Last week I was supposed to publish my weekly article from Manchester and HELL NO I was still in Egypt making guesses and building up theories how the hell that had happened and whose fault was it. I was almost certain about the simple fact that the new airport had missing information system –and it is true to a certain extend this will be my future article issue- however as facts kept unfolding over the past week I got the full clear truth no illusions in it no theories nothing but facts, so as my first part of last week article was built on theories not facts I was heading as an Information Technologist to a simplified lesson on "How to build an Information System". This will be my future article(s)!
The Facts that prevented my travel on time!
1. I was due to travel to Manchester on Thursday 19 November 2015 around 4am.
2. The carrier was Turkish Airlines that I had traveled with then from Manchester some time on Marsh, they were supposed to fly me to Ankara then back to Manchester.
3. On due time I was by the Turkish Airlines check in counter to collect my boarding pass.
4. Having collected my boarding pass for Manchester I was heading to the controlling police officer of passports, and as I had a wheelchair assistance the assistant out of Egyptian generosity to help me out having both my Egyptian passport and the Antiguan one he did fill the forms of a foreigner using my Antiguan passport!
5. Immigration officer failed to find an entry stamp on that Antiguan passport and asked me "How I did enter Egypt?" I answered "I'm Egyptian and used my Egyptian Passport" the officer checking back my Egyptian passport found the entry stamp and asked the wheelchair assistant for the Egyptian green form dedicated to Egyptians leaving the country giving back the other wrongly filled form by a non specialized person who took it and headed to the Turkish Airlines check out counter not knowing what the immigration officer needed!
6. Turkish Airlines personnel no knowing what the immigration officer wanted wrongly assumed that my Antiguan passport does not qualify me to enter United Kingdom, proposed to modify my boarding pass up to Ankara, and there check out again to Manchester. I refused reminding them my ticket was issued from Manchester, to travel to Egypt then back to Manchester NOT Ankara, so they tried to double check in their computer system first, and being Egyptians employed by the Turkish Airlines, their natural generosity and desire to help pushed them to double check on the Egypt Air computer system before canceling my trip and travel!
Three major mistakes were accumulated due to the Egyptian desire to help without the proper knowledge, first the push wheelchair assistant filling up the wrong form, then the Turkish Airlines personnel not asking the immigration officer why he returned the wrong form but assumed I was not authorized to go Manchester and finally trying to find more information in another computer under the very same missing information system!
After years and years of so many travels not just to the United Kingdom but to many more countries including Greece, France, Spain, Miami not to mention the neighboring Islands to Antigua and Barbuda, for the first ever time I was facing this situation, I was furious but tired as well and could not clearly see whom to blame!
In the morning of Sunday 22 November when Turkish Airlines re-opened for the public after a long weekend –Friday & Saturday- so I went to discuss my problem not expecting any compensation for my wasted time and ticket I was mostly looking for answers what the hell had happened I found the manager most cooperative I could not believe she offered another ticket just the following available flight and she was on the phone with the operation manager in the airport but needed more time to finalize my ticket! They took my phone number to contact me once they had finalized the issues, I would say:-Too Good to be True!
As time passed was close to 4:30 I received that long awaited call from the airlines and the guy said :- I'm sorry but immigration authorities by the airport said you are not allowed to travel!
What the heck! What this guy tries to say??????
Few moments later I was by the company, the manager was there and repeated what the guy said on the phone, so asked :- Why am I forbidden to travel? She replied :- This is a private matter authorities will not disclose with any person but the individual himself, you have to see that immigration officer at the airport! And I headed straight to the airport hoping to see that officer, but how can I talk to him when he is on duty and I have no access to the travelers area without a ticket? However I was allowed to talk to the head officer over the phone from the information desk of the airport! By the end of the discussion over the phone I got a better view of the problem that was as I said it earlier the wrong form was filled up and when the officer asked for the correct form he never got it!
As I said that easy solution of new ticket was too good to be true the airlines were buying time they wasted the day for nothing I was pressured by my family that had no idea what was going on it is hard to explain why I absolutely needed to leave Egypt as soon as possible that is why I decided to buy a new ticket on another airline leaving the legal fight to a lawyer!
I guess because God is my defender and protector what is currently going on between Turkey and Russia is God's punishment to the Turkish Airlines!
May God keep blessing Egypt and Egyptians and peace of the lord be with you all.
