In 2009 I was travelling from FRA to BKK and missed my connecting flight in Dubai. I would say it was part my fault but also a stupid was to tell customers which flight is next.
My day started with a train from Stuttgart to Munich. After ages in the train from Stuttgart to Munich i was standing in front of the stupid machine. 9.20 € for a ride from main station to the airport?? i do not want to buy the train ppl!
A swift 45 minutes (feels like 2.72 hours) i was at the airport. And there was still a seat at the emergency exit row left. No chance to reserve for Dubai. After 3 small bottles of red wine and some little bottles of whiskey and a really interesting movie about the us food system we did touch ground in Dubai. “Our” stewardess was from Chile and me – sitting at the exit row – could talk to her on the way down. Interesting is was! The only thing she could not explain was the country we did fly over for more than 20 minutes called “Neutral Zone”! It is south of Saudi Arabia and i never heard of it!!
Down at the airport i did get the next chair to eat my cheese sandwich – repaired in the morning with care and pride. There was that woman from Iran – speaks only Farsi and German. Pain in the knee – so i did sat her down and went for help. Ending up at the nearest help desk i told them to send the marines or at last one driver for the 6 electric cars i passed on my way to the desk. Not possible – we do not have a licence – somebody is on the way! wait 15 minutes!! – she should have told the crew on the plane – “well she is not my wife” i told them and what if i have a heart attack right now – am i suppose to wait 15 minutes or is this where i end my presence on earth??
“No no – in case of an emergency” – “you send a chopper and – wait i can not land inside here” ha ha funy it was – than i did remember that i need another emergency row seat – so while they organized something faster to help the one girl got me a seat “now i can not let you sit in this seat – after all you did” cheers!!!
So the woman and i went back to the woman from Iran and i did translate that help is on the way and she should tell the cabin crew of the next plane that she needs assistance in Tehran.
This show once again – help help help and it comes back from somewhere!!!
now on to my next flight to BKK!
Made it in time to the gate. The next flight was up on the board. Hong Kong - I wanted to go to Bangkok. Since I had no clue what time it was in Dubai I took a seat and flipped open my MacBook. After that flight was gone the next flight was Sydney or something. Wait - where is my Bangkok flight?? That was the flight that just left. Great - instead of putting Bangkok and Hong Kong up to avoid confusion. Well the visa was free and the next flight in the evening - I walked a bit in the city.
For an extra 82€ I got a flight to BKK in the evening. And no seat in the emergency exit row. Whatever, next to me was one of the Dubai Boys – en route to his friends that where already in Pattaya. He had to smoke in the toilette on the plane and did never stop talking. How he was looking forward to the “Body Massage” with naked hookers and the works. Why do I have him next to me.
Oh well – there you go!
The interesting part was that he had no idea that Dubai was in the shitter since 2 days. More than 88 billion US $ in debth, sending stock markets down south since 2 days. And there was nothing big in the local paper as well. Had to show him on the bbc news of the airline. After his second or third smoke he went to sit next to his friend. Good for me as I was a bit tired from walking in the heat. A few hours later - Bangkok! Finally :-)