Not a recent mistake, but in my very early days of international travel and having become a freshly-minted QP member, I was travelling NRT>SYD. Wanting to make the most of my time in the NRT QP, I arrived about 3 hours early for my *10pm flight. With plenty of time to spare, I casually made my way to the check-in counter and proceeded to check-in for my flight around 7:20pm. After a moment, the agent made a phone call and another JAL staffer came over to assist. Whilst waiting for the check-in to be completed, the newly-arrived JAL staffer explained that they’d assist me with my luggage and guide me through the airport. With check-in completed, we were on our way.
As I was guided through immigration and security, the JAL staffer advised me I wouldn’t have time for any duty-free shopping, to which I indicated that it was ok as I was really just looking forward to relaxing for a bit in the lounge. Once properly airside, I was ushered onto a waiting buggy which quickly took off into the depths of the terminal. Around this time I was starting to get suspicious of proceedings (having initially naively thought this was all part of the typically exceptional and high-touch Japanese customer service).
As I checked and re-checked my boarding pass, it suddenly dawned on me that my 10pm flight was actually
20:00 and I’d completely screwed up the 24hr time conversion!! Suffice it to say I was the last person to board the flight (after the plane had been held back on request so that I could board). The door was closed barely after I stepped foot on the aircraft and we were immediately pushing back. Thankfully it was a virtual ghost flight and my walk of shame only lasted the first 5 or so rows in Y with only about 10 people in total sitting in any of the seats in rows ahead of me.
We were advised that the hot meal service for the flight was a choice of either a chicken or beef dish. I decided that chicken was the order of the day, however when I politely made my request as the meal cart arrived at my seat, I was informed that the chicken dish option had already run out. To this day, I don’t really know if it had genuinely been exhausted after servicing only 10 passengers ahead of me, or if that was simply my punishment for delaying the aircraft’s departure?
* As this was many years back, actual flight time may be slightly off, but the gaps are never-the-less accurate.
You guessed it! Left the travel money at home
Oh well, just grab some more at HKIA and hope it's not much different....it was
So thought what ever is left just exchange it with the cash I left at home
I will be waiting a while to do that as the rate has dropped a fair bit
