A Meaningful Two Hours In Heathrow

By Sakini Mohd Said LONDON, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- "We are sorry. You have to check-out your bag at Heathrow." This writer’s heart dropped to the floor upon hearing those words by the British Airways ground staff. She was in Cannes attempting to check-in on route to Malaysia. This was probably not much of a problem for frequent flyers to overseas destinations. But for the writer, on her first assignment overseas, her mind was already filled with a thousand other worries and what-ifs. If only her flight flew straight to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)! Being in-transit in one of the largest and busiest airports in the world can be a daunting task for first-time travelers. At the time, the writer was reminded of warnings by friends back home: "If you have to be in-transit at Heathrow, be wary of the time. The airport is so huge that you can miss your flight if you aren’t careful." The writer tried to stay positive, but this is hard to do when you are alone, going to the Heathrow International Airport for the first time. The writer had actually transited on route to Cannes, France, from Malaysia to attend the 2011 MIPCOM (the World's Audiovisual Content Market Exhibition). However, she did not have to check-out her luggage then. At the time she was also with the entourage of Information Communication and Culture Secretary-General, Kamaruddin Siaraf. OH HEATHROW With no credit card and only €300 in hand, the writer journeyed to the Heathrow International Airport from Nice, France. She reminded herself to be as quick as possible, as the Malaysia Airlines flight back to Malaysia left at 10pm, London time. On arrival, the writer’s watch already showed 8.45pm. She wondered if she had time to check-out and then check-in again. If she missed her flight, the €300 she had was probably not enough to buy another ticket back. The Heathrow International Airport is indeed huge. There are five terminals. A transiting passenger has to be alert and aware of their flight’s time of departure, terminal and gate. This is vital because each terminal is quite far from the others and in different buildings. Passengers need to get onto a bus or train to get there. A mistake can cost a lot of time, especially for a passenger who needs to check-out their luggage first. "YOU HAVE TO RUSH" Signs are undoubtedly useful. However, the writer became panicked and confused when confronted with the signs "Flight Connections" (pointing ahead) and "Baggage Reclaim" (to the left). Which one first? "You have to fill out the form first," an immigration officer barked. It turned out that the writer was required to fill out the landing card to check-out luggage. As she soon as she was done with the form, she noticed the long line at the immigration counter. Her watch showed 9pm. She thought nervously: "Only an hour left till my flight takes off. Is there time to check-out and check-in again? And I need to be at the boarding gate half-an-hour before 10pm!" All hopes of getting through immigration quickly were dashed as the immigration officer bombarded her with numerous questions. "Where are you from? Why did you go there? What is MIPCOM?" However, after the questions were answered, the officer helpfully provided the writer with pointers on how to get to Terminal 4, where the Malaysia Airlines plane would take-off. "But you have to rush to catch the train to Terminal 4," she said. RUNNING Walking now seemed out of the question. With two bags strapped to her body, the writer ran toward the train, using the signs as guidance. But it turned out she had to go through several more procedures, making her more pressed for time. From there, the writer had to go through the compulsory body scan, luggage scan and other security procedures. The experience made the writer feel that Malaysians have a lot to be thankful for in terms of living among a courteous people. The officers at Malaysian airports can still manage a smile and greet passengers, but not in Heathrow. They not only found it hard to smile, but to be polite as well. Not content with making the writer take her shoes off (as she was wearing boots), the immigration officer barked: "Hey you, what’s inside your pockets?" The writer had to explain several times that it was money, but they seemed to not have heard her. The courtesy of the officers at baggage claim also left a lot to be desired. As it was the first time there, she was confused about where to go and in what section to find her bag. "You should have come earlier. It’s late," a sullen officer on duty told her when she inquired where baggage claim was. Certainly unhelpful. If the writer thought they could help speed things up for her, she was sorely mistaken. However, the writer eventually managed to collect her luggage and went on to her next destination. TERMINAL 4 From there (Terminal 5), the writer had to get to Terminal 4 by bus or train. At that time, her watch indicated that it was already 9.30pm. Her feelings were of resignation. The writer was told that she had to change trains to get to Terminal 4. When she heard that, the writer was reminded of the movie "The Terminal", which was about an eastern immigrant who found himself stranded at the New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. She started wondering whether she would suffer the same fate if she missed her flight. However, at that moment, her eyes suddenly fell on a clock in the train. The writer could hardly believe her eyes. She asked the lady next to her: "Hello miss, what’s the time now? Are you sure? That’s London time?" It turns out it was only 8.40pm, London time. The writer breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had forgotten to reset her watch from Nice time, which was a n hour earlier than London. A MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE Although she appreciated the humour of the situation, it remained a bittersweet experience for her. The writer learned to get out of her shell in Heathrow and to be bolder, more positive and independent. Although it was what most people would deem simply an experience at an airport, it taught a thousand lessons to the writer, who had never traveled abroad. Battling Heathrow, one of the largest airports in the world alone, to reach the door of the plane to Malaysia, was not an experience that could have happened had she travelled in a group. The two hours in Heathrow were a lesson she would never forget, and certainly an experience she would miss. -- BERNAMA