So I had to go to Cairo. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be there, it was more that I didn’t want to go there. Yesterday I first presented at the Profict Wintercamp which was a very well organized, event with some great food. Robbie Vanbrabant spoke about Guice and I spoke to about Spring. We had a little bit of a panel discussion afterwards.

Straight after the event I had to fly to the airport. Well, not literally fly–I just had to be there very quick. My flight would leave at 9 and I left Loenen (which is about 75 mins from the airport) at about 6.45pm. Should normally be enough.

On my way to the airport, I listened to my voicemails and found out my travel agent had tried to reach me three times. Apparently my flight was cancelled!! He had rebooked on a different flight so I would still be able to get to Cairo in time to speak about the Egyptian User Group meeting. The flight out however was about 7.20pm, which I would never be able to make anymore.

After a few phone calls, we decided to try the 8.15pm flight to Rome after which I would have to get onto a 9.25am flight the next morning to Cairo. Problem solved… If I was able to get onto that flight.

Unfortunately, the trip to the airport didn’t go as smooth as I though and there was a little bit of a queue at the ticket counter. I’m a frequent flyer, but although that did help me a little bit to avoid the queue, it didn’t get me on the plane, ‘coz I simply was not in time anymore. So the lady tried to rebook on different flights but after five minutes, so told me there was no way she could get me to Cairo anymore before Sunday morning 3am. And I really had to be there on Saturday (today that is). All flights were full, there was simply no way to get to Cairo anymore in time, she said.

So while I walked back to my car, I called the travel agent to let him know that he cancel the whole trip. My agent told me to hold on and he started to look for another alternative. Within literally one minute he had an alternative flight ready for me, still with KLM (flights operated by KLM and Alitalia) that would get me to Venice that same evening (yesterday that is), to Rome the following morning flying out from Venice at 6.50am and to Cairo from Rome leaving at 9.25am. The flight to Rome would leave in 30 minutes, so I still had to hurry quite a bit!

I went back to the ticket counter and when it was my turn I told one of the KLM people that whereas they couldn’t get me onto a flight, my travel agent, who in fact is in Germany, could, so they’d better get me a ticket. After working like maniacs for 10 minutes to get me a FIM (Flight Interruption Manifest), I finally could get onto the flight. 20 minutes later I was on the flight to Venice. The KLM people were quite amazed and embarrassed. While they couldn’t get me on a flight anymore, my travel agent arranged it in literally one minute…

I have to say until two years ago, I never really saw the need to have a travel agent, unless you had to do an insane amount of traveling. Now, I do a fair bit of traveling, but I though it would only cost you. 5 minutes after I received my boarding pass for the KLM flight to Venice, I also received a text message with a hotel I could stay in and the additional flight details. So now I know better. Michael of Upper Level Travel: thanks!

Now I have to catch my flight to Cairo…