More updates...

I have quite a bit to say. In fact, it deserved to be split into two (or maybe three) posts. But as usual, I had been lazing around too much and didn’t pen things down in time. Anyway, here it goes. Trying to put everything chronologically, and split it accordingly.

Got to know of a travel agent in Ho-Chi-Minh Sarani in Calcutta (apparently, a lot of travel agents have their office in that area. My first visit to them had been with the purpose of getting quotations, but I ended up blocking my ticket. Of course, it was easier said than done. All sorts of offers were available. Different routes, different airlines, different flight times, and different luggage rules, not to mention different prices. Lufthansa happened to be the only airlines which can pick you up from Calcutta and drop you at Columbus, but the route was too long (Calcutta-Frankfurt-Chicago-Columbus). This could have been handy as a direct check-in would mean I would not have to worry about my luggage in any of the transits. I could also take a Kingfisher flight to Delhi and then take Continental Airlines to Columbus (via New York). This meant no luggage harassment at the port of entry to the US. Needless to say, we continue to be the middle-class Bengali who would never fail “arektu shosta hole hoto na?” (couldn’t we make it cheaper?). Of course there were other reasons for choosing the deal we did (and I would explain that shortly), but why let go of an opportunity to crack a stupid joke?
We finally agreed on Air India flight from Calcutta to New York (via Delhi) and then Delta Airlines flight to Columbus. Biggest advantage was that Air India was allowing an extra luggage for “students flying for the first time”. Considering first time means I would carry almost an entire household, this offer is invaluable. As for collecting luggage and completing immigration/customs in time for the connecting flight, the deal gives me 8 whole hours! Air India is scheduled to drop me at JFK airport at 6:00 am local time, and Delta Airlines flight won’t depart for Columbus before 2:00 pm. Of course the first flight could be delayed, and I would also need to change terminals at JFK within this time. But people had advised me to keep “at least 3-4 hours in hand”. In that context, 8 hours should not be much of a problem.

The problem lay elsewhere. Blocking a ticket proved to be more complicated than I had assumed. I learnt that you cannot select the duration for which you want to block (or so said the agent). It depends on the airlines, and comes automatically. After completing the process, she smiled nicely and said “I have blocked till 10th of July”. I was about to feel good before I realized that we were already on the 7th! I called her on the 10th and requested her to extend it further (and this time it “came” to be till 13th), and also asked her to extend it further till 16th. However, on the third occasion, it “came” till 15th. So, on the 15th of July, I got my ticket issued (or was it that I HAD to?). This is interesting as, till that time, I had no idea whether I was getting the visa at all! The extra luggage business was kept pending as, in order to avail it, I needed to show a copy of my visa. I could only hope that it would be done as soon as possible.