A Hellish Airport Nightmare
Airports. Can be very intimidating. Thousands of people rushing about, and hundreds of opportunities for things to go awry. Not just at the airport, but in the journeys getting there.
Now, I had a really traumatic day yesterday. I was taking the Tube to Heathrow, and somehow or other, I managed to catch the WRONG train, going to Raynors Lane, so I had to switch trains, cross platforms, and join the rush hour crowd. I think I overexerted myself. In my panic, I was rushing about, and forgot to breathe properly. I felt light-headed, and felt like throwing up. I leaned on my suitcase for support. Someone in the crowd was asking me for directions, and the next moment, I found myself toppling to the ground. Concerned commuters stopped to offer assistance, and the Tube staff were especially helpful. I suppose it was my own fault. I overpacked my luggage, and found myself struggling to carry it all. Word to the w(e)ary. Always travel light. Saves a lot of time and reduces the risk of being charged for excess baggage.
Anyway, I took about 15 minutes to clear my head and rehydrate myself with H20, before continuing on my journey. Airlines are especially strict nowadays when it comes to baggage allowances. The only exception to the rule would probably be for frequent flyers and first class travellers. And the rule is more strictly enforced on transit flights.
I ended up sending one piece of luggage via Excess Baggage, which charges a premium if you send items from the airport. It takes about 7-10 working days to arrive at the destination, and then you'll need to clear your excess luggage through local customs. Mind you, all the paperwork and long queues could take up to an hour or more. And then, you'll need to take the luggage over to Left Luggage over in the Arrivals section of the Terminal. An amiable chap named Dinesh served me at the Excess Baggage counter. Struck up a random conversation about hellish days and rants about outdated computer systems - they're still using an arcane setup for their invoices and stuff.
Anyway, by the time all this was done, I had less than an hour to spend in the Duty Free section. In any case, I was just too weary to go bargain hunting. I bought a few things for the family, and took a moment to rest. Proceeded to the gates, and was on the plane in about half an hour. Another half hour, and we were in the air... albeit, after a shaky takeoff. It was drizzling a bit, typical London weather.
I'm currently in Doha, awaiting a connecting flight. Thankfully, the airlines provides free hotel accommodation for long transits. It's a 4 Star Hotel apparently, but I seriously doubt it would hold a candle to similarly rated hotels in Europe or the US.
The hotel room prices varies between 900-1200 QAR (approx. 130-175 GBP) per night. Thank goodness that they have Wi-Fi access (varies between 1Mbps-12Mbps)!
FYI, Qatar ISPs block certain websites. You know what sites I'm talking about... :P
Interesting conversations with various hotel employees. About 60% of people in Qatar are foreign workers. I suppose, the pay is quite good in oil-rich Qatar. Sri Lankans, Filipinos, and various other nationalities, seem to fill the hotel & tourism industry. It's a sweltering 100 F/38 C, although the forecast says 42 C. I don't think I'll be going outside - thankfully, the hotel rooms are air-conditioned.
Anyway, it's another 12 hours to my connecting flight, so I have complementary breakfast, lunch and dinner... now, if I could just fit in a few hours of shut-eye, I just may forget about my bad airport experience.
Now, I had a really traumatic day yesterday. I was taking the Tube to Heathrow, and somehow or other, I managed to catch the WRONG train, going to Raynors Lane, so I had to switch trains, cross platforms, and join the rush hour crowd. I think I overexerted myself. In my panic, I was rushing about, and forgot to breathe properly. I felt light-headed, and felt like throwing up. I leaned on my suitcase for support. Someone in the crowd was asking me for directions, and the next moment, I found myself toppling to the ground. Concerned commuters stopped to offer assistance, and the Tube staff were especially helpful. I suppose it was my own fault. I overpacked my luggage, and found myself struggling to carry it all. Word to the w(e)ary. Always travel light. Saves a lot of time and reduces the risk of being charged for excess baggage.
Anyway, I took about 15 minutes to clear my head and rehydrate myself with H20, before continuing on my journey. Airlines are especially strict nowadays when it comes to baggage allowances. The only exception to the rule would probably be for frequent flyers and first class travellers. And the rule is more strictly enforced on transit flights.
I ended up sending one piece of luggage via Excess Baggage, which charges a premium if you send items from the airport. It takes about 7-10 working days to arrive at the destination, and then you'll need to clear your excess luggage through local customs. Mind you, all the paperwork and long queues could take up to an hour or more. And then, you'll need to take the luggage over to Left Luggage over in the Arrivals section of the Terminal. An amiable chap named Dinesh served me at the Excess Baggage counter. Struck up a random conversation about hellish days and rants about outdated computer systems - they're still using an arcane setup for their invoices and stuff.
Anyway, by the time all this was done, I had less than an hour to spend in the Duty Free section. In any case, I was just too weary to go bargain hunting. I bought a few things for the family, and took a moment to rest. Proceeded to the gates, and was on the plane in about half an hour. Another half hour, and we were in the air... albeit, after a shaky takeoff. It was drizzling a bit, typical London weather.
I'm currently in Doha, awaiting a connecting flight. Thankfully, the airlines provides free hotel accommodation for long transits. It's a 4 Star Hotel apparently, but I seriously doubt it would hold a candle to similarly rated hotels in Europe or the US.
The hotel room prices varies between 900-1200 QAR (approx. 130-175 GBP) per night. Thank goodness that they have Wi-Fi access (varies between 1Mbps-12Mbps)!
FYI, Qatar ISPs block certain websites. You know what sites I'm talking about... :P
Interesting conversations with various hotel employees. About 60% of people in Qatar are foreign workers. I suppose, the pay is quite good in oil-rich Qatar. Sri Lankans, Filipinos, and various other nationalities, seem to fill the hotel & tourism industry. It's a sweltering 100 F/38 C, although the forecast says 42 C. I don't think I'll be going outside - thankfully, the hotel rooms are air-conditioned.
Anyway, it's another 12 hours to my connecting flight, so I have complementary breakfast, lunch and dinner... now, if I could just fit in a few hours of shut-eye, I just may forget about my bad airport experience.
posted by manic_depressive_1 at 8:15 AM
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