As usual, we traveled back to Jakarta for our Chinese New Year reunion. The day started with unexpected drama. Since our flight was at 7:35 AM on CNY Eve—a busy time when people are either traveling or preparing for reunion dinners—we decided to book a maxi cab in advance, paying a premium for the convenience.
Unfortunately, the driver forgot about our booking. We waited for 15 minutes, but with no sign of the cab and no option for online check-in, we had to reach the airport by 6:30 AM. By 6:00 AM, we had no choice but to book the first available Grab or taxi. Thankfully, both options arrived at the same time around 6:05 AM.
Checking Google Maps, we saw an estimated arrival time of 6:40 AM—technically too late for check-in. Panic? Of course!
I tried to stay calm and prayed the rosary during the ride, reflecting on what lesson I could take from this stressful situation. And then, a miracle happened. My husband and two younger kids arrived at the check-in counter a minute or two before me and my eldest son. When I checked the time, it was 6:34 AM.
By God’s grace, the counter was still open, and we were the last passengers to check in.
This experience taught me two important lessons:
- Always allow extra buffer time, especially for morning flights.
- A small mishap can ruin the holiday mood. Since my business is related to travel and holidays, I need to ensure that our customers don’t have to deal with last-minute stress.
In the end, we arrived safely—earlier than expected—and met our parents, who picked us up at the airport. After that, we had lunch at CP, followed by haircuts for me and the kids at TA before our reunion dinner.
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