When is a Ticket Not a Ticket? Part Two

A 5:30am alarm has never been our most welcome intrusion. However, today is the day we are going home.

We are packed. We have had a freshly emailed itinerary from Singapore Airlines from the previous day with our ticket numbers proudly on display.

Our hotel has prepared a packed breakfast for us. A taxi arrives at 6:30am.

When the taxi driver asks us what time our flight is we tell him 9am. He says we are very early, everything is Singapore is very quick and efficient, and so we arrive in the certain knowledge that all will be well.

There is no queue at Singapore Airlines Premium Economy Check-in Desk. We approach the smiling attendant who is wearing a badge marked “I’m New”.

Smiling attendant keys in lots of information and stops. She looks silently at the screen and at a fellow worker then taps away at the computer again.

She then takes out her mobile phone and takes a screenshot of her screen. Climbing over the lugggage conveyor belt she talks with her colleague.

This is ok, she’s new. She wants to make sure she hasn’t made a mistake. We’re on-time. We have yesterdays email with the itinerary. No need to worry.

Colleague now asks in English:

Did you purchase your ticket through a travel agent?

Yes. And we checked yesterday with your colleagues at Singapore Airlines and they sent us a copy of our latest itinerary. Please, take a look on our phone.

Looks at phone, more tapping. Calls colleague from another desk. Very Confident Young Man arrives and taps the keyboard like a chopin concerto.

I’m afraid you don’t have a ticket number for this flight.

But it’s here, on the email that Singapore Airlines sent us yesterday.

That ticket number has expired. There’s been a change made in your itinerary. You will need to contact your travel agent and get another ticket number.

Are our extra legroom seats and special diet reservations on the flight?

Yes they are.

Then there can’t be a problem; please just issue us with a boarding pass.

I can’t issue you with a boarding pass without a valid ticket number. You will need to contact your travel agent or Air NZ.

Our travel agent is in Spain. It’s 1 am there, and we’ve no idea how to contact AirNZ.

And from there we followed the same circular discussion we’d had in Auckland. Singapore Airlines tried contacting AirNZ who of course didn’t answer. We kept refering to the email from Singapore Airlines the previous day. Other helpful people tapped furiously at computers and the time ticked by. Suggestions were made that we wait for the next Air NZ flight to open so we could check with personnel there but we knew the futility of that.

How can we board the plane which has our seats and meals reserved for us?

You will need a valid ticket number.

If we buy another ticket would we be able to get on the flight and occupy our seats?

Yes of course. Although you will need to run because the gate closes in 10 minutes.

And how much will this cost?

$6999.60 Singapore dollars ( £4272.44)

We’ll take it.

Ticket sales person rapidly seizes card and starts process of issuing ticket. Very Cheerful Young Man rushes back to check-in desk and tags our luggage as “business” and “urgent”. Other helpful young man tells us where we have to go and how fast we will need to be.

Changi airport is vast but it is supremely efficient. It’s also not used to two exasperated and desperate travellers running through the airport dropping items, stopping to pick them up, feeling their hearts about to explode.

Security screening is done at the gate and there are lots of people already through the check points and boarding the plane

Don’t rush, says the elderly Singaporean man at security, you’ve got plenty of time.

Boarding Pass Please

Welcome aboard

We take our seats which we’ve paid for twice; the second time being almost as expensive as our entire itinerary. Take off is in 5 minutes. Let’s relax and enjoy everything that Singapore Airlines has to offer.

Singapore Airlines used to offer a really good service; not now. There were 25 flight attendants on board - we barely saw them.

Shortly after take off we were served breakfast. About 5 hours later we had lunch with a very grudging “red” or “white”; no choice of grape. From then we were on our own; 6 hours without being offered a cup of tea or coffee.

Arriving at Heathrow everything went extremely well. So well in fact that we were on the Heathrow Express and in Padding Station over 2 hours earlier than we had thought possible.

Hurrah, we can catch an earlier train.

I’m sorry Sir, this ticket isn’t valid on this train. It’s an Advance Purchase Ticket.

Well yes, we did purchase our ticket in advance. We’re just more advanced than we thought we would be.

If you want to travel on this train, which is departing for Penzance in ten minutes, you’ll have to purchase a new ticket.

No thanks, we’ll sit this one out.

Two hours later we are on the train to Penzance. No buffet car. Change at Plymouth. 20 minute wait between St Erth and Penzance. Taxi to Tresowes.

29 hours after arising from our bed in Singapore and 100 days after leaving our home we are back in our own bed.

Thank you John Farah, for a wonderful time.

Thank you Leslie Church, It’s been amazing.

I love you.

And I love you too.

Update:

Over nine months after arriving home we still await reimbursement. In solicitor hands now.