Reputable Airlines? My foot!

The last I actually wrote a blog was January, wow. But what happened to me recently really bothered me so much that I had to rant about it.

So the other day my parents were traveling to India from one of the most 'reputable' airlines here in the city. Now when you think of reputable you actually think of really high standard service with not even a speck of irresponsibility whatsoever but this airline proved to be the complete opposite of it, two times in a row. Please note this is completely my opinion or rather my take on the airlines, everyone has a different story.

My parents had to leave the city in a rush and hence they were going only for four days because of some really urgent work which couldn't be delayed further because of appointments that had already been fixed. They both left on a weekday so clearly there's a clash with work and it was really hard for them to take these days off but they had no other choice. Upon reaching the terminal, a lady sitting on the counter informs us that we need to "run" with our bags to the last counter in order to get a "seat" on a flight that my parents were "confirmed" on by our travel agent. 

Not like we had any choice, so we went to the last counter. Their flight was supposed to be 9:55pm and they were supposed to reach early morning, rest for a while and head for the scheduled appointments. Now I repeat this was really freaking urgent work which couldn't be delayed further. So this guy on the last counter tells us, "Sorry sir you have a confirmed ticket, but there are no seats available." His next sentence just left me baffled, "this flight is overbooked." And I was just like, ‘how can a flight be overbooked? What kind of shit is that?’ Are you trying to tell me that you sold extra tickets for a flight and hence it was overbooked? I didn't understand the system there and I don't even want to, but what made sense to me was: A flight for instance had say 110 seats; instead of giving out 110 tickets, they gave out 120? That's the only legit reason for a flight being overbooked. 

On the counter next to ours was a lady convincing all the other passengers with the same reason the guy gave us. Now of course they need to give us something so that we could let it go, so they gave people coupons ranging from 100 to 200 Dhs, extra tickets to fly back anytime again and all of that nonsense, but they do not get what passengers really want. The way they go about this is as such, they see your ticket and find out how long you're going for, if it's a mere week then it's urgent and hence you're given complimentary tickets to compensate. If you're going for a vacation then its coupons *laughing out really loud at this bullshit* 

My parents didn’t care about the extra ticket they were giving us as compensation, they didn’t care if they got coupons or not, they had to fly out that day and that was it! I learnt in economics once, ‘People respond to incentives’ and much to our obvious, that’s what they were doing.

Moving on, my parents had to leave for four days and these guys tell them the next flight is tomorrow morning at 9:00pm, while my parents have an appointment tomorrow morning at 8:00 (lol). So the lady in the next counter took my parents tickets to see how many days they're going for and figures out its urgent because hell its four days! (HOW OBVIOUS CAN IT GET) So she tells him, "there's a flight at 3:00 in the night sir, we will give you a hotel to stay at till then." And so my parents agree as they'd reach early morning then and that's fair enough, again not giving a crap about the hotel lol.

Then they tell us to wait for five- ten minutes while they arrange seats for us on the 3:00am flight. Now please note, the lady on the next counter understood that my parents had to leave in a hurry and spoke to some person on the phone who "confirmed" seats in the 3:00 flight. She kept the phone and said, "Sir it is done, I just made a call and now he will make your tickets for you." Of course that's exactly what a reputable airline/organization would do; get them on the next flight because that's the right thing to do. And that's exactly what didn't happen! I told you didn't I? *smirking like a madman* 

Now this is where it gets so twisted!

They called us back to the counter and of course we are anticipating tickets for the 3:00 flight but guess what we get? She then said, "I'm sorry sir, but this flight is also full" and I was like (in my head of course), 'then why did you confirm?' And my parents had to go out as early as possible (I know I'm stressing this point too much but it was really urgent). My dad then asks, "What’s the next flight" and she says, "9:30 tomorrow" which is utter bullshit because they didn’t even give a rat’s ass about how urgent this really was. They could not care less of the fact that this was their responsibility and they have to do something about it.

 I was infuriated and frustrated at how careless these people really were, at how under the name of a reputable firm, they do things which are so not acceptable. To cool things down, they offered my parents a flight in another airline altogether at midnight from a completely different airport (ofcourse), which was a transit from one place to another and would reach their destination only after our scheduled appointment there, so what's the use? They took the flight anyways because this airline didn't leave them any other option but to travel by a completely different airline. They didn't care about anything that we had to do there urgently; they only cared about getting rid of us. 

And then they shifted us from one airport to another. Where we had to stand in congested lines and we got through finally after all the bullshit that firm put us through. After this incident, I know for sure I'm never ever going to travel by this 'reputable' firm ever again.

My only question being how can you give us a ticket for a flight timing that wasn't even available for seating when we reached there? If a flight ticket says a particular time, then heck you're supposed to fly that time only, we don't care about the God damn complimentary tickets you give us for not flying in the plane only because it was full. HOW CAN A FLIGHT BE OVERBOOKED?!

By the way, they let go off ten passengers including my parents because of the same reason and that means that's 10 dissatisfied customers. That's literally such a sad loss! 

It's just a name, that's all.

Happy New Year!

And someone would look at me up and down, someone who knew me really well, and would say, “You’ve changed.” And you couldn’t be more right because damn I’ve changed, I was a different person last year and I am definitely a different person this year and next year I assure you, I’m going to be a different person and I don’t think that’s wrong at all, because we grow, we all are exposed to some unseen circumstances which shape us into being a better person today. We know better than we knew yesterday and we will know better than the previous day, every day. I know and strongly believe that people will come and go, some will be a part of your life for a day, some for months and others for years, but all of them, be it people who have stayed for a shorter time than others, but all of them will give you a part of them that will mold you for who you are. 

This new year, don’t be afraid to walk up to people and tell them how you feel, this new year, try to be the bigger person, because forgiveness is the key to all fixed relationships and ego throws you in the dump. Don’t let others tell you who you are, because you know yourself better than anyone else ever did. Society gives you tags, every person in this world has had a dirty label, not one person in this world has a clean slate and definitely not one person in this world has been not talked about behind their back, that’s the irony of society, they might first upgrade you but there will be a point they will downgrade you. You don't have friends at this point of time, its okay! You'll make new ones, in no time but you have yourself.

 This new year, give yourself some alone time, stop hanging out with people and hang out with yourself for once, do what you like and not what everyone likes. Take yourself for a movie, treat yourself in your favorite restaurant, have that dessert you’ve been craving for, forget about those God damn calories for once, they come and go, don’t look at the nutritional facts on the box before picking up something, take yourself for a long drive with music that you like, pamper yourself and I guarantee you, you’d do it more often once you’ve done it the first time. 

Don’t be afraid of what people think of you, because for God’s sakes everyone judges! If you want to buy a dress, if you want to do something to your hair, if you want to dance like a maniac, go ahead and do it, don’t restrict yourself from something just because you’re afraid of what people might think of you, because at the end of the day if you’re happy nothing else matters. Your decision affects no one else, not that person that judged you, not that person who you thought would judge you, but only yourself. 

So do something different, make this year much more memorable than the last year, do some crazy things, things you never thought you’ll do and a be happy person because it’s all about adding life to your days, than days to your life.

(I know I'm 17 days late, but better now than never right? Happy new year you guys!)

Forever? I doubt.

Do you know how much it hurts when a phase ends? I mean we are all so caught up in the moment that there is never enough time to think about what will happen when this phase ends. They say all good things come to end, but can promised to never end relationships also end? I’m sure most of you had some name in your head while you read that question (congratulations if you didn’t). Today I was looking back at a few pictures and all of that I promised to push back just came flooding back in, I’m sure at least a few of you souls could relate to what I’m saying.

I don’t get this, what does ‘I promise to never leave you’ or ‘I promise to always be by your side’ mean? Does it not hold enough meaning to fight all odds, to push back your ego, to solve the unwanted problems? At the end of the day, all of us never keep a promise, none of us stick to our word, it holds absolutely no importance, no meaning at all. In today’s generation, ego is the key to all failed relationships. It’s always about, ‘no why should I take the first step?’ or ‘no they should come and speak to me, not the other way round’. 

What if one day someone who you thought would never leave just walks away from your life? What happens then? This person must have been someone you’ve confided in, they know all of your secrets and now they’re gone. This person must have been someone you thought would never leave, no matter how many friends go and come; this one will stick till the end. Now imagine if this happens to you, not once but more times than you can imagine? You know like, when you trust someone and they break it, but somehow you regain the courage in you to trust someone else again but they break it too. Imagine how devastated you’d be to know you can’t keep people around you for more than a year, because they choose to walk away. You start doubting yourself; you tell yourself you’re no good, you’re the worst kind of friend ever. 

There’s a little voice in us, it’s the negative one. This person loves pushing you down all the time. Before you had someone who you could talk, this someone would tell you then, no you’re better than you think you are, but what if this person walks away and never comes back? Lol. It gets so messed up really.

So save yourself people, you are your own hero. Let other people come and go and the end of it, you die alone, not taking people with you but only faded, hurtful and joyful memories, contrasting each other. Don’t ever hold expectation that this person is going to be my forever, because let’s face it, what exactly is a forever?

The Different Types of School-ies

I kinda realized that I’ve been writing a lot about school lately, being nostalgic at its best huh? So while we are still going down the memory lane, I decided I’ll write about the different kinds of people or should I say weirdos we encounter through school. 

The Dan Humphrey
This person knows everything about everyone, it’s insane. She’s like the television you cannot switch off and for some, don’t want to switch off. And she’d quote phrases like “OMG did you know?” and you’re like “….here we go again” *dramatic eye roll* because you would have heard that same story a twenty billion times already from the same exact person. Dan Humphrey cannot shut up, doesn’t know how to shut up rather. The worse is when she’d say, “That’s old news love” and you’d just think old news? Was I stuck in time or living under a rock or something?

 The Crazies
These girls are usually the ones who are obsessed with a particular band or an actor or a series. And when I say obsessed I don’t mean, the normal ones who once in a while would talk about it, I mean, as the name suggests, crazy insane obsessed! These girls get depressed and don’t eat if their favorite actor who they potentially have a crush on, start dating someone, it is that level of crazy that I’m talking about. They are always talking about that one thing, 24 by 7. They hyperventilate and shriek their lungs out everytime something comes out by the media.

The Desperates
Every school has a bunch of people who would do rather anything to get into the ‘popular zone’. They’d do anything they were asked to do. These people are constantly making friends or rather trying to make friends with everybody, just to be known. As stupid as it sounds, they’re always trying to be the good one, helping people when they don’t even ask for it, just to get on their good side. They get insanely jealous of everyone who is in the popular zone and things get crazy. They keep posting statuses about things that are in style or trending at the moment. I know of people who’d post statuses up about football and the much new FIFA world cup, even though they have no idea as to what is happening, why? Because they’re desperate for comments, likes and all of that crap which they think would make them popular. Good luck with that, lol.

The Pretentious Goodie Two Shoes
The name makes it pretty clear already, but I’d get into the details anyway. These girls pretend to be the innocent, not doing any crap but only good girls, but in reality they’re actually the worst. “I don’t have a boyfriend, never had one, don’t want to, don’t like it” and then you see them grinding in parties and in your head there’s *LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL* going on. And the next day, it’s like they’ve had a memory loss, like someone hit them on the head or something and they lie about the whole thing, I’d like to hit them on the head with something myself.

The Kim Kardashian
This lady has got it all, she’s popular but filled with arrogance and attitude. She thinks she’s the best; she’s always bragging and always changing boyfriends, like she’s changing clothes. Hot and Cold by Katy Perry is the theme song of her life. She’s got all the guys running after her and she loves the attention, she makes everyone sick but everyone wants to be her friend anyway. She gets things done by people, like she’s the queen around the place and no one could say a thing against it. To conclude, she’s a nuisance.

The Love Sick
So basically let me explain this cycle to you, she dates someone, she says she’s in love with this one, breaks up, dates another someone and says she’s in love with this one. She loves every guy she dates, she cannot live without this guy, she will cry over this guy for two weeks until she has a rebound going on and boom! Before you know it, she’s in love with this one too. These kind of girls make me sick to my stomach. And I don’t know whether they realize what they’re doing, but everyone else does and it’s a not a very good image you got going there, lovely.

The Buffet Lover
This person has a tiffin for every class. She’s always eating and despite of the amount of food she’s already had, she’s still hungry. Like is that your stomach or a hole that never ends? When this person is done with their tiffin, others you better watch out, it’s coming for yours. She’s also the one who has the most money in her wallet, why you ask? Of course to buy food from the canteen, when she runs out of it. You didn’t expect her to keep it for emergency, now do you?