Not too long ago I was on a Trans Atlantic flight to Hong Kong. To beat the evening traffic I started early and reached airport way before time. I found a quiet place and remained indulged in reading a half read fiction book, intending to finish it before boarding. My sitting area was right next to the customer service desk. The line was not long. There were three people waiting for their turn, while two agents were servicing customers. The agents were taking a long time to resolve whatever issue the travelers had. I presumed re-routing passengers on missed flights would be a complex phenomenon.  Soon, I lost interest in the book and dawdled into observing the people waiting for their turn to get served.

Most of the passengers looked asphyxiated and ruffled except for one person. He was last amongst the three in the queue and looked calm as he patiently waited…