Please do not get me wrong. I like La Costeña airline, the owners are easy to talk to, They fly all over this crazy country with a great safety record and the prices are reasonable. On the other hand, the ticketing process is historically primitive and as we say here, lead floats and cork sinks in Nicaragua. Thus, in light of prior bitter experience I always buy tickets at the airport and if I do not go myself I send a written ticket order with the payment. This morning I was busy so I sent the company runner to the airport walk up counter in Managua with a written ticket order for travel commencing on the 30th of July, this is the verbatim itinerary:
Managua-Bluefields 10:30 AM flight
Bluefields- Corn Island 3:00 PM flight
Corn Island-Managua OPEN RETURN
An hour later the runner came back with a ticket in three coupons for travel commencing the 30th of July:
Managua-Corn Island-Managua 8:00 AM flight
Corn Island-Managua OPEN RETURN
Bluefields- Corn Island (STOP OVER) 1:00PM flight
I looked at the ticket and thought, this is not right, there is no ticket to Bluefields. I better go to the airport or I will be flying straight to Corn Island and having a fight at check in. I then drove to the airport cursing Nicaragua, and waited in the line at the counter. After a short time I was called to the front and was politely asked if I could be helped.
I smiled like a cheshire cat, presented the ticket with the written ticket request and asked the clerk, "Where is the ticket to Bluefields"?
The clerk looked confused, then consulted with her supervisor in Spanish, English and Miskito and turned to me with a smile stating,"There is no ticket".
I replied, "Why is there no ticket to Bluefields"?
"You dont need a ticket, the system knows".
I thought to myself , Eticketing has hit La Costeña!! The infamous hand written passenger "list" is gone and I have just made a trip for nothing. Elated about the new world of Nicaraguan electronic scheduling I pushed the envelope and asked if the flight times had changed as the flights were leaving earlier.
With a little less radiant smile she slowly said, "No sir, the schedule is the same, you have to be there two hours in advance"
Foolishly, I questioned further, "But arent tickets for when the flights leave and not when you check in"?
She then looked like I was from another planet for asking such a foolish question.
"Not at La Costeña, we used to put the departure time on the tickets but the customers always came late so we now put the check in time on the tickets instead of the departure time".
I looked carefully at my ticket and the flight schedule and said, "But the flight to Bluefields leaves at ten thirty, why do I check in at eight"?
She looked again and said with a stern voice. "I am sorry sir, but we are very busy at eight and we need more time for check in, particularly since the customers still come late"!!
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