Stories by Louis Ibah
The 2017/18 Christmas and New Year season is just a fortnight away with hundreds of Nigerians expected to travel by air to various destinations within and outside the country. Without doubt, the huge passenger turnout at airports during this yuletide season would make the airports environment a very stressful place to be. While airlines and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would certainly come up with lots of advice on what you should do to ease the stressful conditions at airports during the yuletide period, it is also important to note that there are lots of things that you should never, ever do. Below are some of the Don’ts.
Getting drunk
“Am going on holiday and must start the feasting at the airport!” Tempting as it is to start your holiday festivities at the airport (especially if you are traveling in company of friends or family members) it is however wise to exercise restraint in the alcohol selling section until arrival at your final destination. In fact, there are cases of air passengers who have missed their flights during yuletide periods due to over-drinking at airports which should serve as enough lesson to discourage others from doing same. Some run into friends they have not met for years and forgetting that they could have varying departure times start drinking. Some either lose consciousness of their departure times or they sleep off and never get to hear their boarding announcements.
But it makes a lot of sense to be on the side of caution, even if you had a three to four hours layover duration to board your flight, or you arrived early only to be told your flight has been delayed, keep off all alcoholic drinks at airports during this period. Remember most airports will be at their peak passenger traffic moments with lots of noise.Some passengers may have issues with their baggage and airlines could call them to come and sort things out at very short notice.
It follows therefore that the best condition you can create for yourself at this period is an alert mind that allows you know when and where to board your flight, and not one where out of drunkenness you lean on a seat and sleep off without hearing when the boarding announcement is made.
Don’t lurk around the gate
Resist the almost irrepressible urge to hang outside the airport with friends that dropped you or to hang around the gate waiting for your flight to be called, like it’s a commercial taxi you hired and have all the right over the driver. “Final boarding announcement on Flight 243 to Owerri…” that might be the only time you will get to hear the boarding announcement and at the MMA1 in Lagos with only one entry gate at the departure lounge, you could end up running into a queue of so many passengers on various flights. You could be prevented from jumping the queue with the very likelihood that before you finally make it inside the terminal, the boarding gate has been shut and you end up missing the flight.
Don’t leave your baggage unattended
With overcrowded airports, it is not the best time to leave your baggage unattended even for a minute. Aside the fact that your luggage could be stolen as you can’t vouch for the integrity of the multitude of persons you see inside the terminal buildings this period, there is also the possibility of airport security viewing the unattended baggage as containing explosive materials. They may therefore take the luggage away to destroy it with all your valuable items. Keep your luggage therefore with you at all times – even if you’re rushing to the toilet.
Don’t lose your temper
The busy airport environment could make any passenger to lose his head and vent the anger on any person in sight. Remember, it’s the season where the harmattan haze could lead to flight cancellations and delays. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has already issued warnings to this effect. So if at any Nigerian airport you experience cancelled or delayed flights, or long lines at airline counters where you are supposed to get your boarding pass, change a flight date, or buy a ticket, and you feel infuriated, always remember the rules of social decency are not suspended at airports. The challenges you are experiencing are not the fault of the airline staff, so don’t take it out on them. Nothing gives you the right to give any airline staff a hard time or insult them verbally or assault them physically. Airlines in Nigeria now have the right to order the arrest and persecution of unruly passengers. Certainly, you don’t want to spend the yuletide season behind bars instead of being in the company of family and friends.
Don’t try to be funny
Once in an airport arena, try to discard humour and be serious with any official that accosts you.
The topmost priority at all airports is the security of lives and assets. And so, for instance, when the check-in person asks if anyone else has packed your bag, resist all temptation to respond: “As a matter of fact, you should know that I am old enough to pack my bag or how dare you ask such stupid question, am I a baby or do I look like a terrorist?” While it may put a temporary smile on their face, it may also backfire as you could be wrestled to the ground by security staff and your bag blown up in a controlled explosion.
It is also not even the right place to flirt with the check-in staff, the person may consider your joke as an abuse and may invite security personnel to arrest you. Remain courteous. And above all don’t make any joke that has to do with terrorism or bombings. Airports’ terminals have CCTV cameras mounted to monitor and capture such conversations and you could be taken in for questioning and possible detention even if what you did was an innocent joke.
Sleep
You arrived the airport tired: probably you got up at 4.30am in Lagos to prepare for a 7.30am flight to Abuja. You are done with all the check-in processes only to be told the flight is rescheduled for 9.30am for “technical reasons”. It could most likely be due to poor visibility arising from the harmattan haze or the that the aircraft is taken off to another route. Your head says “I must stay awake”, but your body is telling you “give me a little nap am starved of sleep.”
That decision to sleep could end up with you missing the flight. Remember it’s a very busy period. Airlines could cancel flight and reschedule as they wish. Why not stay awake instead knowing that once you’re on board, you can always sleep throughout the duration of your flight.