English Conversation - AT THE AIRPORT

At the Airport

Ranjan has arrived at the airport to catch flight B A 201 to Calcutta.

Ranjan porter! Porter?

Porter Yes sir. Only one bag? flight and airlines sir?

Ranjan to domestic flight to Calcutta.

Porter This way sir. Please pay Re 10 for porterage per luggage at the airline ticket counter.

Porter age counter One piece sir? Here is your baggage ticket?

Rajan (To the poter). Has the flight to Calcutta been called yet?

Porter Yes sir. Please stand in that line and wait for your turn.

Voice on the P.A. system your attention please. Calling all passengers traveling by Bharat Airlines Flight No.201 to Calcutta. Passengers are requested to check in their baggage at the ticket counter. Thank you.

Man at the Ticket counter your ticket please, sir. Please place your luggage on a weighing machine .As per the airlines regulations,luggage allownce is only 20 kg.

Ranjan Where is the weighing machine to follow baggage restrictions?

Man at the Ticket counter Just at your right hand side. Thank-you sir. Here is your baggage ticket, Do you have any hand baggage.

Ranjan Yes, one piece.

Man at the Ticket counter Here is a baggage tag for your hand baggage. Please keep the baggage ticket carefully sir. You’ll require it to claim your baggage at Calcutta. Here is your flight ticket and your boarding card. Thank you. Next please.

Ranjan sits on a couch in the waiting lounge.

Girl on the P.A. System All passengers traveling to Calcutta by Bharat Airlines flight No.201 are requested to proceed for airport security check. Thank you.

Ranjan (Inside the security check enclosure).

What do you want to check?

Security Inspector Are you carrying any fire arms or a pointed instrument?

Ranjan No i do not have any kind of fire arm.

Inspector (Feeling Ranjan all over). This is just routine, sir. We have to be careful about security , you know. What with all these hijackings going on.

Ranjan Yes, the newspapers are full of it these hijackings. I wonder how these people do it?

Inspector One cannot be too careful. Do you have any hand baggage ?

Rajan Yes, this briefcase.

Inspector Please open it. Right, that is all. Here let me stamp your Boarding card. Thank you.

Ranjan passes through the security check enclosure and waits in another lounge. After ten minutes.

Girl on the P.A.system Bharat Airlines Flight 201 to Calcutta is now ready for departure. Passengers are requested to proceed to the aircraft. Please keep your boarding cards ready.

Ranjan (To the passenger walking next to him). Excuse me sir, which is the aeroplane that we board?

Passenger The bus standing at the entrance will take us to the correct aircraft.

Ground Hostess Good evening sir. May I see your boarding card, please? Thank you.

Ranjan Excuse me, where do I go?

Ground Hostess Please get into that bus

Ranjan (sitting in the Bharat Airlines bus, talks to his neighbour). I must say, I’ am most impressed with the efficiency of the Airlines. Air travel is so much more organized, faster cleaner than any other form of travel. Don’t you think so?

Fellow Passenger Yes. It certainly is the fastest way of getting from one place to another. I am a businessman. Very often I travel to Delhi by the morning plane, do my work in Delhi and then return to Calcutta by the evening flight.

Ranjan Isn’t that wonderful? You can travel 2000 miles in a day and do a full day’s work as well.

Fellow Passenger Yes, but this business of Security check wastes so much time. Then the planes are not keeping to their correct timings. Sometimes it can be very frustrating and upsetting too.

Ranjan Here we are Sir. May I hold one of your bags ?

Fellow Passenger No thank you I can carry both my bags. Thank you all the same for the offer.