Subject
of this article is: I don’t know which one will I shoot? I don’t know if the problem
is with the Cebu Pacific airlines or the Viet Nam International Airport.
Here’s my story:
I arrived at the gloomy Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Vietnam around 8:00pm or about four hours before my 1:00am flight back to Manila. Immediately, I looked at the many monitors situated in airport to check the status of my trip, which bore the number 5J752. Unlike the other flight status, the CebuPac flight still didn't have any remarks.
Since
it was still four hours, I didn’t actually mind. I just sat at one of the many
benches, looking at the people passing by, mostly Chinese and Korean taking the
most out of the moment, while they were still in Vietnam.
As
for me, I just let time pass. After an hour, many planes had already departed
and many check-in counters had opened but Flight 5J752 remained the
same—without any remarks.
So
I ate first my dinner. Since it was Thanksgiving Week in the United States, I treated
myself a pizza and a bottle of Sprite. I am not a spender and I take very good
care of my money just to make sure that I will not beg. That time, I also
enjoyed the free wi-fi services offered by the food chain where I ate.
Thirty
minutes before midnight and still, nothing had happened at the status of my
flight. I also never heard anything about the checking-in operation of my
supposed airline. Usually, passengers are informed about the status of their flight,
whether it is the last call for check-in or the last call for boarding, before
the plane gets on its way. But Flight 5J752 remained in its stationery phase.
An
hour before my flight, I checked the counters since its becoming unusual that
they were not yet receiving any passengers. At the counter H, where I was
supposed to check-in, there were no lines, no Filipinos, no travelers to Manila,
nor any Cebu Pacific airline staff. Nothing was happening at the counter H.
Overseeing the counters, I sat for a while until alas, I finally board the Cebu
Pacific.
“Cebu
Pacific Flight 5J751, bound from Manila has just arrived.”
Thinking
that my flight might be delayed a little since the plane had just arrived, I felt
a little calmer while putting in to mind that maybe, they would open the
counter in a while. But here was where my dilemma and probably one of the most
unforgettable moments of my life started.
It
all happened too fast and the next thing that I knew was that I was already
running and shouting at almost all of the people that I met. The International
Airport probably didn’t accommodate air traffic during the wee hours starting
from 2am to 5am so when I did my commotion, I was like acting from a film with
all the lightings on, but only few people were witnessing the event.
From
no remarks, the flight status on the monitor suddenly changed to last call for
boarding. In short, I failed to check in. I remember when I was still in Manila
how CebuPac airline staff would go to different areas of NAIA declaring to all
the passengers in the terminal about the last call for check-in.
It
never happened to me so this was truly memorable.
I
called the attention of all the remaining airport staff but unfortunately,
nobody could seem or would seem to help me. They couldn’t stop the plane and
nobody could check me in. Until my flight schedule passed by and for the first
time in my entire life, I felt so helpless. What’s more disturbing was that it
happened while I was not in my hometown.
Through
the help of an airport officer, I managed to call a travel agency operating
with Cebu Pacific airlines in Ho Chi Minh City. But still, the Vietnamese guy
over the phone couldn’t help me as well. Without me knowing it, the plane had
already departed and I was left at the airport, alone, except of course the
security officers.
I
had confirmed that there was something wrong with the flight monitor that I was
seeing. It might probably be destiny playing its thing on me and I was pushed
to the limits, seriously.
When
I filed my vacation leave, all I ever asked for was to enjoy the moment and
seize it since I would be more concentrated to work when I get back. All I wanted
was to feel some relaxation and once again observe the entire extent of nature
as it unfolds in my very eyes.
More
than anything else and actually the real reason for all my backpacking
experiences was that I wanted to be a role model to everyone, by managing to
travel the entire world, satisfyingly without spending too much. I traveled and
did that with my trip to Bangkok, Ilocos Sur, Quezon, Cebu, Bohol and Davao. This
time, I came to Saigon, Vietnam and traveled by land to Phnom Penh and Siem
Reap in Cambodia.
I
usually travel in a light budget because I want to explore and see for myself
the world and the real evidence of how beautiful this earth is. But what
happened to me in Ho Chi Minh was by far, truly unforgettable. Due to some
stupid negative chain of events, I unfortunately let go of my big savings, which
was somehow equivalent to buying a truly high-end gadget. I had no choice and I
just had to consider it as a pill, which was too bitter to taste.
I
had to buy a Philippine airlines ticket and it being the national flag carrier,
it really cost me so-so-so much money.
I
enjoyed my Vietnam-Cambodia trip but this recent bad occurrence really ripped
off my heart that I wanted to cry but couldn’t since I needed to be strong
while I was in the foreign land.
I
didn’t really say this rich mantra but just this once to erase my worries, I
wanted to assume that it was just money and in time, I would manage to get it
back.
I
just have to make more right decisions next time to be certain that this would
never happen again. After this, may I still enjoy my other future trips from the
airline Cebu Pacific.
Postscript
This
article was written while I was alone waiting for the morning to break inside
the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Vietnam. Good thing that I arrived
back to Manila after lunch on the same day of my supposed flight.
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