NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL NO BARRIER: THE CALLOUSNESS OF AIRLINES

There are only horror stories about them.
We can’t do without them, and they exploit our need.

Last week, coming back from New Delhi after a family affair, we had chosen to take the evening flight to Madras, so as to reach here before dark.
Even as we reached the Delhi airport, the flight notice board read that our flight was delayed by two hours, taking off at 6.30 pm. We comforted ourselves saying that it was only two hours, and the flight was only two and a half hours. My son, who came to drop us off asked if we would like to go back and wait, but we chose not to.

Checking in took a long time with the computer hanging, and the person in charge, maybe a novice, looking miserable as he tried to cope. So that took care of 45 minutes and I said to myself, only an hour and a bit now to wait. But by the time we finished checking in we found that the flight was delayed by yet another hour.
And then another.
And then another.

Okay, so there was some problem.
Languid announcements from the airlines, once in an hour, held no note of apology for the inconvenience, or explanations for the delay.
Another indistinct announcement was a sap to suckers who had paid money well in advance to enjoy the comfort of an air trip – they could avail themselves of ‘refreshments’ at the airlines’ cost.

My heart ached for the young couple waiting with us. On their honeymoon, they had to catch a connecting flight to Singapore from Madras at 11 pm – and it did not look like they were going to make it.

At about 7.40 pm a flight to Madras was announced – but it was not our flight.
It was the flight that was scheduled for 8 pm.
That is when the collective hackles of the passengers booked on our flight rose. They trooped to the attendant in charge at the boarding gate, and wanted to know why when they were kept waiting, the aircraft bound for Chennai could not take them. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing , our flight was announced.

And finally we made it, boarding the aircraft at about 9 pm. I don’t even want to think what happened to the other flight!

This is not an ailment of domestic airlines alone.
My son and daughter-in-law had tickets on the 2 am KLM flight to go to New York from New Delhi; they found that the flight was overbooked by many numbers. The passengers crowded the counters; a request from my son to the attendant there to control the queue brought the response “Aap hi sambhalo” (You manage it please). Finally the passengers were distributed and accommodated on other airlines. My son and his wife travelled by Aeroflot via Moscow - from what they said I don’t think they want to repeat the experience.

These are only two isolated accounts – everyone must have an experience to relate.
There is no accountability at all on the part of airlines for any inconvenience caused. Neither apology nor compensation is offered. Early booking to avoid such problems becomes a farce in the face of such irregularities.

A recent judgement against Go Air Airlines, to recompense the passengers for inconvenience caused by cancelling a flight, should serve as a lesson.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-11-27-india-airlines_N.htm

As for lost luggage – now that is another story!

SNAPPED!

The generation next in action - capturing the family group at the wedding.
Shooting the shooters was sister Viji.

AT A FAMILY WEDDING

Last week, our nephew Anand got married to Aarathi in Mumbai. A special event. For after many years my husband, his four brothers and their wives got together.

BACK IN CHENNAI

We are home after six months.
Madras is hot, humid, noisy, crowded – and I love it!

We landed last week on a warm morning, though the pilot of the British Airways aircraft we flew by – had said ‘it was a not unpleasant morning’.

Yesterday we went courtesy our dear friends Doctor JB and Bhama, to a dance concert at the Music Academy. It was a rare programme, because it was a tribute to a living person, Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. Thamizh Maiyam had organized it and chosen a novel way to do it.
Leading and illustrious Bharatanatyam gurus and their disciples performed to the compositions of this great musician.

Chitra Viswesvaran, Sudharani Raghupathy, the Dhananjayans, Narasimhacharis, Radha and Leela Samson presented glitteringly choreographed events – following the traditional margam from Pushpanjali to the final thillana. Golden voiced S. P. Rahm, and Lalgudi’s daughter Viji led the vocals, and Aniruddha, Sudharani’s son, shone on the mridangam.
I was happy to see Aruna, my young friend from my newspaper days, on stage.
The cream of cultural Chennai was in the audience – there were as many artistes in the audience as on the stage.

It felt good to be back in the swing of cultural Chennai – the music season is only a few weeks away.

ST. PAUL'S FROM TATE'S

It is always interesting to read about a person you have met, or a place you have visited.
I was fascinated to read about the Dia Museum in Beacon,which we had visited when in New York, and its patron, (whom we have not met!) in the New York Times today.

When we visited the Tate Modern last week, the eye catching sculpture of the 30 ft. spider, by Louise Bourgeoise, reminded me instantly of the huge one we had seen in the Dia gallery. It is called Maman and has a pouch with eggs, made of solid marble.

Sankar took this picture, and what we see in the background is St. Paul's Cathedral across the Millenium Bridge.

I had mentioned the museum in my post A Museum, English Tea and Riverside Music.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/magazine/14dia-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin

MANCHESTER UNITED - A TRIP BACK

After nearly four decades, we were in Manchester.

It was a rendezvous with the past. En famille we took the fast train to Manchester and were there in two and a half-hours.

Our first stop was the University of Manchester from where my husband had taken his post graduate degree. It was then called UMIST. Though he did not meet anyone he knew (they had mostly gone away or retired), he was happy to visit his department and the room where he had worked. He also met the present Head of Department who was pleased to meet him, and even pulled out his thesis which he had presented in 1973.

Lunch was at a quiet Thai place - we were the only people there, possibly because it was a Friday and maybe because it was closer to 3 pm! The food was really good, and the service friendly. Baby especially enjoyed the noodles.

We also walked around the City Centre but found the place changed a lot. Trams were noisily chugging round - they weren't running when I used to work in Lewis's the huge store. And the store itself has gone now, taken over by another company.

It was a nice day and walking around was a pleasure.

'ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE.......'

That is Baby on the steps of the house where their flat is in Kensington. Grandma stands guard.
And this is a view of the road seen from there