“The return makes one love the farewell.” — Alfred de Musset

(Continued from Part VI (2/2))

May 9th, 2024: After an early lunch, I began packing my luggage. I also had to keep in mind what I bought at Target and Macy’s in New York City. As a result, I wasn’t sure if things would fit into my existing luggage. After an hour (it was 16:00 EST), I still hadn’t finished packing anything. The micro soft blanket took up a lot of space, leaving behind my clothing. This prompted me to acquire more bags that met the Emirates’ check-in luggage standards. I requested my host to take me to a local store that sold luggage. He drove me to the Target shop in South Brunswick. After looking over the various luggage and duffel bag options available (including American Tourister and SwissGear), I decided on a white large American Tourister luggage (without a key combination) for $130.

He drove back home with me and picked up his son from school. With the new gleaming luggage, I set out to repack, which took another hour. And it was 17:30. I was meant to leave home at 18:00 hours for the airport. Everything fit snugly. Getting the heavy boxed suitcase down the steps was difficult. After a wash and a brief snack made by the host’s wife, we drove to John F. Kennedy Airport in his Toyota Cruiser SUV. By the way, while completing a rain check, I realized I had forgotten my microfiber towel. After I had packed and locked my bags, I wrapped the towel around my neck. I realize it sounds ridiculous, but I was running out of time.

We left home at 18:30. We had to go 60 miles to John F. Kennedy Airport. We crossed Route 130, Highway 1, the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95), and then drove across the Goethals Bridge onto Staten Island before crossing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn. After another fifteen miles on the Belt Parkway, we turned toward JFK Airport. The traffic on the NJ Turnpike was heavy, so we took the HOV lane to make up time. While driving across the bridges, one could see the Manhattan skyline well. As we approached Brooklyn borough, we could see Coney Island and Brighton Beach.

We arrived at the airport (Terminal 4, which is where Emirates departs) at 19:15 hours. Sure enough, there was a lot of traffic. There were many cars parked on the shoulder of the road to JFK (which is unlawful; instead, they should park in a designated place at the airport). The host parked the car, assisted me in bringing the bags to the sidewalk, and bid me a hasty goodbye before I walked to the terminal’s check-in booth. However, using the luggage trolley at JFK is not free of charge.

The queues were long! Very long. So long that I had to spend an additional hour just before reaching the desk. As I looked around, I noticed people hastily hurrying to other counters. It was a hectic scene. There were two airport staff members attempting to keep a queue for the Emirates counter, but several passengers bypassed the queue by removing the barrier and approaching it directly. Worse, there are two planes leaving for Dubai: one straight (which I was taking) and one with a stopover in Milan, Italy. Emirates had the longest backlog of any airline that used this terminal. El Al, on the other hand, had very few passengers waiting.

This was a frustrating experience. People in front of me in the wait frequently joked about making a sprint to the counters. Time was ticking. An Italian couple broke the line behind me. I instructed them to follow the queue. In answer, the gentleman informed me that he was on a trip to Milan and was running late. I noticed their faces; they were plainly frustrated. He told me that he is convinced he will miss his flight. While waiting in line, the lady staff announced priority check-in for customers traveling through Milan. People crowded the desks, including travelers on a direct trip to Dubai. The scene grew much more chaotic.

When my turn arrived, I quickly checked in two suitcases. The large one was obviously hefty, so the staffer zipped the tag into the handle. Following that, he walked to another self-check-in desk, printed the boarding tickets, and directed me to proceed. Following that was another line for the security check. This was a breeze for me. Remember how nervous I was at first? My passports were not stamped in the United States after I arrived at the Houston Intercontinental George Bush Airport. This came to light when the TSA officer checked my passport and visa. Nothing occurred. There were no queries raised about my entry into the United States. There was no departure stamp once I exited the security checkpoint.

My flight departs from the A7 gate. The Milan flight leaves from the A6 gate. I arrived at the gates after purchasing two legendary “I Love NY” T-shirts at the Hudson store. The former departs the airport at 23:00 EST, while the latter leaves at 22:20 EST. There were people at the A7 gate, separated into distinct lineups based on the zone they were assigned. Priority boarding was currently underway for first and business class guests. I was assigned Zone D.

After thirty minutes, zone D was called out, and I moved on. I boarded the Airbus A380-800 and quickly found my seat (78G – aisle seat). An older couple sat in the seats next to mine.

No staff member on this flight greeted me. They were busy assisting to load the bags into the overhead storage lockers. As I was familiar with the Emirates’ ICE on-flight system, I made my way to the cameras that could see the aircraft from the tail, head, and body (placed on the underside of the body). The flight’s departure was delayed by 45 minutes. Following then, audio-visual announcements about safety precautions were broadcast in both Arabic and English. These seats feature a monitor and a headset.

I read the ICE magazine, and there was nothing fascinating for me in it. This magazine mentioned show listings (movies, television), top music charts, adverts, and the Emirates RED section. The publication is fully in English. The flight took off at 23:45 EST. After the flight reached cruising altitude, I got on my phone and checked the time in Dubai. I set my watch and phone to Arabia Standard Time, which was 07:30. The flight from New York to Dubai takes three hours less time than the Dubai-Houston route.

Because it was an Economy seat, the legroom was limited. The crew members distributed the toilet kit to the passengers. It included ear plugs, an eye shield, a toothbrush, a comb, and toothpaste. The toiletry pack featured a wildlife motif. Along with the items, I saw a leaflet detailing Emirates’ support to wildlife protection. I fell asleep on the aircraft shortly after and covered myself with the blanket. I did not use the headphones given by the airline.

After several hours, an air hostess awoke me and asked if I wanted to eat anything. I reacted negatively because I was too drowsy. I briefly examined the monitor to track the flight’s position. It was flying in Romanian airspace over the capital, Bucharest. I dozed off again. I awoke at 16:00, and we were over Turkish airspace, near the city of Sivas. I was hungry and phoned a crew member. I requested him to deliver the food. The following moments were laughably funny. He told me that the dinner given some time ago was cold. Damn, I missed my lunch! He went and returned with a tray containing my “lunch”. Two bananas, a chocolate chip, and a sesame cookie. I was in a harsh shock!

I could not sleep after that. I used my noise-cancelling headphones to listen to the music in the “Khaleeji” segment. The crew member returned with a box containing a Margarita pizza, which I munched. The world explorer showed me the cities that the flight was flying through. Van, , Shahrud, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Shiraz…

We entered Iranian airspace (many planes to and from the United States, including Emirates, fly across Iranian airspace). The body camera captured images of Western Iran’s steep mountains, some of which were snow-topped. I texted my folks about the incident in Dubai. They informed me that because the trip was delayed, travelers on the New York flight will be granted priority check-in. I had roughly thirty minutes in transit before my trip to Bangalore. I dozed off again. After some time, I heard the sound of the crew members pushing the food cart through the passageway. I was not going to miss out on this lunch again. I received a vegetarian dinner (I ate vegan for health reasons), which included a bun, grape jelly spread, cheese spread, and butter spread, as well as the main course “paneer handi lazeez” and Greek yogurt for dessert. I had to dispose of my own trash at the crew members’ room.

And at 20:30 hours, the flight landed at the Dubai International Airport.

Passengers rushed to exit, and when I got out, it was already 20:50 hours AST. The Emirates mobile application notified me that I had five minutes to reach the gate (A13) before it closed. What the heck? I had to shoot shots while also rushing (or racing) to the gate.

Scenes at Dubai International Airport were chaotic, similar to those at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. Once again, the security check went smoothly. Unlike the original comprehensive screening before to the flight to Houston, no comparable measures were followed on the flight to Bangalore. The “final call” was broadcast on the screens of the A13 gate (by the way, I got to my gate in about seven minutes, so no shopping at the Dubai Duty-free stores). As soon as I got at the gate, two service members questioned if I was heading to Bangalore. I replied positively. After examining my passport, they printed a boarding pass for me, and I proceeded. I seemed to be the final passenger to board the plane (another Airbus 380-800). I remembered that I previously had a mobile boarding card for another Economy seat.

And when I got to my seat, it was Premium Economy! Wow! Emirates certainly knows how to keep its clients satisfied. The Premium Economy seats clearly had more legroom, with comfy recliners and legrests. I was sitting in the aisle with the ICE system, which was in the form of a folding monitor. But what disappointed me was that, despite being the last passenger to board this aircraft, the crew members did not greet me. They gave me a stern look as I loaded my carry-on luggage into the overhead compartment. The flight took off at 21:40 hours, following a twenty-minute delay.

While perusing the ICE monitor, I realized something. The one from the New York-Dubai flight is older than the one on this flight. That is true, truly. The self-exploration World Explorer module was not available in the earlier. It was instead integrated into the camera area, where clicking on a certain channel (Channel 1 or 2, it didn’t matter) displays the location of the flight. However, you can only view it and not alter it. And at one point, I noticed an arrow cursor in that region before it vanished, revealing the global map again. However, the ICE magazine remains the same on this flight. Many passengers on this trip were watching movies or television shows, mainly the “The Big Bang Theory” show.

I chose the vegetarian option of meals, which included an Indian appetizer “dhokla,” a main course “cabbage and pea thoran,” and a dessert of “rasgolla.” Drinks included wines (Domaine Chandon Brut, Macon-Villages Blanc Nos Cinq Terroirs Famille Paquet 2022, and Chateau d’Aiguilhe 2012) and juices, but I chose orange juice. The female crew member in this Premium Economy sector did not make any eye contact with me. She greeted me before moving to serve another passenger. I knew I was late, but a welcome drink should have been provided (I didn’t get one, considering other passengers had already had theirs). She was elegantly expressing her speech in her chat with passengers, using an emotional pleasant tone, but not with me. I thought I was being treated poorly.

A middle-aged couple sat in the chairs next to us. After dinner, I watched CNN on the ICE monitor. I set the clocks in my phone and watch to Indian Standard Time. The plane landed at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) in Bangalore at 02:40 IST. As the customer survey option appeared as a pop-up box on the monitor, I provided my honest ratings. You can predict what it would be. My luggage was stowed in a compartment not close to my seat, so I had to wait for other people to exit. I exited, and no one wished me again. I must state that, with the exception of the Premium Economy seat, the attitude of the crew members on the return flight was negative. Fortunately, I did not buy any chocolates for them. I wish we had crew members like Hilal and Moe who were proactive and energetic on these flights.

I went to the immigration section at the KIAL airport, then walked to the baggage claim section. There were some porters standing beside this portion, including Mr. Mallappa, who approached me and assisted me in taking up the bags. I didn’t even ask for it, but I didn’t completely reject his services. Okay, I thought he was doing me a favor. Until he led me to a counter and charged 600 rupees ($8) – 300 rupees ($4) for each suitcase. This was ludicrous, but I was exhausted and gave the money. Mr. Mallappa attempted to strike up a discussion with me, but was unsuccessful. My parents were overjoyed to see me when we exited the exit gate and entered the arrival section (remember how I was wearing a towel around my neck?). They claimed I had tanned a lot. Wow, after sixteen days without a child, they were glad to have me back.

They scheduled an Uber Premier ride back to home. The cab was awful, but the driver did not drive recklessly. So we arrived at 04:00 hours, after discussing the trip with my parents. They were taken aback by the size of the American Tourister bags. Jet-lag? Sure, I had. Anyway, it was a worthwhile vacation, and it marked the beginning of my future solo adventures.

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