Happy Diwali Jet Airways

Looked at the watch and it was 6.40 am. On 17^th Oct 2009, at the Chennai airport, it was already time for boarding of my flight to Mumbai and still there was no sign of the crew of Jet Airways announcing the boarding of the passengers. Then I thought ‘Oh! The flight is late by sometime.’ It doesn’t matter as I was going to my home town Baroda for a 10 days stay so a little late will not matter. Suddenly, it stuck me that I have a connecting flight from Mumbai in 55 minutes in between and this situation is not helping.

In the middle of my MBA course, I was going home for 10 days which was very unusual as its difficult to get such a long break. This was due to the electives which I had taken and I was not having any of the electives for this long and further to this, this particular break was coming on a Diwali time. What could I have asked other than a long stay back home after a long time that too during Diwali? But was I going to miss the connecting flight? The connecting flight was luckily of Jet Airways and I had taken the boarding pass at the Chennai airport. Suddenly then a question crossed my mind ‘What was the problem?’ Thinking back I recalled, while taking the boarding passes at the Chennai airport, I had given the luggage and had asked the lady representative to tag it upto Baroda. She said that she tried however due to some system problem she could not. All silly problems are portrayed as system problems only. I was annoyed thinking that I will have to collect the luggage at the Mumbai airport take it again to the Jet Airways counter where boarding pass is issued, give the luggage over there while I would not ask for the boarding pass as it was already issued to me. Wasn’t that weird? All to be done in 55 minutes and how is that going to be possible specially with the current flight getting delayed?

I had never experienced such a thing and did not know what was going to happen. When my flight landed at Mumbai airport and I looked at my watch. ’20 minutes late! Now my mind started calculating. Only 35 minutes left in which I have to reach the baggage claim, go to the counter, explain the situation, give the luggage for tagging and then head for the security check and then board the flight. Anyone could have seen the confusion on my face while I was slowly moving out of the aircraft. While stepping down the aircraft, I saw a young good looking girl in blue salwaar khameez with a identity of ‘Jet Airways Ground Crew’ holding a mobile phone in left hand and a piece of paper in the other. A very tender yet confident girl with a spark in her eyes was searching for someone. All the ground crew members were dressed traditionally on occasion of Diwali festival. Then suddenly a thought crossed my mind ‘Is it blue or green? Ah! I am never good at recognising colours. But why in this confused state of mind, I am suddenly thinking of the colour of the dress that girl is wearing?’ When I reached the bottom of the flight, suddenly she asked ‘Sir, are you on the flight to Baroda?’ I nodded. She continued, ‘Mr. Jambekar right?’ To this I was even more confused. I was thinking a beautiful looking girl knows my name. Have I suddenly become famous? But then I suddenly remembered about my luggage. What possibly wrong can happen that people are asking for me? She told me not to get on the bus which was taking all the other passengers. She must be there for my help. Then I told her the problem of the tag on my luggage and showed her my boarding passes as well as the luggage tag copies. She quickly dialled a number from her mobile and said “We have a situation over here.” She turned away talking on the phone and then I suddenly looked at the watch. Only 30 minutes remaining for the departure, I am still on the ground next to my earlier flight, my boarding pass is with the girl who is talking on the phone and all my calculations have gone for a toss as this was not accounted for. Suddenly that girl turned to me and said ‘Sir, you will just have to come with us to identify your luggage to directly get it into the flight and not sent out to the baggage claim area.’ A sigh of relief! Now something is going my way. I again nodded. She made another couple of calls and then I found myself in a bus of Jet Airways along with that girl. The bus was moving on the instructions given by that girl. Again calling someone, she told the driver to change the direction and the bus halted near another Jet Airways aircraft. This aircraft was going to Baroda. ‘Oh! Great! Atleast I don’t have to go through the normal check points’ I thought. That girl was standing next to me outside the aircraft looking out for some other ground crew member with whom I guess she had talked last on the phone. She explained to me that I don’t have to worry about my luggage and I will not have to even go to identify it. She could manage to get it identified and things will be taken care. She told me to wait and not board the flight just to get things confirmed. One aged thin person came and she asked about my luggage. That person said that everything is taken care of and I don’t need to worry at all and was told to board the flight. The girl gave me my boarding pass and with a very beautiful smile she said that the luggage will be loaded and I can board the flight. Just when I wanted to know the name of the girl and wanted thank her for all the trouble that she took and get me out of the situation, another crew lady from behind asked for my boarding pass and checked it and wished me ‘A Happy journey’. I was like ‘Yeah! Whatever!’ I turned around to find that girl and she was no where. Vanished! I got on the flight and luckily was having a window seat on the left side of the flight from where I could see a small car came with my luggage and on the tag they made some changes and put it in the flight. Just then from the window I could see that girl talking on the phone next to the aircraft and I thought of going out for a minute when the flight doors closed.

I really could not get a chance to thank that lovely looking girl who was just doing her job by helping me out but I feel that sometime I will definitely come across again. Thank you for all the help and to Jet Airways for taking good care of their passengers! Wish you all a very Happy Diwali!