This was no flight of fancy for Anuj Saxena (Jatin of Kumkum— Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan, Abhay of Kkusum).
While returning to Mumbai from Frankfurt via London on a British Airways flight, the telly actor claims he was unduly victimised resulting in unnecessary hardships and strains including having his baggage lost.
What irked him was the total apathy of the British Airways staff even though he was flying business class. He was shocked to find his co-passengers being taken care of when the flight was delayed at Frankfurt while he had to fend for himself.
"It was humiliating. I felt that I was being racially discriminated, especially when all the other British passengers were being looked after," he says.
It is learnt that the doctor-turned-actor was travelling on a British Airways first class ticket to the USA and was to return to Mumbai on January 20. He was flying from Frankfurt to London to board an immediate connecting flight to Mumbai. No intimidation
"I had checked-in three hours before the departure and was in the executive lounge at Frankfurt. But when the flight was considerably delayed there was no intimidation. It was only when I looked at the flight information monitor did I realise what was happening," he states.
Besides his acting commitments, Saxena also looks after his family business, Elder Pharma, which involves constant travelling to various destinations all over the globe. "I am out of the country almost every month for various business meetings and I fly British Airways business class often. I am also a gold card member of the British Airways Executive Club," he says. No help Holding a mirror to his screen-life, there was more high drama to follow. "Though the flight was considerably delayed there was no help at hand — despite being in the executive lounge. I had to go to the help desk and figure out what to do." He claims the other business class passengers were being aided — by putting them on a Lufthansa flight to London. "I had to do my own stuff and somehow managed to board the flight to London." Loose connections
To add to his travel woes, when he landed in London there was just a short while left for the British Airways flight to Mumbai to take off. "Again there was nobody to assist me," he says. However, despite all the travails, he managed to board the Mumbai-bound flight.
But there was more misery in store for him. After landing in Mumbai, he found his baggage missing. "Even though the staff at the Mumbai airport were helpful; they were clueless about the whereabouts of my baggage. For the next 24 hours I had to personally call British Airways at least six times, till I managed to obtain my baggage by a Lufthansa flight." Bitter taste
This entire episode has left Saxena with a bitter taste of flying British Airways. "Indeed it really makes me ponder as to what so-called priority British Airways gives to its first class passengers. In fact I feel, they sometimes make you feel like a second-class citizen," says Saxena who will also be seen in Sony's forthcoming show, Rishton Ki Dorr, besides running his own production house, Maverick. |
