Series of Unfortunate Events
This was the itinerary I suggested for my flight back home: Belfast to Liverpool.Liverpool to Amsterdam. Amsterdam to Manila, then from Manila to Dumaguete and this was exactly what I got...then NOT!
Here I am writing this blog in the KLM lounge in Amsterdam waiting for my flight to HongKong then to Manila.
My major concern then was my flight from Belfast to Liverpool because I was taking a turboprop plane and the weather has been very erratic in UK with gales and rain. In fact when my brother drove me to the airport early am, the road was shrouded with fog and I thought my flight will be canceled because the turboprop plane, I was told, can literally be "blown by the wind".
When I got onboard, the cabin was so cold I had to button up my coat and tuck my hands inside my pockets. The pilot apologized for the inconvenience and assured us ( all 10 or so of us passengers) that it will be hotter once the engines start. I watched the turbo propellers from my window start up like a frantic giant electric fan and wondered if these could sustain us all the way. Great was my relief when the plane took off on time and landed quite smoothly in Liverpool!
Remember the movie, " A Series of Unfortunate Events?". My series started in Liverpool.
When I checked in in Belfast, I was told that I have to go to the KLM counter in Liverpool for my boarding passes for my subsequent flights because the Flybe airline cannot issue these in Belfast. I was assured though that my two baggages will be checked through to Manila.
The KLM counters in Liverpool were still closed when I arrived. Wanting of anything to do, I surveyed the whole liverpool airport and even scanned the bus and train schedules for almost 2 hours. When they finally opened, I was told that I was suppose to get my baggages from Flybe and check them again in KLM contrary to what I was told in Belfast. Because there was nothing I can do about it, I retraced my steps and went back to the arrival area to get my baggages. When I arrived there, I was told by the guard that I could not get back in for security reasons and must go back to KLM for my baggages. That was the procedure, I was told. So back to the KLM counter I went only to be directed back to the arrival area. "He is just a security guard.", I was told by KLM after I relayed what the guard told me," This is our procedure".
To make the story short, I went back and forth probably 4 times because KLM and the guard at the arrival area had different opinions on how and where I should get my baggages. After almost an hour of uncoordinated trappings, the lady at KLM sensing that my patience was wearing off, went with me to the arrival area probably to confront the guard and when we got there, another lady, apparently the one who transfers baggages, informed us, (ME, the KLM Lady and the GUARD), that my baggages were transferred directly to the KLM plane going to Amsterdam! Indeed, the whole ruckus was a waste of time!
The next unfortunate event came at the departure area when the first 30 min delay announcement was made. A 30 min delay will mean I have to run as if I am a contestant of the Amazing Race, to my gate in Amsterdam for my flight to Manila as the lay over time for my connecting flight was just an hour. I was confident I can make it. Unfortunately , the delay got longer because of security threat. and my allowance to make it to my next flight became shorter. When I checked with the KLM personnel, she gave me the grim news that I will not be able to make it for my connecting flight from Amsterdam to Manila... and there goes too my connecting flight from Manila to Dumaguete!
When we got to Amsterdam, me and several of the other disgruntled passengers who missed their connecting flights, flocked to the transfer desks. I was informed that the earliest flight to Manila is more than 7 hours away and will arrive in Manila 7 PM, This means, I have to spend the night in Manila and I have to book a flight from Manila to Dumaguete the following day! Realizing that there is nothing I can do about this, I decided to make the most of this experience.
KLM offered me a 5 min free international call which I used. A 50 euro discount on my next ticket purchase expiring on Nov 2011. A 10 euro meal ticket which I plan to use and a 15 euro discount for any purchase I will make onboard.
And this is how I got to where I am right now...in the KLM lounge ( thank god for sky miles), whiling my time blogging. Just had coffee, hot soup and some danish cookies. Not bad. But hopefully this is the end of this series of unfortunate events...
Here I am writing this blog in the KLM lounge in Amsterdam waiting for my flight to HongKong then to Manila.
My major concern then was my flight from Belfast to Liverpool because I was taking a turboprop plane and the weather has been very erratic in UK with gales and rain. In fact when my brother drove me to the airport early am, the road was shrouded with fog and I thought my flight will be canceled because the turboprop plane, I was told, can literally be "blown by the wind".
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| SKYTEAM LOUNGE in AMSTERDAM |
Remember the movie, " A Series of Unfortunate Events?". My series started in Liverpool.
When I checked in in Belfast, I was told that I have to go to the KLM counter in Liverpool for my boarding passes for my subsequent flights because the Flybe airline cannot issue these in Belfast. I was assured though that my two baggages will be checked through to Manila.
The KLM counters in Liverpool were still closed when I arrived. Wanting of anything to do, I surveyed the whole liverpool airport and even scanned the bus and train schedules for almost 2 hours. When they finally opened, I was told that I was suppose to get my baggages from Flybe and check them again in KLM contrary to what I was told in Belfast. Because there was nothing I can do about it, I retraced my steps and went back to the arrival area to get my baggages. When I arrived there, I was told by the guard that I could not get back in for security reasons and must go back to KLM for my baggages. That was the procedure, I was told. So back to the KLM counter I went only to be directed back to the arrival area. "He is just a security guard.", I was told by KLM after I relayed what the guard told me," This is our procedure".
To make the story short, I went back and forth probably 4 times because KLM and the guard at the arrival area had different opinions on how and where I should get my baggages. After almost an hour of uncoordinated trappings, the lady at KLM sensing that my patience was wearing off, went with me to the arrival area probably to confront the guard and when we got there, another lady, apparently the one who transfers baggages, informed us, (ME, the KLM Lady and the GUARD), that my baggages were transferred directly to the KLM plane going to Amsterdam! Indeed, the whole ruckus was a waste of time!
The next unfortunate event came at the departure area when the first 30 min delay announcement was made. A 30 min delay will mean I have to run as if I am a contestant of the Amazing Race, to my gate in Amsterdam for my flight to Manila as the lay over time for my connecting flight was just an hour. I was confident I can make it. Unfortunately , the delay got longer because of security threat. and my allowance to make it to my next flight became shorter. When I checked with the KLM personnel, she gave me the grim news that I will not be able to make it for my connecting flight from Amsterdam to Manila... and there goes too my connecting flight from Manila to Dumaguete!
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| FIFTY EURO GIFT CERTIFICATE |
KLM offered me a 5 min free international call which I used. A 50 euro discount on my next ticket purchase expiring on Nov 2011. A 10 euro meal ticket which I plan to use and a 15 euro discount for any purchase I will make onboard.
And this is how I got to where I am right now...in the KLM lounge ( thank god for sky miles), whiling my time blogging. Just had coffee, hot soup and some danish cookies. Not bad. But hopefully this is the end of this series of unfortunate events...
Comments
just Enjoy the KLM lounge...=)