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'At home an Elephant
- abroad a mouse' -
Chinese adage
Venice
and a shower
What could have
come more fittingly than this scene, in glorious "Italia".
Land of gladiators, and
would-be-gladiators alike. Land of beauty, and land of marvels.
Venice tops it
all; celebrated city not without contest.
Its inhabitants ( some do ) must rank the lowest though in basic rules
of
politeness and courtesy.
Our story : EMIRATES
took us to Venice on their newly inaugurated flight. What may
have been the cause of the human resource desaster, perhaps it was the
new unproven route.
Human resources
development,
key
factor in any company.
Was it not me, another person would have fallen victim to the
ill-conceived information, treatment and action by the EMIRATES
ground
staff. The time : 12.35 PM on 19.11.2007.
Arriving
from
Padova,
ready to take the long planned flight to Dubai
and Bangkok
- ( commenced 2 months earlier in BANGKOK
, capital of the Kingdom
of Thailand. Little did I know
that this will be our worst nightmare
ever at a check-in counter.
And I hold EMIRATES
responsible. They reached their goal in getting passengers because of
loyal travelers like ourselves, and innumerous other ones.
How much more would
it
feel, after flying years and years with the same EMIRATES and being a
Silver Member of SKYWARDS,
their frequent
flier program, one is
embarrassed, and stressed, by an
over-zealous, ignorant embecile employee who is not qualified for this
job ?
For, even reading
the
regulations, this employee and her colleagues, including her
supervisor, is unable to have a clear vision.
Agreeable, Airlines
rules differ. However, within the framework of one Airline, such as
EMIRATES,
there should be no confusion.
A well planned
journey
starting in Bangkok was coming to an end. Ignorance, on part of the
check-in staff, the ticket counter, her supervisor.
- Venice
Regatta
The check-in staff
did
not know, her colleague did not, and her supervisor did not. The ticket
counter of EMIRATES
was not
only staffed by an embecile, short she was ostensibly disturbed.
She wanted me to
buy a FULL
FARE TICKET,
(is this a marketing tactic of EMIRATES
??), nothing less.
Even checking my
flight itinerary and consequent bookings were not in her capacity. She
kept on informing me of my canceled booking. And I should call
the
SKYWARDS
center in Dubai.
What the SKYWARDS
center has got to do with our apparent denied boarding failed to catch
my understanding. The ground check-in staff could not let me go. Big
confusion at MARCO
POLO AIRPORT.
I did not have a
RETURN TICKET to Venice, no onward
ticket
from Bangkok.
Venetian culture may be known around the world. Venetian
ignorance, and impoliteness - not to my knowledge till today. But this
? Unheard of.
The current
immigration rule in Thailand is : for EU
citizens : no Visa required, but
no more than 90 days of stay
within a 180 day period.
Now it was my turn
to
explain, that I fly to Thailand for over 30 years. My passport has all
the records. I claim to speak the language and know the country well,
having contacts on professional levels. And I know the rules.
The supervisor is
called in. No return ticket, no fly. It gets better. Why did EMIRATES
Bangkok office not inform us
about this regulation, when issuing us the
return tickets in BANGKOK ? Don't know ?
They should not
have
let us travel to Venice then.
After countless
attempts, the supervisor seeks clearance from DUBAI.
Within a few minutes, the responsible in Dubai gives us the green
light. The Manager apologizing, keeps insisting that it is not his
fault, regulations.
Standing half sick,
and stressed, I am handed an invitation to the Business lounge in
Venice. A meager gesture to let the staff of the hook. They deserve a
reprove, my complaint is justified.
Bangkok
Immigration,
never had any problems with Immigration
laws in 30 years.
Because the Venice
airport staff knows too much (or too little), much more than me. I sit
on edges, hardly being able to conceal my agitation. Thank
you,
Venice EMIRATES,
you made my day.
Dubai eases my
frustration, the Business
class
lounge is a heaven amongst Business class lounges worldwide. This is a
fact and I would not go back on this statement.
Whilst the business
class lounge is a five star establishment, the Venice Emirates office
compares to a African cattle railway boarding facility. Only there
would
I have come across such individuals.
When I leave Dubai
on
the morning flight EK386, my calm has returned. I contemplate all does
not make sense. The whole story is unreal, a fiction novel brewed by
the imaginary yet naive mind of a solitary mind, having not the
slightest idea of what Bangkok looks like, or how it ticks, moves.
Bangkok is not like
any other city, a jewel on its own. The rest are myths, tales of the
'City of Angels'. Thirty years of continuous travel, on business and
pleasure have taught me sufficient to unravel the mysteries of this
gorgeous, exotic wonder.
It has NOT failed
me
in the past, I will not fail it. After 30 years the city still has not
lost its spell, there are always new wonders to be discovered.
Korean
tea Chinese
tea Chinese
tea classics Wiki
tea Hancha
tea Heritage
China Squidoo
tea Photography
Tealove
more
tea Twubs
detox even more to come
- Italy
(africasiaeuro.com/Italy)
- Italylinks
(africasiaeuro.com/Italylinks)
- Piemonte
(africasiaeuro.com/Italy/Piedmont)
- Italy
photography
(aheneghana.photoshelter.com)
- Venice
photography
(aheneghana.photoshelter.com)
- Italy
Links all (africasiaeuro.com)
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