New party game launched by airline/airport
I participated in a great new airport game this morning as I awaited my flight back to Blighty.
It's called Passenger Shuffle. Here's how it works. Announce that the flight to Stansted will leave from gate B55 (upstairs/upescaltor). There it is, clear as day, B55 on all the electronic boards, just an hour before scheduled take-off.
Seasoned travellers (yep, c'est moi) are already one step ahead and therefore first in the leper queue (that's non-priority, non-seat booked and flying without a child).
Self-satisfied smirks all round as those of us at the front look down the long queue stretching out behind us. No problem getting a choice of seat today.
Wrong. It's Passenger Shuffle time. Here's how it works.
What you do is change the gate number to D27 (yep, the one back down the stairs/ down the escalator), make no announcement but get a member of the handling company staff to tell people about the change - starting with those at the back. You know, the ones we smirked at.
Then work your way up the queue to the friendly souls at the front, idly chatting away, without a care in the world. After all, we're in line for a great choice of seat.
Unfortunately, by the time the message got through to us, the stragglers had gone. We did the Passenger Shuffle, but we were ...... at the back of the queue at gate D27. Marvellous. Oh what a jolly jape. Must play it again some time.
By the way - amazing coincidence on my way out on Sunday. Minding my own business in the non-priority/ childless etc. queue, my attention is caught by a man stridding towards me.
As he gets closer he smiles - and says "have you got any magazines this trip?"
Yep, it was one of the kind passengers who'd helped me out in November. Small world.
And no, I didn't have any magazines. Too stressful.