Extended vacation…???
23rd June 2006
Excited, we departed pretty early for Queen Alia International Airport. Reached the airport 2 hours before the 0155 hours midnight flight, and after sometime of wandering around, we bid goodbye to those who sent us and headed for the check-in counter.
“Your ticket has been fully cancelled” said the man at the counter, and he asked us to refer to the Royal Jordanian reception.
“Your ticket has been fully cancelled” the other man at the Royal Jordanian reception printed. Cancellation dated somewhere in April, when we decided to change the return ticket to 23rd June instead of 12th.
Subhanallah, Ustaz Shahabuddeen was with us. He’s now a diplomat in Jordan, working for the Malaysian Embassy. He called some people and got the three of us into the waiting list. We waited for another 50 minutes. We prayed and prayed and prayed.
My already-6-hours headache lessens. That is what usually happens when I’m in deep stress, alhamdulillah… But after things settled, it’ll return and I couldn’t get up or even open my eyes. Telling myself to just be ready for that… Hope it’ll be during the flight back home, just like when we came…
I know I shouldn’t be blaming anyone. From Malaysia everything was okay, but some miscommunication happens somewhere – “a norm for RJ”, said Ust Shah – and I can do nothing but pray and pray…
But the stupidest thing is, if the ticket has been fully cancelled, why bother giving us a reference booking number! HXH2L RJ180 Amman-Bangkok. Back in April, I asked Ummi to ask the travel agent whether we should go to the local RJ office here, but they said no need. The travel agent even faxed the new itinerary home. So we didn’t went, despite the office was just steps away from the Markaz Lughoh.
A big lesson to be learnt: It would be much better anyway if you just reconfirm your ticket at the local airline office, you’ll have nothing to lose.
We didn’t get through anyway, as you know. Geneva Hotel, Seventh Circle, Amman is our next destination. Spent the remaining night in deep sleep, ate buffet breakfast this morning, topped-up our prepaid card, and now HERE I AM, TYPING THIS CRAP OUT OF MY HEAD!
I WANT TO ATTEND THE ALUMNI AGM!!!
But there’s always hikmah behind everything, no matter how much you hate things that happen. Allah knows best!
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