We need to be prepared for all sorts of questions and respond to all sorts of situations when we work the Information Desk. But sometimes we’re not as successful as we’d like or we're not exactly sure how things will turn out for our guests.
This was brought home to me one Friday afternoon when a young man asked how much a same day ticket from #RDUAirport to #RichmondAirport would cost. I explained that we worked for the airport not the airlines. I then offered to give him the carrier reservation numbers or, if he was willing to wait a few minutes, I’d be happy to go online and check it out for him.“I’ll see if I can find a same day ticket for you and let you know how much it costs,” I said. “Oh, I’ll wait. I’ve got time,” he replied. “I just don't know what I should do.”
He told me he lived in Tampa and his mother resided in Atlanta. He was supposed to meet her at the Raleigh Durham Airport and they were going to rent a car and drive together to Greensboro for a family wedding the next day. “That sounds nice,” I mentioned. “It would be,” he offered shaking his head “except that she didn’t fly to Raleigh but took herself to Richmond instead by mistake.”
“Oh boy,” I thought. But since Raleigh is much closer to Greensboro than Richmond, I suggested his mother book a flight to Raleigh. “That’s what I told her, but she’s insisting I fly to Richmond and we drive from there,” he answered. Unfortunately, the same day, one - way ticket price was $495. “That’s too much for me,” he stated.
Searching for an alternative I said, “Well we could look into you renting a car. But I need you to know the minimum published age requirement when renting in the US is 25, although most major car rental agencies will rent to drivers 21 and up." He was quiet for several moments and then sighed, “Nope, that won't work,” he responded, “because I just turned 20.”
Next we looked into his traveling by train or bus to Richmond. While the prices were much more reasonable the schedules would have had him traveling overnight. “If I were you, I’d work hard to convince your Mom to fly to Raleigh,” I told him “as that would be far easier than it would be for you to travel there.” I’m not sure how his story ended as he left the desk area with his cellphone to his ear, his head down and his shoulders hunched. He didn’t return.
It’s nearly impossible to board the wrong flight nowadays but, hard as it may be to believe, sometimes it does happen. If you book a ticket to the "wrong" airport, you can't blame your airline for taking you there. Obviously, his mother didn’t hear her flight attendant’s final, pre - flight briefing announcement, “If Richmond is not in your travel plans for today, now would be a good time to exit the aircraft.”
Very often our encounters with some airport guests are humorous. One evening I was at the desk when a couple and their teenaged son approached speaking to one another in Spanish. “May I help you?” I asked the gentleman. He looked to his son who inquired if I knew the cost of a plane ticket to Mexico. Again, I had to explain that we did not represent the airlines. “Which one flies to Mexico?” he inquired.
“#AmericanAir, #DeltaAir and #United all fly to Mexico from the #RDUAirport but not directly. You would have to connect through one of their hub cities such as Dallas, Atlanta or Houston,” I told him. “Would you like me to give you their reservation phone numbers?” He nodded and jotted down all three contact numbers. Then I watched as they walked away towards a nearby courtesy phone. I saw the young man pick up the phone which connected to our Information Desk.
When my phone rang I answered saying, “RDU Airport Information. This is George. How may I help you?” The response? “Hello, can you tell me the cost of a plane ticket to Mexico?”
I wanted to laugh and tell him that I just answered that question for him but I remained professional and gave him the exact same information for the second time. Did he call one or all of the airlines? I’ll never know, but I do hope that family ended up somewhere in Mexico since that’s where they wished to travel.
Finally, I’d like to share a successful outcome with you. One evening a very tired looking gentleman came to me and said, “We have just arrived from Pakistan but I cannot find my wife.” He informed me they had traveled from Islamabad, connected in London to New York and then made a final connecting flight to Raleigh. On arrival he went to use the washroom, then started exploring our concourse. Somehow he'd exited through security and arrived in Baggage Claim. Unfortunately, he left his wife at their arrival gate.
“That’s no problem,” I assured him. “I’ll just page her and request that she meet you here.” You guessed it, she didn't speak or read English only Urdu, the official and national language of Pakistan. So I asked him to write her a note in Urdu requesting that she follow me.
I found her sitting patiently at Gate C15, gave her the note and reunited them in our Baggage Claim area. I hope they enjoyed a goodnight’s sleep after their 19 hour journey.
Until next time…safe travels.
All's well that ends well, George - well done ;-)
Love it love it!! You write so well it feels as if I am alongside of you through your experiences. Keep it up . It is so entertaining to read your stories.