Nepal Domestic Flight Misery


Nepal Domestic Flight Misery is part of the ANA, Take Me ‘Round the World Trip Report.

Kathmandu to Pokhara is a 25-minute flight, but the initial flight was delayed due to weather, and this cascaded down onto my flight which was supposed to take off at 1PM. Here’s how it went:

1130AM: Ding dong, Yeti Airlines would like to announce the delay of flight 667 to Pokhara.

2PM: Ding dong, Yeti would like to announce the cancellation of flight 677 to Pokhara. Please see a gate agent. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I went to the check-in agent to see if this was my flight. It was confirmed that it was flight 677, not flight 667.

I went back to the departure terminal prison feeling hopeless. I began to believe that I would never leave. It reminded me of a scene out of Beetlejuice. Now serving number 895 was flashing. Meanwhile, my number was 324,564. I can’t recall a worse airport than this one besides Kolkata. And there isn’t a Priority Pass Lounge, not even a yuck one.

4PM: Ding dong, Yeti would like to announce the cancellation of flight 667, please see a gate agent. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Believing my flight was cancelled, I went out of the terminal and back to the ticket counter. There I was told that it was an incorrect announcement and that it was flight 677 that was cancelled.

Mildly hopeful, I went through security and back to the boarding gate. I was told that both 667 and 677 were cancelled because Pokhara airport was closed due to weather. I was also told that there was one last flight that day that might take off and there may be a few seats available.

5:30PM: As I ran back to the ticket counter to see if I could get on that flight, I heard the boarding announcement for Buddha Airlines: last call for all flights to Pokhara. How can an airport be closed to one airline but not another?

At the ticket counter, I waited as passengers from flight 667 and 677 reclaimed their luggage. After another hour, I was told that the last flight scheduled to Pokhara had also been cancelled. I was re-booked on the flight the next day at 6:45AM but was told, given the intense monsoon, that it may be cancelled again (see Would You Travel During the Rainy Season?). Exhausted, I went back to the Hyatt.


  1. You should have travelled in tourist bus from the bus stop at kantipath Thamel. No need to book ticket in advance . Just show up around 6 30 am. Scenery is nice and on time and not affordable then flight

    • I mean to say tourist bus is way cheaper , better experience and very comfortable seats! You are guaranteed to arrive in about 7 to 8 hours. I am born in Pokhara lived there until I immigrated to US. Pokhara is way nicer then the over populated and dusty Kathmandu city

  2. Sitting in Katmandu airport during monsoon season, a travel who hadn’t prepared for the likelihood of a flight delay. I recommend you stick to less exotic destinations as you gain a better understanding of the vagaries of global air travel.

    • Since you make nonsense assumptions about me, let me make one about you: you’ve been to a fraction of the places I’ve been and done half as much. I suggest not coming off (as I just did) as a condescending jerk if you want me to listen to your advice.

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