OK, here’s the story of how many things can go wrong on the road due to lack of planning, and lessons learned the hard way. I
I booked my flight to Auckland, NZ some time in November, after doing some research and deciding that I would spend a few days to Kuala Lumpur. I used sky scanner to find the cheapest ticket, flying from KL to Melbourne on AirAsia and from Melbourne to Auckland on Virgin Australia. Since it was multiple airlines, I had to book my tickets separately. I clicked “Buy” and forwarded my itineraries to Kayak, and went about my merry ways for a few weeks without thinking or looking at it again.
So I was sitting in my hotel in KL, 2 days before I leave and thought it would be a good idea to figure out when I should leave and how long my layover was. My AirAsia flight arrives at Melbourne at 9:20AM, and my Virgin Australia leaves Melbourne at 9:30AM. Wait… What?! I have a 10 minute layover??? I first reaction was disbelief. I checked a couple more times, and tried to see whether there was a time zone change involved, but that didn’t change the 10 minute layover. Then I tried to recall what I was thinking when I booked the flight, but way too much went on between then and now. Finally, I just had to concede that I made a really stupid mistake and tried to fix it. The fix wasn’t too difficult, with a $50 charge, I was able to change to another AirAsia flight, which arrived in Melbourne at 10:30PM the night before. My 10 minute layover has now become an 11 hour layover, but that was much better than missing my connecting flight!
I decided to have a chill last day in KL, since I would have to leave around 10:30AM for my flight. I packed up my bags and was all ready to go, and then decided to check my email one last time, when I found this at the top of my inbox “URGENT – …”. Really?! Had I not just taken a look at my email, I would have spent 4 extra hours at the airport. I jump back into bed and watched a rerun of A Few Good Men (Tom Cruise was so handsome then!), and enjoyed one last cheap meal at a roadside stall before heading to the airport.
I had not bothered to check in online and headed straight to the check in counter. The AirAsia X ground crew ladies were very nice and sweet, but they spoke with such thick accents that I could barely make out what they were saying. Finally I realized they were asking me for a visa. Visa? I had a panic moment, even though I specifically remembered looking it up and not needing one for New Zealand. Well, as it turns out, since I booked two separate flights, I would have to step onto Australian soil to claim my bags, which means I needed a visa. I started freaking out for a bit, but the ladies calmly directed me to the website where I can apply for a visa. FYI, even though the website does not list US as a country where citizens can apply for an electronic ETA, you still can! So I spent 15 minutes in front of the AsiaAsia counter and got an immediate approval for an ETA (which I still don’t know what it stands for), and was finally able to get my boarding pass.
My flight was delayed, of course. So by the time I got into Melbourne, it was already 3:30 in the morning. I considered putting down “claiming my luggage” as my purpose of visiting this wonderful country, but didn’t think the immigration officer would appreciate it. As it turns out he sent me to another agent to verify that I am indeed leaving the country (even though I have a visa anyway!), and I spent 10 minutes trying to find my itinerary for leaving Melbourne 6 hours later, before I was allowed to go claim my luggage. My next objective was to charge my phone and laptop, since I managed to drain both batteries on the 7 hour flight. Unfortunately, after searching half the terminal, I couldn’t find a single outlet! Tired and grumpy, I decided it wasn’t a big deal and gave up (this will come back to haunt me). I found a bench and laid out my sleeping bag (first time using it!) for a make shift bed. It was definitely not comfortable, especially considering there were nice leather chairs in the international terminal I could have been sleeping on, had I been able to check in my luggage the whole way. But my brain was barely functioning at this point and I swiftly fell asleep.
I think it may have been the loud Chinese tourists, or maybe just the cold, that woke me up at 6 in the morning. I was shivering in my sleeping bag and my neck was very cramped (backpack filled with electronics does not make a comfy pillow). I found the Virgin counter and waited patiently in line to check in, while multiple people who were about to miss their flights cut in front of me. When I finally arrived at the counter, the pretty lady informed me that I was actually at the wrong one and led me to a different counter, which had no line at all! I was still lamenting standing in line for 20 hours for nothing, when the new lady apologetically informed me that I was actually at the domestic terminal, and directed me to the correct one instead. Well, that was half hour well spent. So I wait in line for another 10 minutes, and finally made it to the right check in counter. Except, since I don’t need a visa for New Zealand, now the airline needs to make sure I’m leaving the place at some point. Oh come on! I just spent time convincing you I’m actually going there, and now I also need to convince you I’m leaving?! My flight confirmation email was safely in my inbox, but unfortunately my batteries have completely died on both my computer and phone. Instead of letting me charge my phone at the counter, my friend Mark the check in agent sent me on another search for an outlet, which I found 10 minutes later. I charged my phone just enough to reach my email, and got the ok to finally leave Australia (after all the trouble of getting there!).
I arrived in Auckland International Airport 3 hours later, with my phone charged and itinerary prepared to show the immigration officer that yes, I fully intend to leave this country at some point. But guess what! They didn’t really ask for anything at all, and I was on New Zealand soil in 5 minutes. Finally.
So the moral of the story is, don’t be lazy like me, and prepare thoroughly before you fly to a foreign country! 😛
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