Goa in 2004 with group.. to be the only passenger in the aircraft and then accompanied by one more

I accompanied the ICICI Bank group in December 2004, for their conference in Goa held at the then Hotel Park Hyatt in South Goa. This was when I was employed with Traveljini.com (ICICI venture) - the first travel portal company in India, as Manager- MICE

A beautiful hotel with its meandering pools and room with additional (roof open) bathroom concept, Hotel Park Hyatt had beautiful landscapes and facing the Arossim beach

Photo taken by me at the Hotel Park Hyatt, Goa in December, 2004

One day of the group was spent in sightseeing.

It was the year and time when the body of St Francis Xavier too was exposed for veneration and I felt blessed to spend some time there

The adventurous part of this trip was that on the last day that was day 5 , our Indian airlines flight scheduled to travel in afternoon got postponed to 8 pm, which, if taken, would have caused added cost for the group in terms of room extension time, etc, hence after we made special calls to the Goa airport asking them if there would be any earlier flight, where the group could be accomodated , they said if we could reach airport in next half hour they could accomodate us in the next flight that was scheduled to leave that afternoon even prior to our earlier postponed flight. We were around 50 of us. since the group had already packed and checked out in time, we all hopped into the coach and departed to airport which was 1/2 hour away. On request from the Company's group coordinator, all tickets were collected by me, so that I could quickly do their check in and they can board the flight,

We reached the airport and after actioning the check in of all, when it came to my turn-- Lo! I had missed to collect my baggage from the coach when all of alighted from the coach, and the coach had returned to the hotel with my baggage in it.

Indian Airlines was in full support and they offered to send my baggage to the Mumbai airport by a later flight, however, they gave me an option too of travelling in the 8 pm flight. I opted to take the 8 pm flight. Here is the exciting part--- they heeded me that I would be the ONLY passenger in the aircraft and asked me whether I would be afraid to travel alone, I said I wasn't. By evening I got my baggage brought back to the airport from the hotel, Indian airlines was so supportive and concerned that they even told me that I could have any snacks and refreshments at the courtesy of the airport. I was more than happy at being a pampered passenger.

Around 7 pm one of the Indian airlines staff came and announced to me that I was lucky, and I have a companion now to travel. I was introduced to a senior looking person who happened to be General manager with one of the departments of Crompton Greaves. Finally after a long delay they asked us both to board the flight, and once in the flight , the pilots themselves told us we could sit anywhere we wanted, there were 2-3 airhostesses and we spent our journey time chatting with one another.

We landed at Mumbai airport and after thanking and bidding good bye to one another, I headed back home. I felt I came home in a private chartered flight!!