Peekaboo in the Skies!

P. UNNIKRISHNAN

It was a lengthy journey from Taiwan to Bahrain, with a layover in Bangkok and Singapore before reaching Bahrain. After nearly 15 hours of travel, I found myself thoroughly exhausted.

Despite watching a few films, I could only manage a brief nap before the flight touched down in Bahrain. During the landing, I was abruptly awakened by a loud noise near my seat, signalling the unfortunate event of my phone falling from the handrail where I had placed it.

As the aircraft taxied to its arrival slot, I frantically searched for my phone, fearing it might have slipped beneath the neighbouring seat.

However, my efforts were thwarted by the seat’s covering, leaving no space for my phone to have fallen through. Upon the aircraft’s complete stop, I diligently searched for my phone, confident it had landed safely beneath the seat before me.

Eventually, I sought assistance from a cabin crew member, who reassured me that they would help resolve the situation. With the cabin manager’s intervention and the engineering team’s prompt response, efforts were made to locate and retrieve my phone.

Despite the delay and my embarrassment over the mishap, the cabin manager kindly assured me that such incidents were not uncommon, particularly in the business class area. Understanding the necessity of waiting until all passengers had disembarked, I offered to stay outside to expedite the process for the staff.

Reflecting on the situation, I noted how the design of business class seats contributed to such occurrences. I was wondering why the technical team can’t keep a thin barrier which can block things from squeezing through the small slit on the front seat, averting future mishaps.

After a tense 20-minute wait, my phone was finally restored to me. Retrieving my belongings from the baggage area, I was greeted by an air hostess’s caring inquiry, a testament to their unwavering professionalism.

I wanted to thank all the cabin crew, including the captain, who waited for me to disembark from the flight.

Appreciating their support, I praise the commendable efforts of the Gulf Air team and urge management to promptly tackle trivial technical issues that could potentially inconvenience passengers and cabin crew.

The author is the Chairman and Managing Editor of The Daily Tribune