“Everything comes at the right time, but if the right time is too late to be patient,
go earlier before it becomes too late.” – Michael Bassey Johnson
***
When I was still in high school, one of the axioms that I could not forget was: “It’s better late than never.” But our English teacher, who always gave us a project to do every two months, tried to change that adage. “It’s better never late,” she told us.
One of the horrible things that should not happen when you are traveling abroad is being late. If you arrive late at the airport, there are several consequences you will experience. Foremost, you will be denied boarding your plane (even if you are only 30 minutes). As a result, you will have to take the next plane out – either that day or the following day (depending upon the availability of seats).
In addition, you have to add more to what you have previously paid – indeed, the price of being late!
But the worst thing is that if you are traveling that day and have a connecting flight at the next destination, you will have your worst nightmare. You will encounter all the hassles of rebooking your flight schedule, staying late at the airport or spending more money as you have to spend your day or two in a hotel, and praying the person who will pick you at the airport will be there when you arrive late or the next day.
Now, what if the plane is late? There are several things that will happen as well. Generally, the company will book you for another flight. For waiting, they will provide you with some meals and ticket discounts (should you want to fly again with them on your next trip).
That was what Northwest Airlines (now Delta Airlines) provided me when our plane got stranded in Narita International Airport in Japan. They also gave me a phone ticket I could use to call once we were at the airport of our destination.
If it’s already late at night and there’s no plane available, the company will take you to a hotel where you can have your dinner and sleep. It happened to me when our plane bound from Manila to Davao was cancelled. The following day, when we were flying from Manila to Davao, I noticed the other guy whom I talked with the other night was not able to fly with us. I had two theories: he had slept well in his hotel room and forgot to wake up early (thus he missed the plane) or he cancelled his trip.
There are several stories about being late when traveling. However, being late doesn’t always mean it’s a bad idea.
Let me share with you a story that happened to me when I was flying from Columbus, Ohio to Livingston, Montana. It was winter time and I had to make a stopover at the airport in Saint Paul/Minneapolis. When we were about to land, the captain told us that we had to wait flying up in the air for some time because the landing area had to be cleaned since it was loaded with snow.
There was no direct flight from Saint Paul/Minneapolis to Livingston, Montana. I had to fly to Seattle, Washington then to Bozeman, Montana, where my sister was waiting. When we were about to land in Seattle, I noticed that I had only thirty minutes to find my plane or I would miss it.
Once the plane touched down and was out of it, I immediately ran to the waiting area. The attendant told me that my plane was transferred to another building. “Go south, ride an escalator down, and wait for a train,” she instructed me. “Ride on that train and once it opens again, go out. That’s the place where your plane is.”
So, I did what she instructed me. I looked at my watch and I had five minutes remaining to catch my plane. When the train opened, I went out and took the escalator up. Then, I tried to find the waiting area for my plane. When I found it, I saw no people making a queue. The attendant was already cleaning the desk.
I was totally appalled. “I missed my plane,” I thought. But even then, I went and asked the attendant. “Is this the waiting area bound for Bozeman?” I inquired.
The attendant smiled and answered, “Yes, Sir.” Then, she went on, “I am very much sorry, Sir, but…” and before I could say anything, “the plane was delayed for about 45 minutes due to a snow storm.”
Now, it was my time to smile. “That’s alright,” I said. She must be wondering why I was smiling when other passengers were complaining. If only she knew the reason!
Talking about delay, allow me to share this anecdote which appeared in Reader’s Digest’s “Laughter, The Best Medicine”:
Three turtles, Joe, Steve, and Poncho, decide to go on a picnic. Joe packs the picnic basket with bottled drinks and sandwiches. It takes them ten days to reach the picnic site, which is one kilometer away. When they arrive, all three are tired and hungry. Joe empties the basket and realizes that he didn’t pack a bottle opener.
The three tried to talk with each other as to who should get the bottle opener. After it’s finally agreed that Joe and Steve won’t start eating until his return, Poncho sets off down the road to retrieve the opener.
Twenty days pass with no sign of Poncho. Joe and Steve are starving – but a promise is a promise. After waiting for four more days and still no sign of Poncho, Steve gets restless. “I need food!,” he cries out.
“No,” Joe replies. “We promised.” Five more days have passed. Joe reasons that Poncho probably stopped to eat along the way, so they each grab a sandwich from the basket and start munching away.
Jus then, Poncho pops out from behind a rock. “I know it, I know it,” he yells. “Because of what you have done, I’m not going!”
