Book online, and everything will be plane sailing. That's what reader James Clifton thought when he bought his Cathay Pacific flight in cyberspace.
He made the electronic transaction and headed for the airport, unencumbered by fears of misplaced old economy tickets.
And everything went smoothly . . . until he reached Bali. The customs officers there were flummoxed by the concept of an invisible ticket. As far as they were concerned, he simply didn't have one. Mr Clifton tried to explain that it was off in cyberspace.
'I was asked to present a return ticket or alternatively US$2,000 in cash,' he said. 'When I couldn't do either I was detained and shown the local immigration rules while my fate was considered.'
He asked the CX people to help, but the Heart of Asia appeared to have skipped a beat in Bali. Indifference greeted him.
He eventually made it into the country, but wrote Cathay and alerted them to the hitch.