Just got over of Jet lag and I thought I will share our worst experience faced during our 5th trip to USA on 14th Dec. night..Chennai-Frankfurt-Atlanta..out seats were pre-booked and allotted. Hmm..everything went on well..booking done well in advance by Lufthansa Airlines and we reported well in advance at Chennai Airport as we are old and had lot of baggage..carrying all gifts for our children and grand children. We were at the Lufthansa check-in counter around 10.00pm. We never expected that some fools also handle Lufthansa and Germans are Idiots! After scanning and weighing our baggage, the so called officer, booked the baggage straight to Atlanta and printed Our boarding passes. He then checked our passports. I have Indian passport and my wife has Srilankan Passport. He asked for German Visa for my wife. We said that we both are travelling together and we both are only on transit for 2 hours at Frankfurt Airport at the same Terminal. But he said that Srlankans require Transit Visa even if it is for a minute! I told them, if that is the case, I told the guy that we will take a transit visa at the transit gate, as it is done in many airports. But that guy said, we should go to German consulate in Chennai, get a prior appointment..attend the interview and get a transit visa for the hours that my wife will be in Frankfurt airport, which according to him will take minimum 3 days and not sure whether the visa would be approved! It was nearing midnight and all effort to get help and board the aircraft failed. Our baggage and passports were returned. I called the Director (my friend) of my travel Agent Diana Travels. He said it is difficult to do anything at this part of the night and said either return to his office the next day and will try to sort out different route, where no transit visa required or refund the full amount. We preferred the second choice and started looking for immediate flights ready to take off from Chennai to USA. We could find only Emirates and they were very helpful and we could buy fresh ticket to Atlanta via Dubai and New York within 1/2 an hour! They also helped in shifting our baggage from Stupid Lufthansa counter to their royal Emirates counter, checked-in baggage straight to Atlanta..Gave 3 combined boarding passes..Chennai to Dubai by Emirates, Dubai to New York by Emirates and New York to Atlanta by Delta Airlines. They also put us in the special twin-seat row! We landed on time at Dubai and had 3 hours of lay-over time. We were in Dubai last year..but now it looked totally different..though beautiful but looked like Indian Super market...mostly covered by Duty-free shops with people fully occupying the way to our boarding gate! Managed to go to our gate and patiently waited for flight to New York. As free Internet was available, I posted a DP in MS and sent mail to all my relatives. When the flight was ready, though there was big ''Q'', Senior Citizens and passengers with children were asked to board first...fortunately we were the only one old sweet couple waiting at the end of the ''Q'' and we boarded the flight first! Good flight - 15 hours non-stop to New York! We landed on time at New York passed through Immigration formalities in 15 mts. and walked to New York Domestic terminal (I wish they introduce shuttle train/bus services as they are in other Airports in USA and other countries) and reached Delta Airline counter. As we had the boarding pass already issued at Chennai, we were asked to go straight to the boarding gate without waiting in the big ''Q''! There were 2 surprises waiting at the gate 1. Free internet 2. a special Internet card by Delta so that we can connect our laptop to Internet - free - during our flight at the height of 35,000 ft! As I didn't have International roaming, but an Indian from Ahmadabad helped me to use his mobile phone to inform my pregnant daughter (her first baby boy expected at anytime) who was anxiously waiting at the airport at Atlanta. The flight took-off 30 mts late but landed 30 mts before scheduled landing! I wrote a DP from my flight at the flying height of 25,000 ft sitting in my comfortable seat!
Thanks for all your prayers, but for which it would not have been possible. Our God is Great and I give all glory to HIM.
God bless you all!
Good Night!... The time at Atlanta now is 11.35 AM!
