flying to Malaysia: We had a rule that if you went to meet a customer you had to fly their aircraft. So I book on Malaysian Airlines (Montreal, Vancouver, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur). Everything is fine, till we get to Vancouver where an actuator for a thrust reverser is broken, and a mechanical delay is caused.
Three hours later everything is fixed, but by then several customers refuse to sit down -- they want a different aircraft...flight is scrubbed (because the crew was timed out)and we are put up in a hotel overnight (where the same aircraft takes off and start its journey).
We eventually land in Taipei for refueling (these were the days) and as we take off, the thrust reverse flap opens (its a 747 so not the end of the world) pilot shut down the engine and we return to Taipei -- I'm ushered to another Malaysian airline aircraft and arrive in KL 28 hours late.
The next day I sit down with the CEO, CFE, and Chairman of the airline -- who chides me for being 36 hours late (no one had told him of the disaster of my flight -- nor did I), that evening over a few beers with the CEO and CFO (who are not Muslims) we laugh about the whole thing -- cheap evening they insisted in paying to thank me for not making the Chairman look like a moron that doesn't know about his airline's problems.
Even got the mandate.
Flying into Nepal: Because I was meeting with government officials my firm got me a business visa instead of a normal travel visa. The reception I got at the airport was completely unexpected -- I got a third-degree and was arrested by the police (BTW I was the only one with a business visa on that flight). Fast forward three hours of interrogation by the police...no joking! I had no idea what all that was about. Eventually, I was "allowed" to call my contact in Kathmandu who was waiting for me. Told him I had been detailed because I had a business Visa.
What I didn't know was that I was supposed (it was kept a secret) to meet with the King that evening -- we were there to help the national carrier with its fleet of aircraft. 40 minutes after "my call" there is very very loud noise outside the detention room, and suddenly a number of military walk-in (I was very very concerned by that point) I thought "do they think I'm here to start a coup!"
Anyway, two seconds later walks in (my contact, the chief delegate from the Canadian consulate, the head of the police, and the head of the presidential guards -- seriously) and outside there are 200 soldiers (not really but there were a few!!! they take me out with my luggage (bags had been destroyed...) and we got in a car.
I was late for my meeting with the king, no joking. I arrived in a rumpled suit with two days of travel. What followed was a surreal conversation, he must have noticed how I was attired, but never said a thing. Needless to say that the rest of my visit went very well and again we got the mandate!
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