Returning from Bali to Brisbane, drinks have been served, we’re settling in, then an announcement … a passenger is in need of medical assistance, is there a doctor on board?
Three doctors step forward, cabin crew jump into action, another announcement… we will be making a detour to Darwin so that the passenger can get the care she needs. For the rest of us on board, overnight accommodation and meal vouchers are provided, assistance given for those with onward connections.
Stepping back …there is a calm acceptance, the focus on the passenger needing care. There were families with young children, it was late at night when we arrived in Darwin, there were no tantrums. It was as if we all came together simply wanting the best for our fellow passenger.
Things were not all wonderful. As onlookers we could see that improvements could be made by both the airline and the hotel in how they responded to the emergency, there were lessons to be learned.
Flight delays and cancellations seem to occur more and more often these days whether due to weather, technical issues or unforeseen circumstances. Whatever the reason, we have a choice – do you respond or react, do you accept what’s happened and make alternative arrangements or … spit the dummy?
As with our personal journey, things don’t always go according to plan, to our schedule. Timing is everything. What matters is how we make the journey…and we always have choice. We can stay calm and be patient, considerate, accept what we can control and what is beyond our control and in that way not only ease our own experience, but contribute to the resolution of the challenge faced by others. We can be conscious and think about how we are giving back to wherever we travel.