I really didn’t expect to be updating the blog quite so soon after we left Heathrow but our experience at Mumbai airport felt rather more like a chase scene from a well written thriller than a connecting flight.
Due to both bad weather and some problem at Mumbai airport we knew that we were not allowed to land there before 4am which did reduce our ample transfer time from 3+hours to 1 & 1/2 hours but we were confident that this could be done. As we left the plane there were lots of smartly dressed airport staff shouting information that should have directed us were we able to understand them. Fortunately some well placed signs in English and a couple of quick questions and we made it to immigration without too many problems - all going well. The staff at immigration weren’t terribly keen to move quickly but there were plenty of them so 11 of us, armed with our appropriate documents made it through in swift order. Then to baggage claim! For some reason we had to claim our baggage from the Heathrow flight and recheck it onto the next flight. 22 Items of checked baggage including 3 outsized cases and our plans began to break down. Apart from the outsized bags my suitcase was the last to come off the conveyor belt and as 11 of us made our way to where the outsized cases were coming in our plan to stay together started to breakdown. We were being pulled in 2 directions firstly but the very keen man who wanted to make sure we got all our luggage, and secondly by the equally keen man who wanted to see us through security and onto the second flight. What resulted was Dan going with Brian and Lexi to try and find their bags, leaving me with the rest of the group and to look after his luggage. At this point the second man decided that the group must start going through to security so I was left in baggage claim with 2 trolleys of suitcases 7 students heading off through security and check-in and Dan with the other students still hunting for bags - clearly at this point the clock is ticking!!!!!! Eventually, and still without the missing bags, Dan, Lexi and Brian reappeared having made the decision to leave their cases behind. I have never run through an airport pushing a luggage trolley - they are difficult enough to steer at the best of times but that is what we did, and got our baggage rechecked. We then ran through to security which was no mean feat at 4am in a strange airport where we couldn’t understand where we needed to go.
Upon our arrival at the security queue we found the rest of the the girls from our group so Lexi and I joined them to go through a ladies security check. Dan and Brian went to find a men’s queue. Finally the girls were all through and waiting for us were George, Jack, and Joe but no sign of Dan and Brian. At the point a variety of airport staff were strenuously encouraging us to go on another crazy dash through the airport to the departure gate. This included shoehorning the 9 of us into a lift. All the while I was trying to explain that we had two more of our party missing but they were more concerned about getting the rest of us to the plane.
When we were all on the bus headed across the airport with still no sign of Dan and Brian I came to he conclusion that the plane would leave without them so I stepped off the bus and headed towards the plane trying to work out how best to get a message to Dan and Anup to get us reunited as quickly as possible. With these thoughts spinning around my head I heard shouts from the group saying that they could see Dan and Brian on the plane.
As the plane left Mumbai airport Dan and I compared notes both convinced the plane would be leaving without the other and some of the students. I’d like to believe that the prayers for our journey were heard and that in the end they were answered, but not without a degree of heart stopping panic.