BEST CHEAPEST FASTEST

Recently, my son Kirsten had to fly down to Kochi to join his new workplace. We booked a flight for him on GoAir airlines. As you may know, this airline has run huge losses in the pandemic era and has even applied and secured a government loan to offset this. 

When I was booking the ticket for my son, I had been directed by the Holy Spirit to book another flight by Indigo airlines. But, I looked at the CHEAPEST option I could get. There was a difference of Rs 400 so I decided that it was the better choice and I booked it. 

Imagine my consternation, when, on casually trying out the PNR on the GoAir website to check out how to do web check-in (mandatory in these Covid times), I found the flight was CANCELLED. 

I called up the airlines and they offered me two options: to refund my money (sic) or to reschedule. Obviously, I chose to reschedule for a flight that was going a few hours later on the same day.  I was secretly happy with the change because being a Sunday we could now hear Mass before leaving for the airport. 

But, that was not the end of our woes. Three days prior to departure, I went again to the website to check out some rules regarding the RT-PCR test, etc and was shocked to see that the flight was CANCELLED again.

Now, I really panicked. What was happening? Did God not want my son to go? But we had received the call on the Feast day of the novena I had done for the same said opening. Had Mother Mary changed her mind? 

I called the airline again and rescheduled once more, hoping this was third time lucky and I had struck HOME. 

And, so, three days later, having successfully checked in on the web and secured the boarding passes, we left for the airport.  My son was flying for the first time so my heart was naturally in my mouth. Would he do everything properly and not mess things up? I kept praying until he said, "Mama, I finished cabin check. You'll can go now!" 

We returned home, and as is my usual practice, I tracked the flight on live tracker. But, I really dont know why I decided to check his ticket once again and discovered, to my horror, just as the plane was taxiing on the runway for takeoff, that his connecting flight had been CANCELLED. Yet again! 

This is a hatrick, friends. A HATRICK! 

My poor son had to trudge all the way to the counter at Mumbai to find that there was no option except to refund. He signed the refund form, retrieved his check-in luggage after two hours of waiting and I booked his flight on Indigo airlines for the next day. 

My son spent fourteen hours at Mumbai airport, alone, and finally landed at Kochi airport on an airplane that he says was almost full. Full of people who obviously were SMARTER than me and knew what was BEST. 

Why am I telling this tale? Because as humans, we are always wanting to settle for CHEAPEST. The lesson learnt was that it often can be a case of PENNY WISE POUND FOOLISH. In our case, we lost Rs 6000 plus trying to save Rs 400. Yes, that was the difference between the two tickets. I even went to see if the flight the Spirit was telling me to book had flown. IT HAD!

God always has our BEST interests in heart. We settle often for the CHEAPEST or the FASTEST. He did tell me but I did not pay heed and so I paid HEAVILY. 

In the spiritual realm, He offers us the BEST but we want to enjoy the worldly goodies the Devil dangles before our nose, the CHEAPEST and the FASTEST way to Hell. 

God knows when and how to give us temporal things too. I remember a friend tell me how she got a pair of shoes for her son. They were going through a tough time then and she didnt have enough for a new pair but she prayed with FAITH and entered the shop. Sometimes, they have sales, she thought, and maybe there will be one that is marked down which will fit the bill. 

Imagine her surprise and delight, when the shop owner sold her a new pair for twelve dollars. A pair of shoes that cost over a hundred dollars! How did that happen? Well, it was the last pair in that style and so, store policy applied. That is what I call GOD'S BESTEST. 

UPDATE (10 SEP)

On 31 Aug, we were surprised to receive an email stating refund has been processed. I waited for a few days then called up the agency we had booked through (Cleartrip) and they confirmed with the airlines and told us the amount would be refunded in a month's time. 

Imagine our delight when on 9 September, the money was added to the original place we had paid it from, which was Amazon Pay. I had prayed and surrendered this issue to my dearest Mother Mary who has triumphed again for me in my hour of distress. 

Gallery of tickets

Web check-in done on D day at 6.15 and boarding pass issued

GST invoice of flight ticket

GST invoice of flight ticket

GST invoice of flight ticket

Time I checked on day of flight after the first leg had already started on runway

Boarding pass of Indigo airlines.