In the summer of 2002, I decided not to live my life sitting holed up in the city. I made up my mind to take every opportunity to travel and see the beautiful country we have. On the next holiday-slot available, I headed towards the Himalayas, to walk in the wilderness and see the snow peaks. I had never known what high-altitude meant, till then.
My good karma took me to Sikkim, where I saw a new world. I discovered that people can be so friendly that you completely drop your guard and walk around with a wide grin instead. I saw woods so thick that it is impossible to set a foot through them. I saw streams of sweet, frigid waters coming down the mountains and rushing away in a great hurry. I saw wildflowers splattering my path, carpeting the floor and decorating the trees.
In October 2013, I fell down from a pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar, and dislocated a wrist bone in the right hand. The problem could not be diagnosed in Nyang U (Bagan) and I had to fly back home for a surgery. It took me a three-hop journey on three different airlines to get home. Subsequently, recuperating from a surgery and permitted by my doctor to travel, I took eight more flights in a span of two months when my hand was still in a sling or wrapped in a splint.
With a total of eleven hops using six different airlines, I had a chance to see how different airlines treat passengers with special needs. I was surprised at the sea difference in their treatment, sometimes even among the staff of same airline in different airports.
During all these journeys, I never requested for wheel chairs or special assistance, as my left hand was intact and I was able to handle my baggage, albeit with some difficulty. In some occasions, airline staff came forward to help me when they noticed my hand in a sling. Most airlines were neutral and in the only instance when I requested for some privilege, I was turned down.
Here is a compilation of my experiences taking eleven flights with six airlines.
The Best – Yangon Airways at Nyang U (Bagan) Airport
It is five months since I took a Yangon Airways flight from Nyang U (Bagan) to Mandalay and I still can’t forget how friendly the staff were. On arrival at airport, my cab driver waved at an airline staff at the gates and asked him to help me. One look at my injured hand (and many cuts on my face as well) and he understood I can do with some help. He sprung into the cab, lifted my bags out and placed them on a trolley. When I stretched my left hand (the uninjured hand) to push the trolley, he refused to hand it over and escorted me to the check-in counter.
You may have seen recent television ads of Air India, where senior executives from many companies vouch for the punctuality, quality of food and in-flight entertainment system on Air India flights. The promo ends with a quote, ‘Every time I fly Air India, I realize, how much better it is’. News reports also indicate that Air India is about to join Star Alliance and is trying to ensure smooth operations to meet the quality requirements set by the alliance.
A week ago, I had a chance to travel on Air India and to evaluate a part of what the television advertisement was claiming. I took three AI flights in a span of three days, travelling from Trivandrum to Delhi, further to Varanasi and later on to Agra. I was flying Air India after twenty months and was eager to see if their services have got any better.
If you are looking for a quick answer to the question, read no further! It is a big NO! Read on if you are curious about my experiences.
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