My departure from Dubai was 0940. With luggage already held by the airline, I didn’t need to be at the airport too early. But just as well I didn’t dally leaving the hotel because I had trouble finding a taxi straight away.
All went well on the Emirates flight to Hong Kong. I couldn’t afford a delay arriving into Hong Kong as I have a self-connect on Air New Zealand to Auckland exactly two hours later at 2240. At the luggage carousel I waited forever for my bag. I was sure it had gone astray with the long overnight connection in Dubai. Lodging a baggage irregularity report within my intended 2 hour flight connection time is an impossibility. Fortunately my bag did turn up last.
I swiftly went up to the departures level to check-in for my flight to Auckland. Being on standby on an overbooked flight, it is normal to wait till about 40 minutes prior to departure before being issued a boarding pass. I was told to wait for about 20 minutes, rather than be told that the flight was overbooked.
Then came the good news … due to the severe blizzards in China, connecting passengers from there didn’t make it to Hong Kong. Now I am well and truly homeward bound 🙂
Unfortunately, as seen on the news … thousands of migrant workers are trying to make it home from cities to the villages for Chinese New Year. They will not share my joy as their loss is my gain. I wish them good luck and good weather in the lead up to Chinese New Year … and Kiong Hi Huat Chai / Kong Hee Fatt Choy / Gong Xi Fa Cai.