Kinshuk Sunil

Day One: All Aboard!

I started for the Domestic Airport at Delhi at 10AM, July 18th. Terminal 1B. Once at the terminal, I was rather clueless of what to do and where to go. Its a good practice, thus, that people put placards/path-markers at public places to guide people such as me.

I noticed the Spice jet Entry Marker and proceeded to the gate. The security personnel granted me entry into the terminal after checking my ticket and my identity. I was also guided to the check-in counter of Spice jet by the same security personnel. It was, in any case, easy to find.

So, I approached the check-in counter, showed my ticket, took my boarding pass, and put a security tag at my luggage. “Welcome to Spice jet”. Yeah! Thank You.

Now, I proceeded to Security Check-in. “Please leave your luggage in this tray. Get a check-in from that area then collect your luggage”. Wokay! As you say, sir. I dropped my handbag in the X Ray-thingy and proceeded for a metal detector-cum-manual frisking. My boarding pass and the security tag was now duly stamped clear. All processes done. “Please enjoy the seating area, a boarding call would be made as your flight would be ready”. Great! Time now is 11.40AM, Boarding starts at 12.50PM. Uh-Oh.

To pass time, I talk with family and friends. Then I remember of a long pending pruning job that needed doing. It so happened that once I was synchronizing my smart phone contacts with my Outlook Contacts, Google Contacts and Plaxo Contacts. Stupidly, I merged all of my GMail contacts with the rest. Many of these were “unnamed”, many didn’t have a phone number, many still retained their unique and curious Orkut display names. Heavens Bless Me! All of these needed pruning, which I did then and et voila! I wasn’t free for a single moment before the boarding call.

By 12.40PM, a long queue had formed at gate number 3 (the scheduled gate). As I worked my way towards the queue the first boarding call was made. “Please enter through Gate 4″. I had to wait for no queue

Once outside the gate, there stood a Spice jet bus that would carry me to my flight SG223. This bus had only 15 seats - rest of us had to stand. Despite being one of the firsts to board the bus, I gave up my seat to an elderly lady and hence travelled to my maiden flight standing.

Once at the craft, a VT-370 (as far as I remember), I had to show my boarding pass one final time; of which a small chit was teared away and kept by the attendant I was let into the craft, found out my seat - 11A, window seat. Nestled in. Comfy!

I shall continue my experiences in another blog post as I am unsure if a single, behemoth of a blog post would do justice to my experiences.