Traveling in China (Part 3)

This is Part Three, so if you haven’t read Part One and Two, start there or it will make no sense.

So the riot police where lining the jetway and they had an appointed leader.  The leader asked us repeatedly through the bullhorn to get off the plane.  A few people on our flight stepped up as our representatives and tried to explain the situation.  Not surprisingly, the police didn’t give a shit about our delayed flight and told us again that we were being ordered to vacate the plane.

About that time, a very excited, very red-faced Air China manager ran down the jetway on to the plane.  When I say the man was livid, I am not exaggerating.  He was out for blood. 

"Blah Blah Blah Blah!"  He screamed in very loud Chinese to the Chinese Americans who had been talking to the riot police. "Get off the plane! People need to board this plane to go to China!"  He yelled in English.  We were not impressed.  The leaders of our group explained that we were not getting off the plane until we got our free tickets or refunds.

"No Refund! Delay from bad weather!" he screamed, spit flying everywere.  Then the lawyer stepped up with our little petition and the signature from the Air China guy in Shanghai.  "No Refund!" He yelled in the lawyers face.  Those of us who remained on the plane sat back down in our seats and buckled our seatbelts.  "We are not getting off until we get refunds." our representatives stated firmly. 

Then the head of the riot police (looking annoyed and bored) stepped in, "If you do not vacate this plane, you will be arrested as terrorists.  You are holding this plane– which is Air China property–hostage."

"Well then arrest us!" Said one of our leaders, "My wife got off the plane and is waiting for me at the gate. She will immediately begin contacting the local news if I am arrested."

The possibility of news coverage swept through the plane and made us all feel very brave.  "We’re not getting off! We want a refund!" people yelled.  Some kids from a family sitting near me had taken a roll of toilet paper from the bathroom and were draping it over all the seats up and down the aisles.  They were also ripping off all the paper headrests and throwing them around the plane as they ran up and down the aisle.  Their dad was arguing with the riot police, so he paid no attention.  Their mom was videotaping the dad arguing, so she wasn’t paying any attention either.

"Turn of that camera!" ordered the head policeman, "Once the plane is attached to the jetway, you are in US customs property.  It is illegal to videotape in customs!"  "If we are in customs property, than we can’t be holding Air China’s property hostage." said the dad.

Seeing that the police were not especially eager to arrest us all, despite the fact that no one was going to get off the plane, the Air China guy totally lost it.  Red-faced and sweating, he began cursing at our negotiators in Chinese.  The curses were translated for me by the Jr. High aged kid who had previously been toiletpapering the plane. "…now he is saying that my dad is a bastard…"

The yelling back and forth went on for over an hour.   The police were incredibly bored, but they couldn’t leave until we got off the plane.  Finally the guy in charge of the police pulled the Air China guy aside and had a little talk with him.  Then the Air China guy left the plane.  While he was gone, they tried again to negotiate with us, but we wouldn’t get off the plane. 

When the Air China guy finally returned, he had a typed letter stating that we would recieve refunds.  He gave all of us cards with the number we were supposed to call to get refunds or new tickets.  We were ecstatic and there were high-fives all around the plane.  I gathered my things and skipped out to make my connecting flight.

When I arrived at the United check-in desk, I was given bad news:  because I had missed my original flight and it was more than 24 hours since my scheduled flight time, I would have to pay a $100 change fee for my ticket.  Now, to review, I was traveling without a credit card and only had about $5.00 in my pocket.  I almost started crying with exhaustion and frustration.  "I don’t have any money!" I said, voice cracking.  "You could always get your connecting airline to cover it since they made you late," said the United lady, "If you were that delayed, your airline should have already made arrangements for you."

Screwed once again by Air China, I turned on my heel and stomped toward the International terminal.  With each step, I was getting more and more angry.  When I found their check in counter, who was there checking in a line of passengers about 150 people long, all packing at least 3-4 large suitcases a piece?  Yes, it was my friend the red-faced screaming Air China manager.

I walked straight the the front of the line and cut in front of the next person checking in.  "I was on Air China XYZ that just arrive and my connecting flight is telling me I have to pay a change fee because we were over 24 hours late!!" I yelled waving my ticket in his face. 

"Not our fault!  It was the weather! I can not help you!" said the man.  I should mention at this point that Air China only had ONE check in desk in the SFO airport and I was at the front of a very, very long line of passengers who were waiting to board the very same plane I had just exited.  Because we refused to get off the plane for 2-3 hours, these folks had been standing in line, unable to check in during that entire time.  They were a little cranky themselves.  When they heard me yelling, a crowd began to form around the check in desk.

When the man told me he couldn’t help me, he tried to help the customer who was next in line.  "You have to go fix my ticket!  I don’t have $100.  It is your fault I missed my flight!" 

"Not our fault! Next customer!"  The very annoyed next customer gave me a little shove as he tried to hand his ticket to the manager.  That was my very LAST STRAW.   

"Fine.  Then I am not moving until I have a new ticket to Ohio!"  I said.   Then I sat down in the narrow hole where baggage is weighed and passed through when it is checked in.  Air China only had one baggage slot and all the desks on either side were being used by other airlines who were also checking in many customers.  I crossed my legs and took up the entire space. 

For a minute, the manager didn’t really seem to grasp what I was doing and kept checking in the passenger.  When it came time for him to hand over his gigantic bag, he looked at the manager in confusion.  The manager looked into the hole and there I was, crosslegged.

"What ARE YOU DOING!" he yelled. 

"I am waiting for my ticket to be fixed. I have had a lot of practice waiting in the past few days, I can sit here all day." I said.

"Move!" He yelled.

I just ignored him and sat stony faced staring at the long line of passengers.

"MOVE!"

No response from me.

"You should fix her ticket!" called someone in the crowd.  "Yeah, I just want to get going!" someone else said.  "This has to be the worst airline ever!" a third person muttered.  "You have no idea how right you are." I agreed loudly.

Looking like his head was about ready to explode, the manager stomped out from behind the counter.  "Give me you ticket!" he screamed.   I handed it to him.

He grabbed it and sprinted toward the domestic terminal.  I kept sitting in the baggage hole.

No more than five minutes later, he came running back.  "Here is your ticket.  For FREE.  You are never, EVER allowed to ride on AIR CHINA again!"

"Not a problem." I said and headed for the gate where my new flight was getting ready to board. 

P.S. About a week later after I had recoverd a little, I decided I missed A enough to brave another Air China flight if it was free.  I called the Air China number we had been given to receive our refunds.  I told the customer service rep my flight number.  "No refund.  Your flight was delayed due to bad weather.  Not our fault." she said.

Needless to say, I will not be recommending Air China to my friends.