Traveling today in India by flights seems just as easy as hopping onto a bus and getting off at your destination.The easy availability of economically priced airfares seems to suit the middle class and what was thought once to be a luxury and meant only for the cream of the society and the rich and famous has now become easily available to one and all and we seem to thrive and feel like the birds do!  Now we have the freedom to fly to any part of the globe and not feel the pinch on our wallets.  I mean, it’s great that the big wigs thought of making sure that the not-so-privileged were now given an opportunity to feel and experience what is to fly in the air. It’s a great feeling! Believe me! I have had the opportunity to be on both domestic and International flights.

The exuberant prices that the airlines charge us definitely make us feel like some star on board. The kind of treatment, smiles of the pretty faces and the warmth that is radiated by the staff makes one feel like experiencing it time and again. But, of late travel by flights now seems less appealing than before.  I suppose it is our experiences which make us bitter in certain ways.  Just the other day I got a call and I heard my dear friend scream into the phone. Guess what I am coming on the 30th June! And would you be a sweetheart and get me the flight details to Vizag for the 1st of July’07 this she asked from Jeddah. I murmured ‘Sure, why not?  I mean what are friends for, if we cannot help when and where help is needed. And that’s how it started.  The details were on the net and I didn’t have to hit my head around to get these minor details. Fully equipped with the info, I called my friend and gave her the info that she asked me to get. Thanking me, she asked me if I had purchased the ticket and since I hadn’t, I directly made a bean line for the computer and began clicking once again and there quite vividly I got the details along with the amount and the availability of the flight flashed and I promptly decided to purchase the ticket directly from the airlines office, since it was quite close to my work place.

I was asked to get her the 1st available flight for the day and that happens to be at 9.45 AM. I went to the counter and here is where the things got sour for me!

And another thing folks, I don’t possess the credit card which everybody has.  I am an exception as I am totally against it Excuse me! You have to fill in the form with all the details! What was this? Was I at the railway station by mistake? No! I wasn’t. I was at the right place but things had changed within a span of 4-6 months, (I mean, I recently hadn’t made any trips either domestic or otherwise) Hence, my poor plight! Anyways, I got into the line and stood waiting with the form filled in and the said amount ready.  The waiting was really killing me. Previously, it was always a pleasure to be at the airport but not this time. I remembered the times I was at the airport waiting to take off or returning home. It used to give a great pleasure to see the airport.

Man! Things had changed! If you have ever traveled by trains in India, you know would understand the feelings that I was going through at the time that too at the airport!!. The SMELL!!!!!! Yuck it was atrocious. And the lady handling the ticketing gave a blank look and told me the server was down, so I would have to wait for a few minutes and these few minutes stretched to more than 30-45 minutes before I was able to lay my hands on the ticket. She was down right rude to all the customers, waiting for their turns. She actually told a gentleman standing next to me; I quote “Listen, Do you think I am sitting here doing nothing?” And yes rightly said. Cos she kept disappearing every few minutes and returned back with a disgusted look on her face.  She made us feel as though we were responsible for the server being down.  I am sure customers feel that if they are going to shell out their hard earned money to speed up their journey, the least, I suppose they surely want the airlines employees to be polite and not rude! I mean folks; does the customer deserve the NONSENSE (venom) that the airline employees throw out? Isn’t it their duty to be patient with the customers and handle things with a smile and reassurance? I was told that the worst problems would be resolved if you smile and how true it is! A smile really works wonders not only to the person who is smiling but also the receiver of the smile.

The impolite staff, the nauseating smells as if you were at the railway station platform. I frequently traveled by trains when I studied and I still do when it is a necessity, so I should know. And the unfriendly faces, I wonder what are we trying to convey to the tourists?  Who visits our beautiful country? And, rightly said by the wise that one rotten apple spoils the basket. I hope that this is not what we are conveying to the visitors.

I sincerely hope that the Airline employees do have some training on how to handle customers and learn to be polite and that too with a smile! And, I am at the moment talking about certain airlines that some of you must be familiar with, if you are a frequent flyer, you must know who I am talking about.  After all isn’t the customer always right?

I hope that those of you who are in the related field don’t take offence but try to make our flights a pleasure rather than a punishment!

By the way, did I mention the Air Lines?  Folks, can’t you guess?