Trials and tribulations at the airport
Lately
we have been using group travel to travel abroad instead of all the planning
necessary when you do it yourself. It is convenient and you meet interesting
people also in the group. The downside is that the itinerary is decided, and
timing is sometimes not convenient.
Take
our last trip to Puglia in southern Italy in October.
The
travel instructions stated that we meet up at the airport at 0515, that is very
early for us and necessitated an overnight stay in an airport hotel.
Early
morning in the airport was chaos, it seems that all charter companies have
early morning departures. We rush to find a free check-in automat, no friendly
face just a machine that seems to demand an ever-increasing number of personal
details before spewing out baggage tags and boarding passes. Pushed out of the
queue by impatient persons behind us we found a free space to attach our baggage
tags and store our baggage id tags, not in your passport at it tears up the
pages but, in a wallet, or handbag.
Then
join a long queue for what is called “baggage drop” which in reality is another
self-service action to place your baggage on the conveyor and ensure you have used
the barcode reader correctly. Will it go or will it not. Stress, stress, stress.
I thought this was a holiday!
And
we are not finished yet! A slowly moving crocodile of people shedding water
bottles passes through a security check-in to join another queue for depositing
personal items for security examination.
Off
with coats, hats, belts, and wallets, take electronic equipment out of the hand
luggage. Must remember a Kindle is considered an electronic item. Do not want
my tray to end up in the “investigate further” lane.
For
me with two artificial knees, there is always a beep as I pass through the
electronic gate, beep and I am guided to another electronic search gate where a
particular stance is required with feet apart and hands over your head. I feel
like a criminal being body searched but I know it is for my own safety.
All
is OK and I can go through and pick up my belongings, find a free space to
dress myself, place all my personal belongings back in my bag, check I have not
forgotten anything, and I am free to enter the airport.
All
I really want to do is lie down and have a rest but this is “holiday” so I
guess a coffee and baguette will have to do before we start another round of
search for our gate and boarding of the aircraft.
Some
start to what is supposed to be a relaxing holiday. I wonder when that will
come!
