hello … I am back after 2 hours of rest at the Frankfurt airport … all set to board my second flight … which would take me from Frankfurt to New York.

So, during this “rest” period of mine, I enquired about 2-3 airline persons regarding gate A60. My Lufthansa LH767 brought me till gate B25 (i think i write the no. correctly … coz once I left the gate, I straight away started looking for my next boarding gate, as I had been warned many times that the Frankfurt airport is really very big – I completely agree to that now – and it took people all modes of transport available to reach the boarding gate from their alighting gate)

So, once I found that I am heading in the right direction, I stopped by to freshen up myself and then made it straight towards A60. I kept asking people and taking elevators up and down until I found myself at a train station, where two ladies were waiting for the tube (that is what they call those trains – having two or more carriages – taking passengers from one gate to another inside an airport) I simply joined them. Those two were crew members of the Lufthansa airlines helping passengers who needed assistance to travel. And when the tube came, I simply joined them inside. That cube took me from inside of the airport out to the passage and then again inside and dropped me to terminal A.

Now the search began for gate 60. Lots of walking and lots of looking forward to the sign of gate 60 and yes, one security check of me – minus my belt and shoes – took me to gate 60, where I heaved a sigh of relief after reaching and patiently waited for my flight announcement. There, while waiting, I saw many people lying down trying to catch up with sleep till the next flight begins and others just waiting, looking around, observing people like me and some looking for a completely empty row of 4 seats, even if one seat was occupied, they just ignored it as  if nobody is there but still-we-cannot-sit-on-that.

Then, I heard an announcement regarding some flight from Frankfurt being canceled and passengers being offered discounts for alternative flights. And to tell you frankly, I kind of panicked … was it my flight … aisa hua toh  main toh bich mein hi latak jaungi … these were precisely my thoughts. Another reason to this was because the time of the announcement was 09.45 a.m. and my flight time, as mentioned in the boarding pass, was 10.15 a.m.

Praying in my heart, I went over to the Lufthansa counter to enquire and the lady – as if having decided to test my patience – asked me to wait for 5 mins while she talked and greeted her colleagues, Merry Christmas. Arre mere Christmas ka bhi toh koi socho – I kept thinking. Then, finally she obliged me and – much to my satisfaction – told me that my flight was bang on time and the announcement would be made shortly. Phew … I almost sighed out aloud while sitting on the couch.

Then, the much awaited moment arrived and the I moved to board the flight after the announcement – again Business, First and rear seats for Economy Class first. I located my seat – 39G – and found a lady seated there already – with the next two seats promptly occupied by her daughter and her husband, in that order. My first thought was – Ye airlines ya meri company walo ne kuch locha toh nahi kiya :O

magar, aise soch ke kuch hone wala toh tha nahi … so I just asked her, that I think there is some confusion here and 39G is my seat. Then, her husband promptly came to action and checked his tickets saying that his family’s seats were 39 D, E, H and G. So, after some checking, it became clear that their seats were the ones left after leaving mine

Then, after putting my cabin luggage in the overhead shafts, I settled down in my seat for another 8 hours of air travel. This one was normal, I was feeling really really sleepy but couldn’t get to sleep. Then, I watched the movies being offered – I saw Julie and Julia, Up and half of G-Force. All this while, the person in front of me kept turning back and looking at me – I am yet to figure out the reason.

It seems, I was the only vegetarian on that flight. Sab pehle mujhe aake mera meal serve kar rahe the, and after that the rest of the flight. What, what did you say, meal ka taste ? kyu mazaak udaa rahe ho bacche ki … ab I would be really rude if I would say ki khaana accha nahi tha, considering ki mujhe itni special service mil rahi thi … but, I would also be lying if I said the food was good/ok/average. I hope you get my drift …

Anyways, the flight finally got over and I got down at the JFK airport at New York, USA.

Thus, I (as my colleague would later introduce me to our clients – a gift from Santa) landed in the US of A … on the 25th of December, 2009.

Rest of my journey from NY to Buffalo … follows in the next post.

hmm….it all began with entering the Sahar Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

I remember, there I was with two suitcases, one travel bag and one handbag – all atop my trolley chatting with my parents, brother and two uncle’s who had come down to meet me.

And to tell you frankly, even though I was standing there comforting my mom not to take tension, somewhere down there in the core of my heart … I was scared myself … worried whether I will be able to travel so far all alone … in a new country altogether !!! Had it been travelling to another city in India, I would be the last bothered person … but another country, that too SAAT SAMUNDAR PAAR … the very thought was giving me slight creeps. I would be lying if I said that I spent the last two nights thinking about this and missing my sleep (and those who know me, know very well that I am a complete sleepie … you know just the way you have foodies, you have sleepies too and I am proud to belong to this category)

So, here I was … and just when the time came, it happened all so fast that I got only a couple of glimpses of my family waving me good bye and good luck. Those few glimpses then kept diminishing until there was only a hand and then whoosh … I was inside with my trolley … forbidden from seeing them for so long as I stay away …

And then, I – the new ONC for my HBUS HFE Teller project – was left there along with many people standing in the queue for the Lufthansa flight – no. LH757 – going to Frankfurt from Mumbai. I was given a form to fill up, which seemingly was the departure form for non-immigrants. I filled that up, felt like getting another form, just as a backup copy in case i make a mistake

Then I stood patiently in the queue which moved really really slowly…dunno why. While all the queues around me had people moving around, mine was kind of … stranded. Meanwhile, I kept observing people around me … and all of them seemed to be frequent flyers … like this was their ‘n’th trip. There were all kinds of people and five lanes, one for Business class, one for First class and three for Economy class. There were aged men-women who were all more confident than me, kids who were talking in very fluent and accented angrezi and some youngsters, who probably were either on an assignment like me or going to study there and some foreigners, who were probably leaving back for their home countries.

One such foreigner just came up beside me to the self-service baggage check-in counter. This counter is for those who have already made a pass for check-in or who have opted for online baggage check-in. This saves you the standing-in-the-queue process and helps you move fast. But it seems, that was not to be. This man tried very hopefully of operating the machine … initially pushing the touchscreen gently but poking his fingers in the third-fourth attempt, but to no avail. Finally, he went and joined the queue.

Next, I saw a foreigner being helped by a local airline staff and being (after being asked for it) rewarded for his so-called help.

Anyways, finally my no. came and after answering a few details, my luggage was checked-in and I was given the boarding passes for two of my flights. One for my flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt and the other for my flight from Frankfurt to New York. Then, I went through the immigration counter and then for the security check followed by my wait in the waiting area. As I was waiting for the announcement, it kind of dawned on me  ki bhai … flight teen aur boarding pass do … bahut na-insaafi hai. Then I asked a smiling Vaishali (who was there to help people out before they were allowed to proceed inside the flight) who promptly asked me to again ask any person who came up to operate the counter while she went to answer my query. So, I went back to my place and waited for the right person to come up.

After some time, I saw the same person – who had checked my details at the check-in counter – opening up the system at the counter. I went up to him with my query and he told me that I would have to go to the Lufthansa counter at the NY airport where I would be given my boarding pass for the third flight. This was so because for travel from NY to Buffalo, Lufthansa has tied up with a local carrier, its name was JetBlue – as I would later learn.

Satisfied I again came back to my seat and waited for the flight announcement. After about an hour and a half, the announcement was made and I learnt that in International Flights, it is always the Business and First class first and then the economy class, that too from exit seats first – i mean, those who have seats at the rear of the aircraft are allowed inside first. This was good for me as mine was 52H, an aisle seat, and I didn’t have to wait again in the long queue which had formed. I showed my ticket, was given my part of the boarding pass and walked through a tunnel passage for some time only to find myself inside the aircraft at the end of the tunnel -  for whosoever said that there is always light at the end of the tunnel – only that this one was of an aircraft

This too was a first for me. And yes, I almost forgot, while I was asking my query of the third boarding pass, 3-4 flight people surrounded me, all eager to help me out. WOW, i mean that was some service, happy to help

And, before the travellers were allowed inside, a group of about 10 crew members came, all dressed up in blue and stripes of yellow … all ready to serve and carry the travellers. Now, that was some sight.

Now, back to my travel story !!! At the end of the tunnel, I was greeted with many “Namastey”s by the flight attendants and one of them asked me if I knew where my seat was. I showed her my boarding pass and she guided me that my seat would be towards the other aisle. I went inside and walked for about 40 seats in that “other aisle” to finally find my seat.

Once parked inside, with the seat belt fastened up, I was good to go. One of the prominent thoughts out of the many that flashed my mind was now is it … i am not going to see my family at least for the next three months … video conferencing does not quite satiate the palate. Anyways … the seat next to me was vacant and the one next to that was occupied by a man. He too seemed to be a frequent flier – he was well-versed by what all was happening or going to happen next.

Then, the journey began, and the announcements were made in German, English and Hindi. The flight took off and I was literally “hawa mein” for the next eight hours. The TV above the aisle kept showing many details … the route, distance covered so far, outside temperature, time and distance remaining to reach the destination and after that, a movie took over … don’t know which one was that … Kambakht Ishq took over that movie and sleep took over me.

I woke up after about an hour when the lights were switched on by the cabin crew and they began serving meals. One small meal followed by water and then some uncomfortable sleep again. You can only imagine how disturbing it can be to sleep while sitting upright Every time you try to change the posture as if you are sleeping on a mattress and a soft soft pillow, your sleep is broken by the jhatka to your neck which suddenly and rudely reminds you that the thing which you are taking for a soft pillow is actually a headrest of an aircraft seat :@ Get up, you jerk !!!

Hmm…after these bouts of sleep, one more meal was served. I refused and asked for water, but the air hostess forced me to take it as I hadn’t eaten in the last 3 hours. So, I had to gulp down the food instead when I wanted to brush my teeth and wash my face !!!

Anyways, I took that food, and then again tried to sleep, but to no avail. Then I just looked around here and there foolishly and wished for the Frankfurt airport to come. I purposely say “foolishly” because I had taken a book alongwith me in my handbag – The Life of Pi – for the very purpose of reading when I get bored in the flight. But, I was so looking for a good night’s sleep that just couldn’t imagine myself, reading – forget actually doing the same.

So, at about 08.30 a.m. in the morning of Germany, the flight landed and I alighted.

Rest of the journey will  follow in Parts 2 and 3

And what a flight it was !!!

My tour itinerary :

Mumbai (India) – Frankfurt (Germany) – 25th December, 2009 03.25 a.m. – 25th December, 2009 08.30 a.m. – Seat no. 52H (aisle seat)

Frankfurt (Germany) – New York (USA) – 25th December, 2009 10.00 a.m. – 25th December, 2009 01.25 p .m. – Seat no. 39G (aisle seat)

New York (USA) – Buffalo (New York) – 25th December, 2009 05.15 a.m. – 25th December, 2009 08.00 p.m. – Seat no. 20C (aisle seat)

All these times are local times of the respective places. So, I kind of gained one day despite 15-16 hours of flight travel

And then, just after coming back, went to my friends’ Christmas party !!!

Had real fun, great food and yes, not to forget…UNO !!!

Then, we all had tea at around 04.00 a.m. in the morning and then went to sleep

Will keep you posted on the rest of my eventful stay as and when it happens !!!

Till then …. Happy Reading !!!

P.S. Did I mention that I experienced the first snow of my life here in Buffalo today !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.P.S. It seems I was the only vegetarian on the Frankfurt to New York flight…received special service by the flight attendants

first preference…I was searched for (seat no. 39G), given my meal and then, the entire flight received their meal via trolleys

If you want to call something as Amazing, this is it :

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tv/TED-India-Pranav-Mistry/videoshow_ted/5231080.cms