Easy Come, Not So Easy Go

Leaving Nepal is such sweet sorrow, and a pain in the ass. I loved Pokhara - the mountains and the lake, the natural beauty and the amazing food. Kathmandu is less charming but still has its joys, such as its historic sites and huge stupas. Our Kathmandu hotel was amazing with a hidden garden and terraces with sectional couches for us to lounge while having a drink and a conversation.

Many of us almost didn’t get to leave. The closing of Pakistan airspace scuttled some flight routes, then there was the pulling of the 737 Max 8 planes from all the fleets. The killer for most of us was the death throes of Jet Airways. 

From the moment we arrived in Varanasi we heard rumours of their demise, they cancelled many flights and grounded most of their planes, then the pilots threatened to strike. J & I were scheduled to return from Nepal to India on Jet Airways so I contacted my travel agency and asked if they had a contingency. No response. Fuel companies stopped supplying them for a couple of days. I emailed the agency again. Nada. The talk was that there was no way the airline would be in service by the time we were to fly home. J, G, N & I bought a ticket on an alternate carrier just in case but J & I needed our ongoing carrier to not cancel us on the rest of the flights because there was no initial leg. Then C, G, N & N were informed that the Jet Airways flight we were all on was cancelled, as were all Jet’s  international flights. No one contacted me from Jet or our agency. C & N got their husbands in high gear back at home kicking their agency into action. They estimated it took each husband 16 hours to get it settled. Not having a travel agent/husband at home to fix it ruled that option out for me. N#2 had her schedule thrown into complete disarray and could no longer get home in time for a crucial deadline. I contacted our agency again and waited. I finally got a response. The agent knew nothing about the Jet Airways situation. She would have to look into it and get back to me. We were scheduled to leave on Monday (which would still be Sunday overnight in Ontario.) Her response came on a Friday night followed by a vague offer that came in overnight. Did I want an Air India flight? By the time morning came around and I was awake she was gone for the weekend but left me an urgent scheduling email address. I emailed them. 

Radio silence.

I asked a friend at home to phone during their open hours but they refused to speak with her. She filed an emergency inquiry posing as me.

They sent a “thank you for your inquiry, we will be back to you someday” email.

We tried to call Saturday on a friend’s dime but there was no one answering phones at that time.

We called again on my friend’s account as soon as they opened Sunday and I got attitude about leaving it until a Sunday when there was no one around. Yes, they had all my emails and the agent had seen them. No, no one had done anything about them. It took her a few beats to understand that my flight was NOT more than 24 hours away in my time zone, as it was in hers. She was unable to rouse the schedule change people but promised to email me within the hour with a solution.

We went to dinner and an hour went by.

Three hours went by.

She apologized for no answer.

She emailed shortly thereafter to say she thought we could use our alternate ticket and they would alert our ongoing carrier to keep us on the manifest.

The next email asked if we could get a refund on the alternate ticket. Not with only 12 hours before we leave.

The next one told me to wait for further instructions.

At 10:30pm I told her we were going to bed. She said she would be back to me in minutes.

Two hours later I emailed her again. She replied that she was still waiting for scheduling to call her.

At 4am she emailed to say we were rerouted through Calcutta, Delhi and Vancouver and if we used the alternate ticket for the first leg the rest of our flights would be cancelled. There was no ticket attached and in Nepal and India you can’t get into the airport without showing an itinerary or ticket with your name. So I asked her for a ticket. She told me to print it from the website. I responded that I am not at home and need a PDF to forward to the hotel desk to print. 

At 5am this morning I finally had an email ticket for this flight.

I also had a serious sleep deficit the night before a 36 hour itinerary. Cranky pants much?

We bid half our remaining crew goodbye and hopped in Phurba’s uncle’s car to go to the airport. Kathmandu international airport? Just don’t.

The good news was that it was open, unlike our airport in the initial flight to Kathmandu. G & N were sent through one door and J & I the other. We stood in the departures hall for an hour and a half before getting checked in for our flight. We really wanted a chance to say goodbye to G & N but had no idea where there were. I saw a sign telling me all food and drink concessions are before security check, which makes no fucking sense, but we did wisely stop for a bite. I did not grab liquids, however and barely lived to regret it. We did see G & N briefly sitting just inside security because they said there was no air conditioning at the gates. After they left we sat there and watched people go back and forth through security to get this and that. I needed to get a tea or water. I asked the security guard. “No possible.” Just tea and back? “Okay.” The other guard stood in front of me and said “No possible, Madam.” I went back to my seat and watched and fumed as they let almost everyone else go through and return. Our flight was delayed circling over the city while my dried out eyeballs shrivelled up. 

Kathmandu is infamous for planes being delayed due to mountain inspired weather. Why would they not have food and drink where people are stranded?

Made it to Kolkata to eventually make it to Delhi, etc. Put in my Indian SIM card and “ding” the travel agent from last Friday had just now asked if I would like a ticket from Kathmandu to Delhi. My ongoing flight from Delhi to Canada was in 5 hours. Was it a magic ticket? With a time turner? WTF lady? Are you unfamiliar with time zones? You’re a travel agent!

God, I am cranky. And she will be too when she reads my email. 

Except ... they upgraded us from economy to premium economy for the 15 hour flight! Woo hoo! No more cranky!