A precautionary tale II - good Karma

A Precautionary Tale II - Good Karma
As a plane lands, the purser typically announces that “a passenger agent will be waiting at the gate to help you.” When one travels on US airlines, excepting Southwest, this promise, like others, is rarely kept. But In Paris, a Malev agent was waiting and listened sympathetically to my plight. She said she would do what she could. I also contacted CTE staff members in Washington who immediately began working on the problem. Later, in Washington, I emailed a contact in Hungary.

I learned later that the Malev agent had immediately gone to work on the problem. She contacted Malev staff in Budapest. They contacted airport security, who located my laptop. A Malev staff member contacted security and picked the laptop up. Arrangements were made to have a pilot on the next outgoing flight to Paris take the laptop with him personally and leave it at the Charles de Gaul Malev office. Unfortunately, by the time it arrived I had already embarked for Washington DC.

My laptop was now safe, but it took a day or so for me to learn this. My colleague in Hungary did the research, first contacting airport security and then Malev. In time, I was able to speak personally with the Malev Office Director and made arrangements to ship the laptop by DHL express to Washington. The saga that had begun with my carelessness at the security check point was nearly over. Or so I thought.