation and compensation.
However, in certain situations, it doesn't go so smoothly, like the case of Mr x. He came in just as the flight was closing due over booking. As tickets were being collated he kept on insisting on being on the flight. All explanations fell on deaf ears and his anger got the better of him. He picked up one of the tensile barriers used to control queues and aimed it for the check in agent behind the counter. His strength took it above the counter onto the display screens where the flight numbers and airline details (departure and arrivals) are constantly changing. This got smashed and trouble ensued.
As others were collecting compensation letters, Hotel accommodation and all, he was whisked away by the Airport authorities to the Airport Cell. The next morning he was taken to the Police station about 5mins away from the main building. He wasn't released for 5 days until he was able to pay for the Airport property that was damaged and this set him back by $10,000 plus 5 days he spent in jail.
He also had to pay for missing the flight he was put on (No show fee) as well as to get onto the next available flight (Date change fee).
Note: when travelling during the high season, endeavour to get to the Airport early, be aware of your rights, keep your cool in all circumstances and don't throw things around OK?
@lereboy signing out till next week.....
Sunday 5 June 2011
Ah! You called......? Why.....?
It is common practice for passengers to forget items on board aircrafts when they get to their destination. A good number of them are either too tired or to scared during the flight to be so aware of what they have forgotten. In the lost and found cabinet, you would be shocked to see the kinds of things passengers have forgotten over the years: Radios, Ipods, Glassed, bibles, I.D cards, Pens (Mont Blonc type stuff), face caps and a host of others. What most of them remember and come back for are items like Phones, Laptops, and other gadgets of the sort.
It is actually a phone that inspires this story. On arrival of a local flight Abuja-Lagos,after disembarkation of passengers, during security checks and cleaning a GSM phone was discovered.As with normal procedure, it was handed over to the Lost&Found department. After logging it in, the agent scrolls through the phone to check for recently received or dialled number so as to get the exact identity of the passenger that owns the phone as it may have dropped from the passenger onto another seat.
It was during this search that the agent discovered a recently called number stored as "HONEY". So he proceeded to call the number and got the shock of his life:
Agent: Good day, please this phone was found on an Abuja-Lagos flight. We would like the owner to come to our office to pick it up with valid I.D.
HONEY: What do you mean? what game are you playing? Have you stolen this phone?
Agent: No sir, as i introduced myself (******) and i would like you to get across to the owner of this phone so he/she can come pick it up.
HONEY: That's impossible,i just spoke to the owner less than 2hrs ago and she is in Benue, i wonder how you got this phone. I would call her friends and get back to you.
Just as he drops the call, a lady walks in claiming to have forgotten her phone on board. As she made to show the boarding pass with which she came, it was discovered that the phone in question was the same the agent was trying to unite with the owner.
Agent: Oh! you are welcome, we have been making efforts to unite you with your phone. We even called "Honey" so it would be easier.
Young Lady: What? You called "Honey"?
Agent: Yes we did, he is going to call back anytime now.
Young Lady: Who told you to call "Honey" (Now sobbing), why did you call "Honey" (still sobbing), ah! you shouldn't have called "Honey" (now looking weak at the knees), ah, "Honey"! what did you tell "Honey"? ah, you called "Honey", you shouldn't have called "Honey" (with teary eyes)
At this point we were torn between laughing and crying, for she had apparently told the young man she was in school, when she was actually in the airport en route Lagos to meet some other guy. The bubble burst only due to her carelessness. I guess from now on she would be careful about how she saves names on her phone? I think you too should.
It is actually a phone that inspires this story. On arrival of a local flight Abuja-Lagos,after disembarkation of passengers, during security checks and cleaning a GSM phone was discovered.As with normal procedure, it was handed over to the Lost&Found department. After logging it in, the agent scrolls through the phone to check for recently received or dialled number so as to get the exact identity of the passenger that owns the phone as it may have dropped from the passenger onto another seat.
It was during this search that the agent discovered a recently called number stored as "HONEY". So he proceeded to call the number and got the shock of his life:
Agent: Good day, please this phone was found on an Abuja-Lagos flight. We would like the owner to come to our office to pick it up with valid I.D.
HONEY: What do you mean? what game are you playing? Have you stolen this phone?
Agent: No sir, as i introduced myself (******) and i would like you to get across to the owner of this phone so he/she can come pick it up.
HONEY: That's impossible,i just spoke to the owner less than 2hrs ago and she is in Benue, i wonder how you got this phone. I would call her friends and get back to you.
Just as he drops the call, a lady walks in claiming to have forgotten her phone on board. As she made to show the boarding pass with which she came, it was discovered that the phone in question was the same the agent was trying to unite with the owner.
Agent: Oh! you are welcome, we have been making efforts to unite you with your phone. We even called "Honey" so it would be easier.
Young Lady: What? You called "Honey"?
Agent: Yes we did, he is going to call back anytime now.
Young Lady: Who told you to call "Honey" (Now sobbing), why did you call "Honey" (still sobbing), ah! you shouldn't have called "Honey" (now looking weak at the knees), ah, "Honey"! what did you tell "Honey"? ah, you called "Honey", you shouldn't have called "Honey" (with teary eyes)
At this point we were torn between laughing and crying, for she had apparently told the young man she was in school, when she was actually in the airport en route Lagos to meet some other guy. The bubble burst only due to her carelessness. I guess from now on she would be careful about how she saves names on her phone? I think you too should.
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