I JUST FLEW WITH MY FAMILY TO KUALA LUMPUR ON A SHORT 3 NIGHT HOLIDAY.
I TOOK THE MALAYSIAN AIRLINE FLIGHT NUMBER MH 195 ON 2ND NOV 2005.
I WAS INFORMED BY MY TRAVEL AGENT THAT WE CAN GET VISA ON ARRIVAL SO WE ALL CHECKED IN OUR BAGGAGE AND THE AIRLINES STAFF VERY HAPPILY ACCEPTED OUR BAGGAGE AND GAVE US THE BOARDING PASS AND NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT VISA SO OUR ASSUMPTIONS WERE CONFIRMED.
ON GOING THROUGH THE INDIAN EMIGRATION THE OFFICER ASKED US FOR THE VISA AND WE CONFIDENTLY TOLD THEM THAT IT IS VISA ON ARRIVAL TO WHICH THEY DID SHOW SURPRISE AND DECLARED THEIR IGNORANCE FOR MALAYSIA VISA ON ARRIVAL.
WE THOUGHT TO OURSELVES PERHAPS THEY WERE TRYING TO MAKE AN EXTRA BUCK......
TO OUR UTTER SHOCK AND SURPRISE ON LANDING IN MALAYSIA THE EMIGRATION OFFICERS INFORM US THAT THERE IS NO VISA ON ARRIVAL AND THAT WE NEED TO GO BACK TO INDIA!
IMAGINE OUR PLIGHT AND EMBARRASSMENT. AFTER A FULL NIGHT OF NO SLEEP.
NOW THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AIRLINES TO CHECK IF WE HAD A VALID VISA TO MALAYSIA. I HAVE BEEN FLYING INTERNATIONAL SINCE 30 YEARS AND ALWAYS SEEN THAT THE STAFF AT THE CHECK IN COUNTER CHECKS THE PASSPORT FOR THE VISA BUT THIS AIRLINES STAFF IS TOO VERY LAZY.
WE FOUND THAT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS VERY VERY OLD.
THERE WAS NO ENTERTAINMENT ESPECIALLY ON OUR RETURN JOURNEY. WE DID NOT HAVE ANY INDIVIDUAL TV AND ALSO THE COMMON TV SHARED BY ALL THE PASSENGERS WAS SHOWING US INDIAN TOURISM DOCUMENTARY IN THE FIRST HALF AND LATER WE WERE SHOWN SOME SILLY MOVIE.
THE RED WINE SERVED ON MY WAY BACK ON FLIGHT # MH194 WAS STALE FROM AN OLD HALF USED BOTTLE AS I COULD EASILY SAY FROM THE TASTE. I EVEN HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS WITH ONE OF THE AIR HOSTESSES AND SHE AGREED WITH ME.
FOR THE SECOND GLASS I ASKED FOR THE BOTTLE TO BE SHOWN AND THEY GET ME A NEWLY OPENED BOTTLE AND THE TASTE WAS ORIGINAL. I AM VERY STUMPED BY SUCH BEHAVIOR AS IT IS UNBELIEVABLE. EVEN I AM FINDING IT AMUSING WHILE WRITING ABOUT THIS SILLY AIRLINE.