Laughter in the Face of Delays: A World Laughter Day Triumph

Happy World Laughter Day everyone! Back in 2006, fresh off a week with Dr. Madan Kataria, the guru of Laughter Yoga, I found myself facing a travel challenge.? It was the perfect test: could the power of laughter help me overcome airline mayhem?? Here's what happened.

It was 6:30 am at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. As the first passenger (or so I thought) for the 11:30 am Air France flight to Tel Aviv, I strutted up to the check-in counter, ready for a smooth journey. But instead of the usual check-in routine, a hand-scribbled sign saying "Flight Closed" greeted me. Confused, I got the attention of the agent. Observing his name tag I said, "Excusez-moi monsieur Pierre, when will boarding begin for flight to Tel Aviv?" His factual and emotionless reply was a downer: "The flight is closed, sir. It's already full." "Full? Impossible. I'm the first one here!" I exclaimed, bewildered. Without a blink he replied. "Sir, the flight was filled with passengers from connecting flights. It’s normal. We will rebook all of you on the next available flight tonight."

Imagine stepping into my shoes, and discovering that your flight seat was given to someone else due to the airline's overbooking. Would you feel a surge of anger and frustration? Under normal circumstances, I could have been triggered too.

However, after a week of laughing from 9 to 5 each day, my body's chemistry was transformed. You see, such a dosage of laughter lowers cortisol levels, which reduces your stress level, declutters the mind, and sharpens focus. This is essential for identifying solutions rather than fixating on problems.

Laughter also elevates endorphin levels, infusing a sense of well-being and optimism that reframes challenges as opportunities.

Furthermore, laughter enhances connectivity in the brain’s frontal lobe, boosting cognitive functions like problem-solving and decision-making, which are crucial for effectively tackling issues with innovative solutions.

So I was walking on clouds of joy. My brain said, "Ha ha ha, hoo hoo hoo, don’t worry, be happy."

I turned to the agent and smiled. "Monsieur Pierre, what are my options?" He replied: "We can put you on the flight to Amsterdam but the connecting flight will arrive to Tel Aviv at the same time as the one from Paris. You'll be better off staying here."

"Pierre," I said, with a hint of amusement in my voice, "Ever had the joy of explaining to folks from the Middle East that their seats are now souvenirs for others? I can really help you here." Stiff and overly confident he replied. "It’s ok, sir, I've got it." ?

My inner voice mused in irony, "Ha Ha Ha and Ai ya yai. You need a lifeline more than you think." As the first passengers confronted the reality of their lost seats, their astonishment quickly spiraled into a cacophony of high pitches. More and more passengers circled Pierre, escalating their voices forming a choir of grievances, each demanding their seat back.

Meanwhile, amidst the turmoil, I noticed a couple in their sixties, both quite petite caught in a storm of their own. The woman was sobbing in tears, and her bald and short husband with tears in his eyes tried to comfort her.

Unable to ignore them, I approached them gently. "Excuse me what happened?" The man replied with a voice hoarse with worry, "Our only son has severe autism. This is our first flight in thirty years. We wanted to celebrate our anniversary weekend getaway in Paris. For the first time, he agreed to let us go on the condition we return by the end of the weekend. He… he gets into a tantrum and hurts himself when his routine is disrupted." The weight of their situation settled on me like a heavy cloak. There were two people, the joy of their long-awaited celebration hijacked by circumstances beyond their control.? I had to do something.

"Hold on, everyone," I announced to my fellow passengers, optimism in my voice and a big smile on my face. I pointed at Pierre. “This officer needs 15 minutes to get a solution for us and I am going with him. I've dealt with airline shenanigans before. Trust me, a united front is far more effective than unproductive anger and frustration. Now put a smile on your faces, take a deep breath, and let me get for all of us the best possible solution." Some people vocalized their support while others kept complaining. I managed to pull Pierre aside. I took him to the elder couple and said confidently, "If you can secure seats for them and provide me with the vouchers, I'll handle this mob for you." Skeptically and intimidated Pierre asked, "How can you manage that?" With a light-hearted chuckle, I replied, "Ha ha ha, he he he, don't worry. I was an army officer. This is child's play for me.”

This time, Pierre was on board. He passed me the passenger list, along with hotel and lunch vouchers, then turned to assist an elderly couple. "Hold up," I interjected, "We've been camped out since 6:30 AM and our next flight isn't until 10 PM. What about breakfast and dinner? And what about compensation for overbooking?" Initially, Pierre seemed ready to bargain on the compensation, but a quick reminder that I was no novice to IATA and European travel regulations made him rethink. Realizing I meant business, he agreed to issue the maximum cash vouchers, nearly covering our entire round-trip expenses.

With Pierre off to help the elderly couple board, I was left to face the storm of disgruntled passengers, a mountain of vouchers clutched in my hand. Thankfully, endorphins kept me buoyant. A burst of laughter – "Ha ha ha! Hey hey hey!" – echoed through the terminal, grabbing everyone's attention.

Calmly, I pacified the crowd, outlining the perks of the vouchers and cash compensations, and directing them to the bus rendezvous for the hotel once they had their compensation in hand.

When we arrived at the counters for cash compensation, a formidable queue snaked out from the economy section. Armed with my jubilant "Ha ha ha, hi hi hi" outlook, I noticed the business class counter was conspicuously unoccupied. Approaching the attendant, a blend of broken French and English tumbled out: "Bonjour mademoiselle, Je suis désolé, I am from economy, but je suis très fatigué and you look très charmante. Could you possibly assist me with this voucher, s'il vous pla?t?" Her response came with a radiant smile, "Oui, avec plaisir."

My triumph didn't go unnoticed. Inspired by my approach, about 300 of my fellow travelers queued behind me. But unlike my courteous inquiry, they barreled forward without a greeting, demanding her service. Unsurprisingly, she was less than receptive to their bad manners. With a firm and curt tone, she said: "This is the business class counter. Yours is on the left."

Upon arrival at the hotel, there I was in the lobby, playing the waiting game while the rest of the crew got their rooms. Then came Ofer, a young passenger, striding toward me. I braced for a thank-you, but instead, he served up a hearty portion of verbal onslaught. "You have no empathy," he declared. "We were simmering with frustration, and there you were, chuckling away with your signature 'Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha'." His words caught me off guard.

An uninvited judgment? Perhaps, but at the moment, it barely ruffled my feathers. I just flashed him a grin and retorted, "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha, Ofer, when could I possibly have the time to coddle 300 passengers' emotions and still manage to look after you all?"

Upon my return home to Singapore, I found myself carrying an emotional burden. I engaged in self-reflection, wondering if I could have been more attuned to others' feelings at that event.

However, the accusation of lacking empathy struck a chord with me, as I deeply value the emotional well-being of those around me.

Though I remain steadfast in my belief that my actions were justified, (after all I took care of the elderly couple and everyone's needs), Ofer's critique serves me as a poignant lesson.

My learning moment is going forward, unless it is a crisis that requires immediate action, I am committed to placing greater emphasis on understanding others' emotions and connecting with them where they are.