Tigger looking very relaxed on the two piles of books while the humans stress about air-tickets!Yesterday – Sunday – was not a day I’d want to repeat in a hurry. My husband’s leave had come to an end and he was due to catch a plane back to the Sudan at 14h15, South African time. We travelled up to Johannesburg (330 kms/208 miles) from our home. I left him at the International Departures and weaved my back into the city traffic to come home.
Half an hour later I had left city behind me and phoned my husband to say I was on the National highway and on my way home. (This is an arrangement we always have; he likes to know that I’ve managed to get out of the traffic.)
100miles/160km down the freeway, my cell phone rang and it was my husband. He was furious and asked me to turn around and come back to the airport to fetch him. Even though his e-ticket was perfectly in order, there seemed to be an administrative glitch and he couldn’t board his plane. No amount of begging and pleading up in the airline office would convince the clerk that he needed be on that plane.
Meanwhile Angus and Amanda (our younger son and dil) were in Johannesburg on business and had decided to meet my husband at the airport before he left. Ultimately they collected him and brought him to the toll gate on the Freeway. I had turned around and driven the distance up to the toll gate; we met, exchanged passengers (my very irate husband!); they turned and drove back to Johannesburg. My husband got back into the driver’s seat of our car and we came home.
At the moment we are in the process of phoning the airlines offices (which only operate on weekdays!) and hope to get the ticket re-instated as soon as possible. I don’t know whether we will be able to make it back to Johannesburg today or if we will travel up again tomorrow. All very stressful and most tiring, *sigh*
Note: I posted a photograph of Tigger relaxing on two sets of books. Anything to bring a level of peace into the situation. (lol)
Aw, sending warm hugs from Sweden to the pair of you!!! Few things as frustrating as administrative lockups.
ReplyDeleteThanks Esther;) this is nothing new to either of us (as I'm sure it's not new to you;)We contacted the offices today and they re-instated the ticket for tomorrow with great apologies from the airlines! I'm taking my hubby a city closer (only 160km/100m from home) and he'll fly to Johannesburg, board the plane to Addis Ababa at 14:10 and be in Khartoum by midnight tomorrow! I'm coming home to sleep for a week! (LOL!) Thanks for your concern. (((Hugs)))
ReplyDeleteJo so sorry to hear about this problem, and do hope that you've managed to sort it out by now. This is the first post of yours I've read in ages, I hope to be able to catch up on EACH & EVERY one I've missed soon .... bandwidth permitting, of course ;) hugs to you & a big kiss of the nose for Tigger ! xx
ReplyDeleteHow aggravating it is when you know things are in order but no one else does! Although it was stressful, you could look on the other side... well you got to spend a bit more time with your DH!
ReplyDeleteHi Lynda;) I'm sure you related to this problem! Travelling across the African continent is fraught with problems! We've had quite a few like this one. We managed to sort it out. I will post about this again tomorrow! I also had to catch up on many posts and replies (having been away with dh) Thanks for taking the time to read my posts. Please give my fondest to your mum! (((Hugs))) Jo xxx PS Tigger says thanks and sends a big one back to you.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy;) yes, this is what was so frustrating, knowing that everything was in order yet hitting a brick wall on Sunday. I've explained all in a post tomorrow. Thanks for visiting. (((Hugs)))
Hi Jo, just doing some catch-up. We had a similar incident a couple of years ago. I was bringing my 2nd child back to the States and had both of my boys with me. They said there was something wrong with Dillon's ticket and would not allow us to board. We got there 2-3 hours early, and it was getting close to boarding time before I started yelling that I either wanted to board the plane or I wanted my money back. Strange that it only took a couple of minutes after that to get everything straightened out. Hope things are going better for you all now. :o)
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