Beijing Airport
Before my program starts in Thailand, I am spending a week in China visiting Mary. My first experience with China was a trying one.
After a 14 hour flight from JFK, I arrived in the Beijing Airport to find that my flight was delayed by two hours. I couldn't fall asleep, however, because a group of businessmen were growing angry about the delayed flight. As I watched, they circled around the desk at the gate and started pounding on it. Some of them started shouting and one guy even begin running through the crowd. He would point and people and shout, and they would shout back. Finally someone explained to me that the flight was going to arrive in Shanghai after the buses stopped running and he wanted compensation for the taxi home. Others seemed to agree with him and crowd became restless. Eventually the plane arrived, and we boarded only to sit there for 45 minutes. An announcement on the intercom said that because of mechanical difficulties the flight was cancelled all together.
Back in the terminal, things turned to total pandemonium. Many more people thronged the desk shouting, and as I watched incredulous, one businessman took a swing at a airline steward and had to be restrained. Finally an older passenger stood up and gave an impassioned speech, with much pointing and fist pumping. The crowd ate it up, egging him on and clapping. I was relieved, thinking that he had secured a flight for us, but the guy next to me said that the man had secured a meeting with Air China and needed a ten person delegation to represent the passengers in the presentation of our demands.
What followed was like something like a talk show popularity contest. Anyone in the crowd could stand up, and if the applause was loud enough he or she would run to the front of the room, hands clasped in victory. When ten people had been assembled the crowd gave one final cheer of support, and they retreated to the boarding tunnel for a summit. I could see a few other people as incredulous as I around the edge of the room- some pretended to be asleep while others watched warily. But the crowd on the whole seemed to be really into it.
Several hours later, at around 2 AM, the delegation emerged from the tunnel to much applause and the leader spoke again. I thought, now finally we have a flight. But someone next to me explained that the delegation had drafted a formal letter of complaint to Air China with three demands: a flight to Shanghai, 500 RMB (about $65 US) in compensation, and a personalized apology from a member of the Air China administration. Several volunteers circled the crowd gathering signatures of approval and then the delegation disappeared again.
I had now been awake for 21 of the last 24 hours and could hardly see. I think I feel asleep because I awoke to someone shaking me, saying it was time to collect my bucks. At around 4 AM the delegation had reached a decision with Air China, and all three stipulations had been met. I joined a line of passengers dutifully collecting their money, booed with the rest of the crowd as a wizened old woman apologized on behalf of Air China and the Beijing Airport, and finally boarded a plane some time after 5 AM.
After a 14 hour flight from JFK, I arrived in the Beijing Airport to find that my flight was delayed by two hours. I couldn't fall asleep, however, because a group of businessmen were growing angry about the delayed flight. As I watched, they circled around the desk at the gate and started pounding on it. Some of them started shouting and one guy even begin running through the crowd. He would point and people and shout, and they would shout back. Finally someone explained to me that the flight was going to arrive in Shanghai after the buses stopped running and he wanted compensation for the taxi home. Others seemed to agree with him and crowd became restless. Eventually the plane arrived, and we boarded only to sit there for 45 minutes. An announcement on the intercom said that because of mechanical difficulties the flight was cancelled all together.
Back in the terminal, things turned to total pandemonium. Many more people thronged the desk shouting, and as I watched incredulous, one businessman took a swing at a airline steward and had to be restrained. Finally an older passenger stood up and gave an impassioned speech, with much pointing and fist pumping. The crowd ate it up, egging him on and clapping. I was relieved, thinking that he had secured a flight for us, but the guy next to me said that the man had secured a meeting with Air China and needed a ten person delegation to represent the passengers in the presentation of our demands.
What followed was like something like a talk show popularity contest. Anyone in the crowd could stand up, and if the applause was loud enough he or she would run to the front of the room, hands clasped in victory. When ten people had been assembled the crowd gave one final cheer of support, and they retreated to the boarding tunnel for a summit. I could see a few other people as incredulous as I around the edge of the room- some pretended to be asleep while others watched warily. But the crowd on the whole seemed to be really into it.
Several hours later, at around 2 AM, the delegation emerged from the tunnel to much applause and the leader spoke again. I thought, now finally we have a flight. But someone next to me explained that the delegation had drafted a formal letter of complaint to Air China with three demands: a flight to Shanghai, 500 RMB (about $65 US) in compensation, and a personalized apology from a member of the Air China administration. Several volunteers circled the crowd gathering signatures of approval and then the delegation disappeared again.
I had now been awake for 21 of the last 24 hours and could hardly see. I think I feel asleep because I awoke to someone shaking me, saying it was time to collect my bucks. At around 4 AM the delegation had reached a decision with Air China, and all three stipulations had been met. I joined a line of passengers dutifully collecting their money, booed with the rest of the crowd as a wizened old woman apologized on behalf of Air China and the Beijing Airport, and finally boarded a plane some time after 5 AM.
posted by DMF at 7:17 PM
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