My Plane trips

Hmmm, so feeling much better to write about my trips. The one thing that has changed a lot over the last few years is the number of different air-carriers. I saw at least 4 new ones this year. Good for consumers.

So first I took a low cost carrier, Air-Deccan. It prides itself in it being a no-frills, just fly airline. It's no-nonsense flying includes no seat numbers and even water for sale. Back to the trip, so people wait patiently after the security check. The employees of the airline walk very fast back and forth with walkie-talkies with some kind of aim in life, not sure what as I can never understand a single word out of their mouths or walkie talkies. So I sit down, on a vacant seat far away from the crowd and start reading my newspaper. There are many seats available but people start sitting next to me and start looking over the newspaper. Concept of personal space is little different here. I get little annoyed but o.k. Then they start asking for sections of newspaper. I decided to go ahead give the newspaper to him and start reading my novel.

The flight arrives, no PSA, just a shrill shout from a skinny girl. Scared the heck out of bunch of people. Suddenly, as if the seats will be filled and you have to stand in the plane, people are running all over themselves to get in line. We all get in, the flight was uneventful with no-one bothering me as I had my laptop open.

The third trip, I am feeling like a pro. I took another airlines called SpiceJet. Good Customer service and they at least give snacks/water. The girl did not shout announcing the arrival and everything was going well. This time, I decided to read rather than work in the plane. I opened my book, went through 3 pages when a woman starts nudging me from back. I looked back and said what's up. She asks if Iam reading the book and I just nodded. She says that she just wanted to tell me that if I fall asleep, that she will borrow my book until I wake up. I wanted to say "Try me cuz I will never sleep" but I just politely nodded.

Couple of minutes pass and then I hear a psssst noise. I look up, the guy besides my seat on the other side is calling me. I was on the aisle and the girl in the window seat on my side was reading some magazine. He asks me to ask her if he can borrow her book after she is done. It was good thing that she heard him and said O.K as I had half a mind to tell him no.

I have been on many flights from U.S to India or in U.S itself where I never ever talked to the next person after saying Hi. I just realized, I forgot the same culture of sharing magazines in buses/trains in India is in planes too and I just have to get used to it.

Even with that realization, I never slept and never gave the lady a chance to borrow my book but at least now I know I can go on a plane without a book and hope that someone with a book close to me will fall asleep :)