Chaos in Airport

I was supposed to attend a Media Plan Release by UYoung today in Beijing, they going to up a parenting channel on IPTV, supposed to be a very "in" thing in next 12 months. Anyway, the conference was 2-4pm today. So, during such cost-cutting period, I also sek joh, make it a day trip, and woke up at blardy 6am, because the flight was at 9am, China Eastern Airline.

Check-in, custom clearance, custom checking, all went through so smoothly, I was starting to think "wow, this is not bad... i really start to like china a lot nowadays."

8.30am -- seated, seat-belt tightened, and I was catching some time to finish off my CBN Weekly magazine.

9.00am -- still in seat, but the crew seems very calm, and as "usual", there's announcement "due to air traffic control, we are asked to wait for turns to fly out. Please be patient."

9.30am -- flight attendants started to offer hot bun (inside got char siu some more, i must admit it was very tasty), tea, coffee, water. Actually, by now, I am very suspicious already, for 2 reasons: 1) I am seating at window seat, so I can see the so-called "air traffic" was not so congested. Not many flight flying in or leaving airport actually. 2) normally when they are not sure when can they fly out due to air traffic control, they will not offer HOT drinks. Because once they were told can fly out, they must immediately prepare for taxing and the air stewardess sure not enough time to collect back the cups and make sure ALL passengers finished their hot drinks, because if not, it will be very dangerous when the plan is taking off and u still drinking hot drink.

10.00am -- I dozed off, after a nice char siu bun, and hot tea.

10.15am -- the plane moved out from the lane, YAY!! I was happy, means can take off soon, and although late for 1.15am, I can still make it to 2pm meeting.

10.20am -- waiting at taxing lane. I dozed off again.

10.40am -- the plan was back to the parking spot again! Some passengers was joking, yelling, "we reached Beijing already?" So funny. But then we were so shocked to hear another anouncement from the captain, "Dear passengers, we discovered aircraft got technical problem during taxing time, so please get all your belongings and leave the aircraft now."

So, earlier blardy simi air-traffic control was bullshit lah. HMMPH!

We left the aircraft, some more need to take the big bus, brought us back to main terminal. whole flight I think got 200++ people, and only 2 crews were there to asnwer question. I wonder why can't they make explanation through the microphone instead of just answer each angry passenger's questions in mandarin and shanghainese (why mandarin and shanghainese only? because those able to fight through the crowd to infront are shanghainese, they their voice are loud so their questions were heard even though they were behind). The flight also got Indian, Guai Low, and I think Japanese. They all have question marks on their face because during such chaos time, no one speak to them in english at all. The indian was a bit impatient, he yelled at the crew in front, "what's going on?" the crew answered him back, "just wait" and continued to yell at other passenger in shanghainese and mandarin. Can you believe this???

I was so shocked.

Finally, some non-chinese reminded the crew, they can speak through microphone so all passengers can know what is next step. "Next flight is coming in at 12.00, you can board at 12.15pm." But yet, the announcement was not made in English.

Niasing, if I board at 12.15pm, reach beijing already what, 3.30pm? reach my meeting place, the whole conference already finished!! I quickly called my boss to tell him I ain't going to Beijing, no point. Luckily I didn't have luggage checked-in so I just leave the airport swiftly, and back to office.

Anyway, now that I am back in office, thinking through the whole thing, I think the crews need to really be trained to react in such critical time. Hey, 2010 Shanghai Expo is coming soon. At least you need to admit that there's a growing population in Shanghai that is foreigners and they are not good at chinese needless to say shanghainese language. Imagine if you are in Brazil, something happen, and you not sure what's going on because everyone is speaking in brazilian language, won't you feel confused?? I think also feel quite pah pah already.

China Eastern Airline, I ain't gonna take your airline in next 6 months!