I had intended to go from Vienna Central Station to the Vienna Airport Station, but I ended up at St. Pölten station, which is in the complete opposite direction, even though I had followed the directions on Google. Thanks to the kind station staff, I was finally able to catch a train back to Vienna Airport.
However, I arrived at the airport station almost 30 minutes before the flight departure, an extremely difficult situation considering the baggage check-in, security check, and other formalities. I rushed out of the airport station to the departure lobby, dragging my heavy suitcase with me. I went to the information desk to inquire about the Qatar Airways counter where I was scheduled to depart, and was immediately told, “Check-in for that flight is already closed ” That was a harsh statement. I persisted, but were told that there was nothing we could do and that I should go to the “Passenger Advisory Counter” in Terminal 1. I rushed from Terminal 3, where there is an information desk, to that counter. However, we spent about 5 minutes to get to Terminal 1, but they replied that if check-in was closed, there would already be no one at the airline counter, and I would have to make a contact call from there. In the end, I went back and forth between the two terminals, while time passed mercilessly, until finally I was told, “There is nothing we can do. It is impossible for me to take this flight, so I have no choice but to take another one.
I was so shocked that I felt as if I had been hit over the head with a heavy blow, and my mind went blank. I had never experienced such a situation in my 20-odd trips abroad since my days as a dental student. I spent a good part of my time sitting around, probably spinning out of my seat, stunned. In my head, I had nightmares that I might have to stay in the airport if I couldn’t get another flight today and couldn’t find a hotel close by.
However, I couldn’t just sit there and be depressed. I had to take some action, and what came to mind was an acquaintance of mine who is an aerospace engineer and travels around the world. He is a professional overseas traveler, so to speak, and was currently in Houston, Texas, on a business trip. First of all, I decided to contact this acquaintance, but when I looked up his cell phone number, to my surprise, I could not find the number because I usually use a line phone to contact him intimately. No, wait, there is an alternative: a line phone call! I called him on the line. I felt like a Buddha in Hell when I heard his usual laid-back voice saying, “Oh, Matsuga-san, how are you?”
What was really ultimately lucky was that it was around 8:00 a.m. in Houston at that time, and the acquaintance had plenty of time to spare before work. After hearing of my emergency, he instructed me to find a flight that was closer to today’s time. With a little time to turn around, Austrian Airlines in the country of departure would still have many flights. We might be able to get a flight to Narita. Or ANA or Turkish Airlines might be able to get a flight. I was later told that my acquaintance and his business partner, an American woman, had worked together to find an available flight before the turnaround time.
After receiving that much information, it was my turn to make my move. I went to the Austrian Airlines and Turkish Airlines counters, and fortunately, Turkish Airlines had a flight available four hours later, and I immediately made a reservation. The flight from Vienna via Istanbul to Kansai International Airport was a bit shorter than the one I had originally planned, and it ended up arriving at Kansai International Airport only one and a half hours later than the flight I had originally planned to take with Qatar Airways.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the two people in Houston, the young station attendant in St. Pölten, and all the others who took care of this helpless individual traveler.
Upon my return to Kansai International Airport, I first of all ate tea and rice balls at a convenience store in Japan, and immediately after returning home, I ate “THE Japanese food” menu, and was once again very grateful for the calming situation in Japan.
This concludes the report on this checkered Vienna tour, which ended up consisting of seven parts.
《 Postscript》
By the way, I later looked up what kind of place St. Pölten, which is related to the current turmoil, is. According to the answer by AI,
“ The distance from Vienna Central Station to St. Pölten is about 55 km. By express train, the shortest journey is about 29 minutes.”
I was going to Vienna Airport Station, of course, and AI told me
“ The distance from Vienna Central Station to Vienna Airport Station is about 18 km. The express train, RailJet, will take you there in about 15 minutes.”
In other words, I was going to a city in the opposite direction, which would have taken me an hour to get there and back, when I could have been there in 15 minutes. And I had to wait about half an hour at the station.
I asked AI what kind of city St. Pölten was, and he said,
“St. Pölten is the capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria and has a population of about 55,000. Historically, it was the site of the Roman colony of Aelium Cetium, which was granted city rights in 1159. The city takes its name from St. Hippolytus.
The city has a unique blend of baroque and modern architecture, especially the modern buildings in the old town and government district. There are many cultural events and activities related to music and art. Major tourist attractions include historic squares, museums, and music halls.
The city is also easily accessible from Vienna, making it a popular base for day trips. The natural environment is also a great place to enjoy outdoor activities,”
AI slurred.
