Have you ever experience having a cancelled flight? I think a lot of people already did but I just had mine last night at Colombo (my trip will be in a separate post). And I can say, it was horrible!
Our flight from Mihin Lanka was scheduled to leave at 10:40pm. Once onboard the plane, we heard the announcement that the take off will be a little bit delayed due to some late group of people that was still on the transfer bus. So after an hour or so, the plane started it's pre take off run. But just before it was about to take off the ground, we heard this freaking sound and the plane cannot fly. All of us got worried because it's not a joke. What if something went wrong and the plane just crashed after it's take off? The captain was not being helpful with his excuse and he just mumbled something incoherent. People started screaming and shouting and getting hysterical - especially those people who have their kids with them. So after minutes and minutes of waiting without any advice given, we suddenly realize that people were started getting out of the plane. Of course we just went with the flow of the people.
Turned out we were led back to the airport and was given a transit ticket and was advised to wait somewhere in the corner of the airport. It was so annoying and really frustrating coz it was like we were waiting for nothing. Crews and staffs of Mihin Lanka were not telling us anything. No updates. We were just there, waiting. It took us hours and hours. And people are getting hysterical coz some have connecting flights and most wanted to go home - I am one of those who really wanted to go home as I need to report back to work.
After three hours or so, we were finally advised that flight was cancelled, they cannot provide a new flight for us and scheduled us for the next day flight. We were so tired (coz we stroll around Colombo for the whole day) and hungry. And I'm so worried coz I needed to get back and work for 31 as it's the last day of the month and it's the most crucial day. When they announced that we needed to stay for the night and wait for the next flight, my mind went berserk coz I know my manager will kill me. So after we had our snack and while waiting for the bus going to the resort/hotel where we are going to stay, I dropped a short email to Nabil coz my phone's already drained.
Even the waiting period for the bus took forever and so disorganized. The families, old persons and ladies were left and boarded last on the bus while those single guys went ahead first - which is pretty annoying.
We reached the hotel around 4:30am and I'm really dead tired. We woke around 9:00am and someone knocked on our room advising us that the bus going to the airport is already downstair! So we hurriedly went down and ushered to the bus.
At the airport, we have to wait for four hours to finally get boarded on the plane. We're really hungry and tired and I still have this uneasiness during take off. I kinda passed out during the flight coz of lack of sleep and the stress we felt. I woke up when I smelled the food they are serving. Guess this is the first time I finished the in-flight meal without leaving anything on my tray.
All I can is, I had a very bad experience with Mihin Lanka and will never try to fly with them again. Staffs were not helpful, not organized and don't have any backup plan during cases like this and not even giving updates what was happening during this period. The only moment I can give a thumbs up is during the landing coz the pilot did it well, we didn't feel any bumpy experience. But the rest of the experience, it was awful. Sorry Mihin Lanka, you will now be on the bottom of my airlines list and I'll never try to fly with you unless necessary.
So that's it for now, I need to sleep coz tomorrow I will be in a battlefield. :(
