Saturday, December 01, 2007

HELP?

Hi all,

Let me just get straight to the point. I did something terribly stupid yesterday and I need any help I can get on how to sort it out.

My bunch of friends from bschool is planning a trip to Cambodia-Malaysia early next year and the most resourceful and efficient of us, (emm.. not me as you will discover soon!) SB, has been managing coordination and skeds on this for the last 2 months now. Finally got around to booking tickets on budget last evening. Asked me to collate details on passport numbers, DOBs etc for the 3 of us travelling from Singapore.

Being the ever eager, trying to chip in, enthu cutlet that I am, I jumped on it. "Yes yes! Leave it to me!" I exclaimed and set out on the assigned task. Since Sha and N were on my floor you'd imagine it'd be a pretty simple exercise. Listen, note and email out to SB. Simple, one would assume.

I sent out what I thought was an easy set of details and then set out on the Fri evening dinner et al and came home to discover an email where N replied to my mail saying "Hi, sorry but one '2' is missing in my passport number" and SB had replied saying "Yeh kya kya karte ho tum log? Ab cancel nahi ho sakta, pad gaya Rs 10000 ka fatka".

I just sat there marvelling at my own stupidity for about 10 minutes. Emotions in abnormally large numbers flowed through my little brain - rage at self, more inadequacy at stupidity and carelessness, entry into official idiotdom (this episode having put me on the brink), impending disaster as a result of my overenthusiasm + lack of attention to detail, sadness at letting down friends and helpnessness at not knowing what to do - being some of them.

Now I'll handle the rest on my own, but I need help with the helplessness.

Everyone, anyone out there - If you've indulged in this stupidity earlier - skipped a numeral in the passport number for online bookings on budget airlines, how did you go about setting it right?

- Did you contact the airline?
- Did you just go to the airport and take a chance?
- Did you cancel (GULP!) the tickets and let the money go?
- Did you pray more often, maybe visit a temple / church/ mosque or 2 (As you can see, I'm at the absolute pits of desperation right now) coz I CAN do that (I may be stupid but I have faith in copious amounts!)

Kindly pour in tips on what might help in this situation and I shall be very very obliged. I shall even go to my favorite temple and throw in a prayer or two for you - a full archanai if you so desire. (Just send me your nakashtram details ok?)

And do not judge. You could've been JUST as stupid ok? Ok who AM I kidding! You couldn't. Go on, judge. But HELP!

9 comments:

Envy said...

hey sudha
my 2 cents ..

- i think missing a digit from up pp number is not a big blunder
- i havent experienced anything like this but if i were in ur place i would call up the airlines and tell them about your folly.
- this is quite understandable and u should easily get away as ur identity card matches all the other details you have entered.

hope this helps

venky

Penguin said...

ayyo heroine! The way you make it sound, people would think that the world has collapsed around you. Call the airline man! They'll do chumma waii-waiii but they will change! Chumma tension and all. Che!

Bulletvish said...

hey Su, I had come across a similar problem with the name. It was different from the one appearing in the passport so we called the airlines and changed it. I think it will work with the passport number itself. You are not trying to do anything wrong here, so they shouldnt have any problem. And trust me these things happen when organising tickets even for one, so dont feel so bad.

lemme know whether its set right, will mail you the nakshatram details.

Viraj Datar said...

hey Sudha,

I think just calling the airline and telling them that u need to correct the passport number may be sufficient here... I dont think they will make u cancel the ticket, coz all other details are verifiably correct....

So yes, I'll be more than pleased to accept whatever money u save in this, and ofcourse your blessings and prayers :) haha..

prasi said...

Yep, doesn't seem like that should be a problem at all. Also, you "missed" a digit--did not get it wrong. So it would be obvious to them that it's just an oversight.

unpredictable said...

Hey all, thanks so much for the tips.. overall seems manageable yes? sorry for drama but that's just writing style :) I wasn't too worried about it, just wanted to make sure I did all the checks needed to ensure it stayed tht way :) THANKS!!!

Shobha said...

Hi,these guys seem to have it covered ... calling the airline and correcting the error should do it.
Hope it all works out,sweetie .. good luck!

Anonymous said...

I say delete that person, give my pp number and take me instead.
lalalalala.
-mo-

jvd said...

i still have faith in u to book my spore- kl :-)