Thank-you United Airlines and Singapore Airlines

For those that travel a lot, you know the act of getting there is not always the most pleasant of experiences. There can be long layovers in airports, overnight flights, delayed flights and the anxiety of making connections.  I would like to tell you about an experience I had that turned out well but could have been a nightmare.

In one of my earlier posts I talked about getting to and from the mainland of China and the Hong Kong Airport. Usually things line up perfectly and there are no issues. Depending on whether we are on daylight savings time or not I can take the ferry from Zhuhai, China directly to the airport in Hong Kong. If the direct ferry does not work there is always the ferry to Hong Kong and then the rail to the airport. I have done this over a half dozen times with no worries.

This time the direct ferry didn’t fit the schedule and I would have to take the ferry to Hong Kong and then take the rail to the airport. No problem, I can even check in for my flight at the rail station. However, the ferry was delayed and when I got to the rail station I missed checking in there by 15 minutes. They took my name and flight information and told me I would have to hurry as it would be very tight. Now I’m starting to worry. I didn’t want to miss my flight back home.

I was running very late but as I approached the ticket counter someone asked, “Are you Mr. Johnsen?” The person at the United Airlines ticket counter at the rail station had called ahead. They had my tickets ready and only needed to validate my passport. That would have been enough but they went well beyond that. They escorted me through a priority security line. Then they had a cart waiting for me to drive me to the gate. I made it there with little time to spare.

 

I had a similar experience on Singapore Airlines where my bag didn’t make it to Malaysia with me. It was no fault of Singapore Airlines. The commuter flight from Sacramento to San Francisco didn’t transfer my bag to Singapore Airlines. After I boarded the plane they informed me my bag didn’t board with me but they would do whatever they could to find my bag. When I did arrive in Malaysia with no bag, someone was waiting for me with a shaving kit and some money to purchase clothing. My bag arrived the next day. The thing was I didn’t ask for anything, I didn’t complain, they just did it on their own.

You usually only hear the bad side of an airline. I wanted to share a positive experience.

Next time your flight is delayed, you are running late and missed your flight, you have an issue with your baggage, etc. don’t take it out on the person on the other side of the counter. They are just there doing their job like you would and they didn’t lose your bag or cause your flight to be delayed. Work with them and they will help you find a solution.