TRAVELTHEN & NOW

I REMEMBER THE TIME – early seventies – when I started traveling for business, especially the international trips.

- By Krishan Kalra

Excited, because the chairman had advised me to go to, say, Tokyo as soon as possible; my first instruction to the secretary was "Kohli Sahb ko Bulao". Mr Kohli - a fine, mild mannered gentleman was the assistant manager at one of the major travel agencies at that time. An appointment was promptly made with at least an hour or more blocked for the gentleman's visit.

Kohli Sahb would arrive with a heavy satchel containing four or five editions of (what was known as) ABC - thick publications like the Telephone Directories of yore by the global airlines' association or some such body, containing details of all possible routes from point A to B and the fares in each case. So, we will jot down every possible alternate, total up each and finally compare to arrive at a provisional decision.

If I was to travel to New York - there were no direct flights those days - the routing could be Delhi-Tehran-London- NY or, depending on the airline, London could be replaced by Paris or Frankfurt or Amsterdam and in place of Tehran it could be Beirut.

All that Made Travel Enjoyable