When traveling in a foreign country processes and procedures are often unfamiliar. A small mishap, such as a boarding pass issue, can cause a large amount of anxiety. Such was the case on our recent trip to Nepal. We were making a trip to Chitwan National Park for a few days. We had booked a round trip flight with Buddha Air , which was taking us from Kathmandu to Bhuratpur, the largest city closest to the park.
A Good Start
We left for the airport early since we did not know how long it would take to get taxis, travel to the airport and check-in. Everything went smoothly and we arrived at the airport early. We went up to the check-in desk for Buddha Air and found out that we could not check in more than an hour before our flight. So, we found seats and settled down for a bit of a wait.
We Get to Leave Early
A few moments prior to our allowable check-in time, a representative of Buddha Air came over to us and said there were seats available on the earlier flight. He asked if we would like to take that flight. We all agreed and so with his help we rushed through the check-in process, through security, and onto the shuttle that would take us to the airplane.
Not So Fast
With the shuttle about to head out, the attendant who had taken our boarding passes came to the open door of the shuttle and asked for me. The others in our group of four turned and looked at me. She replied, “You need to come with me. You are on the next flight.” While my head was spinning trying to process what she had just said, quick thinking Terry told her, “No. Either we all leave together or we all stay. ” Terry’s firmness took her by surprise. He quickly explained that it was another representative of her airline who had rushed us all on and that she needed to contact him. She told the shuttle driver to wait and left with my boarding pass. We did not know what was happening.
Nevermind
It didn’t take much time before she was back with my boarding pass and the shuttle was on its way to the plane. Once the pass was back in my hands, I saw the scratched out flight number and the proper flight number written in. We were left wondering if I truly had a seat. As we boarded, the flight attendant examined my pass. She saw the correction, hesitated, frowned, then gave the pass back to me. Our seats were the last 4 seats of the plane in the back two rows.
Disaster Averted
Perhaps it wouldn’t have been a disaster, but as the plane taxied down the runway, we all breathed a sigh of relief. When traveling internationally, small things, such as a boarding pass issue, can become big things. And although we now had another story to tell, I would rather have avoided the stress.