There’s a first time for everything. This story is about my first time missing my flight, my first experience with tiny noisy plane and get lost in Surabaya. To date I have missed many flights. No worry, I will take time to share all later.
It was 2 weeks after I join a company. My boss sent me for a two weeks initial assignment for a project in Surabaya.
Boss : Do you have credit card?
Me : No, Sir.
Boss : Next time you have to apply one. It’s impossible for you to carry cash all the way for hotels, flights, etc. For now I will help you to pay all the things. However I will pass you the daily allowance.
I worked for a local bank and there was a story that one of our credit card variant has been rejected abroad. Bearing the story in mind, I noted down my homework : to apply for a credit card from a reputable bank.
Boss : Meet me in the airport Terminal 2E at 5AM tomorrow. Flight departs at 7AM.
Me : Yes, Sir.
So there was I, 6:15AM in the airport Terminal 2E check-in counter. I passed my tickets to a lady in green.
Green Lady : Sorry ma’am, we’re overbooked. Our next flight to Surabaya will be at 10AM. Would you mind waiting in our lounge?
My father drove me to taxi pool this morning at 5:15AM. It was not his fault that I woke up late, but he offered me his Atm card so that I can buy replacement ticket. Instead of asking me to purchase new ticket, the check-in girl did apologize for my inconvenience. I was puzzled. However, I took my boarding pass and lounge voucher the Green Lady handed to me. I waited, sleep, eat and drink at the lounge for 3 hours before they called us at 9:30AM for boarding.
The plane we’re boarding into was much smaller and has two propellers, quite different with commercial planes I used to see. I only make sure that I can see the Garuda Airlines logo in the aircraft’s tail before I climb the 10 steps up the plane. Voila, there were no more than 20 passenger seats inside. I recall that I can not find a cabin compartment for hand carry baggage. There were two flight attendants on board, they distributed meals in boxes and mineral water before the plane taking off. Ohhh… how I prefer to stay in the lounge …
Getting too excited that I do not need to spend my father’s money and then can have free big breakfast in the Garuda Executive lounge, I forgot about my mission to Surabaya. The moment I reach Surabaya, my brain starts to works normally : I really had no idea where to go, I was not prepared, thought that I will be with my boss. My cute brain telling me to look cool and confidence. So I join the Blue Bird taxi queue and get into one.
Me : Indofood factory please.
Driver : Yes, Ma’am.
Leaving the airport complex, the driver enquiry me further.
Driver : So which factory you would like to go?
Me feeling stupid : Oh, how many Indofood factory do you know of ?
Driver : There are two, Ma’am : Pasuruan and Teluk Kumai. Which one?
Me rolling my eyes : Errr .. Would you help me to find a phone booth ?
So I called the secretary to ask which factory I should heading to. I reach Teluk Kumai factory about lunch time, safe and sound. Lucky my boss did not say anything about my flight. It’s only that when we return to Jakarta he told the check-in lady “It’s ok for us to seat in different row”. OK boss, I get your message 🙂
PS. I get myself a Citibank credit card, few months after the trip. It does serves the purpose, especially for traveling and online transaction. Just ensure that when you deal with credit cards, you pay in full, on time. No exception.
