On November 28th I had set out on my journey to go to Toronto. The morning started off well, my supervisor picked me up and drove me to the station with my luggage and I caught the 10:23am train from Aioi to go to Sannomiya. I got off to transfer trains in Himeji, only the train in Himeji wasn't budging. I found out from these dudes that there was a train accident ahead and we wouldn't be leaving the station until 11:40am (it was about 10:40am at the time). Ok cool, I tell myself..no need to freak out and worry because it is nothing that I can control, I just have to have faith that the Lord will help me get to Kobe airport on time. My domestic flight from Kobe to Haneda(Tokyo) is at 1:25pm, so I still have some time. 11:40am comes and goes, I start to worry, but again there is nothing I can do so I sit tight on the train for an hour plus like everyone else. Just after 12pm the train starts moving. This was cutting it kinda close, but all I could do is go with the flow. Keep in mind that I had planned my departure time from home so that I would get to Tokyo's Narita airport at least 4 hours before my flight. I get to Sannomiya station, walk as fast as I could with luggage in tow to the o and take the monorail, buy a ticket and hop on the 1 'o clock shuttle about a minute before the doors closed. "Okay" I'm thinking to myself..."I don't know about making this flight." Lo and behold I get to the airport 5 minutes before my flight is supposed to leave. I was flying domestically with Skymark airlines. I go up to the counter and tell the lady my plane is and such and such a time, I know I can't go on it etc. and find out the next flight is at 13:35. I cancel and refund my ticket and get one for the next available flight. I briefly tell her my situation and she refers me to the All Nippon Airways(ANA) counter to ask them if they can speak to the staff at Narita airport with whom I will be flying internationally. I walk over and tell the ANA staff person my situation. I have a flight leaving for Toronto at 7:15pm, I won't get there 2 hours before my flight because there was a train accident and I just missed my domestic flight to Haneda(Tokyo domestic) airport. She says she will research and for me to come back in 10-15 minutes. I go back and she apologizes, but says she is still looking and will come and get me from the seating area. So she finally finds the information for the limousine bus schedule from Haneda to Narita airports. She shows me the time of the bus I MUST catch to get to Narita airport at 6:50pm, tells me that when I get to Haneda to ask the grand staff for help getting my bag and taking me to the bus stop. I'm thinking to myself "6:50!!! My friggin' flight is at 7:15pm", but alas there is nothing I can do except go with the flow. I thank her and head to my gate.
Fast forward, the plane lands at Haneda(domestic) airport and one of the flight attendants comes and crouches down beside me and says "I heard about you". hahahah I'm like ummm okay...she says "yes, you have a connecting flight with ANA from Narita to Toronto"...I say yes. She explains that she will help me get off the plane first and show me what I need to do. Cool. I take my carry ons down and wait in the 3rd row where I was seated. The lady comes and proceeds to reach over the people in front of me for my bags, then tells them to move aside so I can get through. So now, I'm literally the first person standing almost plastered up against the airplane door, watching some men unlock and open it from the outside. At this point I'm preparing myself to run to the baggage carousel with this woman and then to the limo bus shuttle. We walk down the airplane steps and she tells me to follow her around the nose of the plane. I look up and there is a van waiting for us and the driver is in the plane cargo area taking my suitcase off. I stop dead in my tracks, look at her and say "are you serious?!, no forreal?" She laughs and tells me to get in the van. I swear to you I almost busted out in tears...at this point if I had to miss my plane to Toronto, I would find solace in the lengths that these people went to to try and facilitate my situation. In the van now, the man is driving like a speed demon on the tarmac toward the terminal where I have to catch the limo bus shuttle. This stuff only happens in the movies! is what I'm thinking. He unloads my luggage, bids me farewell and goodluck and the lady and I start running through the airport to the limo counter so I can buy my ticket. Keep in mind I have to catch the 5:10pm shuttle to get to Narita at 6:50pm. We get to the counter, and God is so good that I caught the 4:55pm bus. I'm feeling very emotional at this point, but I have no time to dwell on those feelings. We walk outside to the boarding line, the driver takes my bags and I am thanking the flight attendant with the deepest sincerity I can exude. I tell her that "I would not have been able to do this without your help, thank you soooooooooooo much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Meanwhile she is saying your welcome and bowing to me...and I want to say nooooooooo you don't bow, I should bow, but as you know bowing is their custom. I say farewell, get on the bus and watch as she waits outside until the bus leaves! Now as amazing as this story is so far, I am totally and utterly confused by one thing. I flew domestically with one airline, Skymark. I have yet to fly internationaly with ANA/codeshared with Air Canada. How the bloody hell did two different airlines communicate to the point where the flight attendant heard about me, and had a piece of paper with my name, bag tag numbers, flight numbers etc. on it? That doesn't happen...it's two SEPARATE airlines! It just baffled me, and at the same time made me realize that these things can in fact be done. Anyway, I got to Narita airport and was at the check-in counter at 6pm. Thank you Lord. At about 6:30pm I was walking to my gate and I walked right into the line to board the plane. You can only imagine my state of emotion as I boarded the plane. The service I received just blew me away. Honestly if it wasn't for those people going above and beyond their call of duty, there is no way in hell that I would have made it to Toronto. Now...imagine this was in North America. HAHHAHAHAHAH yeaaaaa we all know where that would have went. So yes, a happy ending to a very long and stressful day. God is so good!
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