I have a recurring, travel- related, dream… actually nightmare would be more like it.
At the check-in counter at an airport, I get to the front of the queue and I realise I don’t have my passport. There is no time to go back to wherever I left it and I’m going to miss the flight.
In all the time I have been travelling, I only missed a flight once – and that wasn’t my fault. I had been granted an exclusive interview with the then Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, at State House in Lusaka.
Though he was charming and welcoming I began to get nervous because I knew I was due to fly to Harare on Air Zimbabwe, then on to Joburg and back to my base at our bureau in Windhoek, Namibia. “Brendan, you look anxious…” KK had noticed my unease. I explained I didn’t want to miss my flight. You won’t, he smiled.
When we were done, I was whisked into a “blue light” convoy – with two motorcycle riders, nogal – and taken to the airport. Battling through Lusaka’s treacle traffic was a mission… and I was late.
I had given up hope when one of KK’s security people said: “Don’t worry, the plane is still there…” And it was. An Air Zimbabwe Viscount, full with irritated passengers.
Clearly, if you were KK’s honoured guest, airline departures were flexible. As I made my way to my seat, the pilot came on the PA system: “Air Zimbabwe would like to welcome aboard our outstanding passenger, Mr Brendan Seery…”
The plane erupted into ironic applause. Because I was late landing in Harare, I had to take a later flight to Joburg and missed that evening’s only flight to Windhoek.
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A different kind of delay
Zambia Airways, though, had their own definition of time. Booked on a flight from Harare to Lusaka once, I arrived at the airport two hours early and checked in.
Barely had I got a sip of coffee down than the airport loudspeaker blared: “Will Passenger Seery please make your way to the departure gate…”
Unbeknownst to me, the airline had decided to change to departure time to an hour earlier – but not notified me. Perhaps it’s no wonder I have nightmares about missing flights…
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