KENYA AIRWAYS

Date 1st MAY 2010.
If anybody had told me prior to my flight that I would spend two days in transit, I would have written them off as crazy!!! It all started with an announcement that my flight scheduled to leave Uganda for Nairobi at 7.55pm had been delayed and would leave at 9pm the same night.

Time Check: Five minutes to 9pm..Announcement, we regret to inform you that KQ flight 415 has been delayed and will not arrive till 10pm..panic mode...i have a connecting flight to Amsterdam at 10.30pm I will never make it!!!!!!!

The flight attendant assures me not to worry and tells me that I will most defintely be on the first flight out to Amsterdam the next morning, as much as I would have loved to wring her neck, I calmed down.

The flight to Jomo Kenyatta airport is full of turbulence and the pilot does nothing to soothe our nerves and anger, he tries to apologise for the delay and states that, "there was an emergency in Malawi and we had to send your plane to help out" I grabbed on to the arm rest to keep from screaming what in the world has the Malawi crisis got to do with us?? Why are we the sacrificial lambs??


Anyway we get to JMKI Nairobi and the queue for those who had missed their flights was a mile long!! Time check 12.00am 2nd May, I get to the desk, and the attendant informs me that the next flight to Amsterdam will leave Nairobi on Sunday night at 10.20pm!!!

I was speechless,things were getting from bad to worse and I was powerless to do anything. I am directed to the hotel accomodation desk were I am checked into a hotel for the night. With the stories of JMKI and luggage issues, I ask to take my luggage with me to my hotel room.

Time check 1.00am-no luggage in sight. An attendant explains to me that the process of retreiving luggage ordinarily takes two hours considering that they have to sift through thousands of pieces to identify particular pieces. I swoon...next thing I know i'm seated on a chair..thank God for feminine charm!! :)

Time check 2.00am, Location: Red Court Hotel.
The hotel is pleasant enough, I'm grateful for a bed, considering my exhaustion and somehwat glad that my flight has been delayed because I have a whole day to lie in and just rest.

Time check 8.00pm Location JMKI Airport. I get to the airport early enouch to ensure that this time I do not miss my connection flight. I got to the transfer desk and all seems fine. I ask about my connecting flight from Amsterdam to my final destination and I'm told that the next flight would be at 8.20pm. I explain to the attendant that I get to Amsterdam at 5.00am! and there are flights at 7.20 am so I should be put on any of those.

The attendant informs me not to worry, that once I got to Amsterdam, the KLM desk will be able to transfer my flight from 8.20pm to an earlier flight. I relax thinking that every eventuality is now covered and I can atleast get to my destination and and catch the beginning of the conference.

Time Check 3.00am, I am awakened by the cries, no, screams of a baby in pain, this goes on for close to two hours..my sleep disappears.

Date 3rd May 2010, Time check 6.00am Location: Schipol airport Amsterdam, KLM Transfer desk. I explain my predicament to the desk staff and I quote, "THEY LIED TO YOU, WE CANNOT CHANGE FLIGHTS FROM A LATER FLIGHT TO AN EARLIER FLIGHT, IT CANNOT HAPPEN"

Disbelief, shock, outrage run through my veins, my blood boils, I see red!!! (DAMN YOU KQ!! DAMN YOU!!!) Then I count to ten, breath in and out slowly and find a bench to ponder my fate. I'm in Amsterdam and my flight leaves at 8.20pm, what in the world am I going to do for 14 HOURS??????

The day manages to go by, between sleep on benches, surfing the net, Mac Donalds, I'm hanging in there, I thank God for my ipod and keep reassuring myself that atleast there's no ash in the skies.

Time Check 8.20pm I'm on my way to Geneva Switzerland, If i wasn't so exhausted I would have a smile on my face, hold a conversation about nothing in particular with my neighbour, but I am tired, I'm hungry, my back aches-I need a bed, not to mention a shower! I dose off through out the duration of the flight.

Time check 10.00pm Location Gare Cornvain-Geneva!!! I had arrived!!! Its cold, raining, but in my mind's eye the sun was shining and the birds chirping..I had a swing in my step boy was I Happy!!!

And thats the end of my story about a journey that was supposed to take 11hours that instead took 2days. Good luck to you all in your future travels and FOR MORAL OF THE STORY..GO FIGURE!!