I was on a business trip for the second half of last week. I was due to depart Shanghai Pudong airport on Friday 7th June at 7.05pm to arrive home at about 12.05am. I reached the airport very early, with a colleague who was leaving on the 6.05pm flight to Incheon.
I spent about 2 hours at the cafe after a very smooth check-in and customs clearance. I was downgraded to Krisflyer Silver status on 1st June. I was therefore not entitled to go to the lounge since I'm on economy class. The 2 hours at the cafe was nice nonetheless. Free WiFi, nice coffee.
I got ready 10 minutes before boarding time. As I was walking towards gate 87, I did something that I usually didn't do. I checked the departure notice board. The gate was changed to 229. I turned around and went down 2 floors to gate 229. I settled in for a wait as I saw that the crew were waiting to board as well. There was an announcement of another gate change 10 minutes later. This time I had to climb 2 floors up to gate 61 without the help of an escalator.
Upon arrival at gate 61, the plane was nowhere in sight. That wasn't a good sign. I settled in for another long wait. The wait turned out to be 3 hours. At first boarding was delayed to 7.40pm but after a while they decided to make announcements without committing a boarding time. All flights were delayed. Meal coupons were distributed and this signaled an even longer wait. An airline was actually distributing meal boxes at the gate!
I met a business associate who was with his client. So the 3 of us went to another cafe for a drink in anticipation of a long wait. All this while the rain was pouring, the light poles were wavering in the wind and crowds milled around the cafes and restaurants. The service staff were hassled and moving non-stop. It was a while before our order was taken. We made our way back to the gate at about 9.10pm and were told that they are not sure when boarding would be. However, they are sure that the flight will not be cancelled as the plane is needed back in Singapore.
So we caved and redeemed our meal vouchers. We walked to Burger King and got in line. By that time it was about 9.20pm. Then the announcement for boarding time of 9.40pm was made. We walked back.....another 8 minute walk. We finally board the plane and departed at about 10.10pm.
All this while, my colleague who was headed for Incheon was in his seat on the plane!! He was in a worse situation than I was. I was grateful that I had the freedom to walk around. It reminded me of the time when I was at Haneda airport waiting for my flight out of Tokyo after the 2011 tsunami.
During my visit in Shanghai, I found out that 80% of China's air space was reserved for the military. This explains the challenges passengers frequently face when flying within China air space. Delays are commonplace. The airlines will normally let you board the plane and hang on for an indefinite wait if delays are expected. I don't think it's intentional. I guess it's just the way things are. If you are ready you can be given the all clear by air control.
A lot of my overseas colleagues tell me that Singaporeans are spoilt. We expect the same efficiency we have at our airport when we are overseas. In reality, delays and cancellations are very common in air travel. I guess we should manage our expectations when we are travelling. It does make me appreciate the efficiency and comfort of our Changi Airport. And honestly, we are spoiled in more ways than one......think about it.
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