Disclaimer: This is 2012 – It has improved since

I flew Air India after 20 years. Had almost forgotten why I have not flown them for so long, but they promptly reminded me.

Chalo hari, hari bol was the chant to which the Air India flight to Goa from Mumbai took up. Strangers , all the passengers, but a warm sense of camaraderie had developed over the last two hours.

A sucker for bargain deals, I had taken a “cheap flight” to Goa. I took Spice Jet and changed to Air India. The interim period an hour and a half seemed comfortable but the reckoning powers took over. The flight was a half hour late. I decided to do a web check – inAlso I paid extra for a Priority baggage tag.

The pilot announced en route that the flight would be further delayed as there were some VVIPs at Mumbai. I was hysterical.

I almost jumped onto the runway and made a beeline for the carousal expectantly looking for my priority bag. 20 bags and no sign of mine “with the priority” tag. The 21st was mine. I was relieved even though I was tempted to ask why my luggage was demoted despite the payout.

Terminal 1a was the next terminal building. Just a short walk. Managed to get lost and a sleepy attendant took forever to issue the Boarding Pass. With no signage I decided to follow my instincts and spied two air hostesses. I heaved a sigh of relief when they said they were on my flight which was delayed. Phew.

We boarded the flight which was choc-a-bloc full and there was a young lady sitting on my seat. I squinted at my boarding pass to recheck, no I was not mistaken. Air India had issued two boarding passes with my seat number for two individual passengers with different PNRs. With some juggling around we discovered another who was in the same quandary. They managed to seat one in First Class and the other disappeared too. Nobody asked.  The flight did not take off. We were handed tetrapacks of Frooti and some biscuits by gracious ladies in their trademark silk saris. After almost an hour the flight took off amidst chants of Hari Bol.

Was it my stars, The Rahu dasha? Murphy’s Law? As Indians we are somehow resigned to this fate with complicity.

Aisa bhi hota hai!