"Il n'y a plus de place, monsieur." I could see it coming. She had now tapped that return key a few times too many. Normally, once or twice and "voila", your boarding pass. The fact that I had confirmed my reservation the day before did nothing to relieve my anxiety. This was the only airplane out for the next few days. The ripple affect of missing this flight would throw my carefully planned itinerary into utter chaos. Another airport, another FAO experience.
For most all FAOs, the first immersion experience is the arrival airport, and the last, the airport of departure. The wave of that initial sensation of your first Third World airport is something few FAOs or their families ever forget. For FAOs - ICTers, SAOs, DATTs and the like -- this is only the beginning of a recurring challenge that is negotiating this obstacle course. While all airports are not created equal, if your travels will take you to/from those located between 40N and 30S, I offer the following survival tips:
The cardinal sin for a FAO is to not comply with the entry requirements for a given country. This information is available in a number of sources, foremost, the Foreign Area Clearance Guide. The Consular Section of your embassy can assist you here as well. You can also access this information through the FAO, DoS, and country web sites. Research and confirm. This is your responsibility. Arriving without a visa or required immunization is not the way to impress your hosts. Testing the needle recycling program of a developing country is not a way to enhance your longevity.
Next, of course, you must make your travel arrangements. Give yourself plenty of time to make connecting flights (Buyer beware: most of these airlines do not measure on time performance). Travel agents often don't understand the dynamics at work here. Without batting an eye lash they'll fly you across Africa, land you in Nairobi, and give you a one hour layover to make a connecting flight to Addis Ababa. If this idea doesn't bother you, then my advice is to board the plane wearing running shoes, with luggage in hand.
By all means, confirm your flight between 24 and 72hrs before you depart. If at all possible, use the embassy travel agent. They are familiar with the land mines and the secret hand shakes. Much of the Third World subscribes to a charming backup system to automated ticketing, which ensures airlines never overbook. They simply give your seat away and/or cancel your reservation if you fail to confirm.
Then there's baggage. Take a carry-on. It's a pain and a war -- everyone has a parachute kit bag they try and stuff in the overhead -- but essential. Carry your toilet articles and a change of clothes. Rare is the FAO who has not experienced baggage problems on ICT. Know your baggage weight limitation and pack accordingly. What you are allowed for checked baggage weight can vary dramatically between carriers. Unsuspecting FAOs have paid hundreds of dollars in excess baggage fees. This is NOT refundable.
Money is another challenge. Carry small bills and change for tips. This amount will vary, but should be about five, one-dollar bills or the local currency equivalent. Coming in, you'll need more money for a taxi (if appropriate) and tipping the hotel bag handler. No self-respecting FAO should borrow money from the expediter for this or any purpose. Keep an emergency stash of cash. Since many currencies are virtually non-convertible outside their countries, most FAOs try to draw down their cash before flying out. This can invite disaster since, in many instances, the airport imposes taxes on outbound passengers. If you find yourself flying at odd hours, this can be a problem, since, when present, currency exchanges are only open during peak hours. I recommend you keep 50-100 USD cash concealed on you (a good idea in general) to guard against such a problem.
Arrange for an expediter. Yes, I know, you're a FAO. You will feel oddly pampered by someone guiding you through the airport, filing out your embarkation/debarkation cards and generally holding your hand. There will very likely come the day, however, when you too will encounter that disinterested ticket agent who will tell you that your confirmed ticket worthless. Then expediter says those magic words "wait here" and disappears to chat with his airport buddies behind the counter. A few moments later he just as routinely hands you your boarding pass. Problem solved. If you don't have an expediter, then take a baggage handler. While they won't do you any good with the airline, they do know their way around and can facilitate your passage through customs. It's well worth the small change.
Stay alert and ask questions. User friendly airports they aren't. Once you enter the door, you will be swimming in a cultural experience of the first water. Things we take for granted, the arrival/departure screens, signs marking corridors, even which airline is at what counter frequently don't exist. The public address systems, when present, are a listening exercise that makes any DLI experience a farce. No relaxing at the gate. It's not uncommon for an airport to have one waiting room for all flights. Sometimes the only way to know when to get in line is by following the heard. When a group stands, look at the boarding cards and ask where they're going. If that's not enough, in many countries, they have a second automation backup system -- this one for the routing of baggage. Accoridng to this system, which I call the "tarmac shuffle", a passenger points out his bags on the tarmac prior to climbing into the aircraft. This, so I understand, absolutely ensures the right bags get on the right plane. Failure to do so means your baggage does not get loaded. No matter that your bags have been tagged at the counter. And, of course, no one is going to tell you this beforehand. So, a word to the wise: if you see a mass of baggage in your path as you make for the stairway, better start looking for yours.
While much of this seems humorous, as any well-traveled FAO can tell you it is this kind of thing that one can only laugh about when it's a distant memory. Real world airport problems can be a trip-ending experience for FAOs; for family members it can be a nightmare that discourages future interaction with the host nation culture. Manage the experience as a critical event in your planning. Use the above tips as a start. Help visiting FAOs negotiate this obstacle. Bon voyage!