Diary of a Traveller, part 2

I should have updated this yesterday, but things have been a little hectic here!

So I arrived in Norway, albeit 12 hours later than I should have, but at least I made it. We've had two days of glorious sunshine for the Norwegians, and I'm watching now as the dark thunderheads are rolling in, hoping for a cracking storm!

My flight from Cairo went seamlessly, minus a delay. When I inquired as to what this delay was caused by, I was told that Greek air traffic control were striking (how unusual, Greeks on strike :p) and as a result the airplane had to be routed around Greek airspace on its way into Cairo.

A landscape of clouds

This re-routing caused an hours delay in the plane arriving in Cairo, subsequently delaying us for an hour. This 60 minute delay caused over 50 % of the passengers on my flight to be stranded in Amsterdam, me included among them. Seriously, I think I'm a cursed traveller! At first I dreaded that it was going to end up like the delays I had with Air France, and was expecting hours of waiting time in Amsterdam.

Thankfully however, KLM handled the delay flawlessly. Upon entering the Terminal, we were directed exactly where we needed to go to get our new boarding passes. KLM had already re-booked everyone who had missed their connections onto new flights. In addition, they had already arranged to put us up into hotels for the night. I had my new boarding pass, food vouchers, and directions on where to get my hotel reservation within ten minutes. Nothing like the nightmare I had with Air France last year!

Check-in desk at the hotel. I thought this was brilliant!

Once I got my hotel, I was given a welcome drink and one free hour of wi-fi usage. Unfortunately for me, my computer did not want to recognise the site they had given us, so the wi-fi was of no use to me. I was also given 5 minutes of free calling time, but being the genius that I am, I'd forgotten to jot down the number of my Dad who was meant to be picking me up. :-| Instead I was calling the US, and K back in Egypt, to try and get someone to get in touch with my sister to let her know about the delay. Once I arrived in Norway, I learned that they had both been at the airport the night before waiting for my plane. Ooops :-S

So unlike my previous delays in flying, and my recommendation to never fly Air France, I would eagerly recommend KLM for anyone, including the weary traveller.

More updates on my Norwegian adventures to follow!

Patchwork quilt that is Amsterdam from the air. This was
taken at 9 pm at night!

Air France? No Thanks! Part Deux

So I left off previously when I had actually made it on to my flight from Cairo. Paris-bound, I prayed that the "massive snow storm" would subside slightly to prevent any further delays. The flight itself wasn't too bad, many happy faces around the plane obviously glad to finally be en-route.

Arriving in Paris, I was expected to see mountains of snow. I didn't. There was some snow on the ground, granted, but NOTHING in comparison to what they had been complaining of. Delaying that many flights, I had expected to at least see snow on the run-way!

I disembark from my flight - incidentally having been put on Egypt Air instead of Air France -, and head into the dreaded Charles de-Gaulle airport. Having already been through this airport previously, I can say without a doubt that it ranks up there as one of my least favourite airports.

While in Cairo, I hadn't been printed a boarding pass for my Air France flight to the U.S. I had a three hour layover, I figured plenty of time to get my boarding pass printed. Goodness was I wrong.

There's a waiting hall when you come through the arrivals area in the airport. Here, there were hundreds of people milling around the 5 working Air France desks. The remnants of the people who had been stuck either in France, or elsewhere, because Air France grounded so many flights. While travelling to the connections area, I ran into a gentleman who, like me, had been stuck since Cairo. We decided to try and take on the crowd together, at least have someone to talk to while waiting!

The closest Air France agent tells us that to get the boarding pass for the flight to DC, that "yes," we would have to wait in that line. (As I think to myself, God save me now!) She suggested we could try the check-in machine, but "no promises," because the system was "faulty." Big surprise. It didn't work. Enter queuing. The Gentleman I had met was in Business, so we were able to wait in a "shorter" line, which would only take a "few hours."  

My flight to DC was set to leave at 16-20. On the board however, it just continuously said "delayed." As it was nearing 17-30, I was starting to panic. The queue just wasn't moving fast enough, and all I needed was a boarding pass! Air France, in all of their competency, decided against opening a desk JUST for people to get their boarding passes. Instead, everyone, flight cancellations, delays, etc, had to wait in the same area. See, it wasn't just Cairo airport, it was Air France! :p

I cornered another Air France employee, to see if it would be possible to get our boarding passes somehow! He suggested I leave the terminal, and check-in from upstairs, because there was "less traffic." So I decided to take my chance, bid farewell to my new-found friends, and braved the airport alone. I didn't make it far, arriving at the security to get through to the outside, to get UP to the check-in desk, I was promptly asked for a boarding pass. "But that's why I'm trying to get through there." No ma'am, you will have to go back DOWN to the desk area you were at, through ANOTHER security point, and wait there. "Come again? You're kidding right?" At this point, I was convinced that incompetance and a complete lack of communication were the primary hiring skills for Air France. NOBODY knew what was going on. One person would tell you go upstairs, the next tell you downstairs, the third tell you outside! I mean come on. Uch. Shouldn't airports be equipped to deal with these kinds of travel crises? Particularly right before the holidays? I hear in Heathrow they were at least handing out "foil blankets," lol. Although another disgruntled passenger I met who had just come through Heathrow, said that when water was brought out for the passengers it was absolute mayhem, with people descending on the crates of water as though doomsday was approaching and it may be the last drop of water they are ever able to consume.

I digress. :P back to Air France.

So I wait through this security downstairs, to get back into the same area I began in. Uch. Fortunately, my new found friends were still in the same queue, so I jumped back in with them and end up at the desk for Air France about 20 minutes later. Thank God I did, because suddenly, my flight to DC was "ready to board" in the hour. Having waited in the business queue, I was put in business class, and was able to wait in the business lounge. Not too shabby. A few glasses of wine later, and the stress melted away (particularly when that wine is Free. booya.)

When I finally get ON to the flight, two hours AFTER they said it was ready to board, I figured "ok, we're ready. let's get this show on the road."

We pull out from the gate, and I turn to the passenger next to me, and say "Thank God, we're finally leaving." He replies "until we've taken off, we haven't left." I turn back to my book, chuckling to myself, thinking wtf could happen? We've gone already, there's no turning back now. I WISH I had paid attention, you CANNOT make this stuff up.

About 5 minutes later, a stewardess gets on the announcement system, asking "Monsieur et. Madame, is there a doctor on board?" Huh? A doctor? Doesn't this only happen in the movies???

Turns out, a woman in the back had collapsed, probably a result of stress and exhaustion. The stewards all run around to the back of the plane with their medical equipment to asses the situation. Apparently she decided she felt ok, because the plane began to move towards the runway again. Not for long however, less than 2 minutes later, the stewards were running back to her, and announcing to the remaining passengers that we would have to return to the gate to drop off a "very sick passenger." Oh goodness. That shouldn't take long right?

We drop off the ill woman, and you could feel the tension in the plane as the passengers were thinking "ok, now we're leaving yeah?" Wrong again!

The Pilot decided that were he to fly now, he would exceed his recommended daily hours, and therefore was unable to pilot the aircraft. We would have to wait for a new pilot to come, who was in Paris, over an hour away. OMFG. YOU ARE JOKING RIGHT? YOU WERE JUST ON THE RUNWAY 30 MINUTES AGO! Bear in mind this was an 8 hour flight, wtf difference would 30 minutes make? Would he have waited until we were over London Heathrow, then decide his time was up and we'd have to land? UCH.

Anyhow, many many hours later, and quite a few glasses of champagne (Thank YOU business class!) we finally depart. The flight to DC, all things considered, was relatively uneventful. We all made it safely, and have quite the story to tell people. Which I'm sure, were you not there, you will only believe that I am embellishing these facts. And I can assure you, I am not ;)

Moral of the story: Never fly Air France.

Air France? No Thanks!

So I finally have the time to sit down and update my blog! Woo hoo.

So much to update, from Christmas at home, to New Years beginnings. Where to start... Ah yes, with my fun filled and exciting departure to Washington.

I left Cairo right around the time that the travel chaos ensued in Europe. Unfortunately for me, I didn't learn about it until I was already on the bus to Cairo. So I had no choice but to try my luck! I get to the airport, and there are HUNDREDS of people milling around the Air France desk. The queue stretches some 200 meters towards the door. I look at it and think, "shit...is that what I'm going to have to wait in?"

I walk up to an Air France clerk, and ask if the flight to Paris has to wait in that queue. He looks at me as though I've asked the most ridiculous question in the world, and says "Yes. of course." So I join the queue.

About an hour and a half later, having moved about 15 meters, I see the a-typical Egyptian family in front of me. Who are convinced that by jumping to the front of the queue and barging in front of other people, they will be served. To my surprise, they come back to standing in front of me, grab their bags, and walk off. I'm standing there thinking "wtf? did they actually just get served?" with my frustrations mounting. Approximately 15 minutes after this, a clerk steps out of the Air France office, gesturing at the door and shooing people away.

Now, before I continue, let me give you a little information on the layout of Cairo Airport. In an attempt to show how sophisticated the security there is, you have to walk through multiple security points. One of these is the security scan BEFORE you even get to the check in desk. So the Air France office is located outside of the security scan, their check-in desks are located on the other side of the security check-point.

And to continue...

Mr. Air France comes out of his office, gesturing madly at the sign on his door, which proclaims that the office hours were from 8 am to 12 am. And that it now being 12-40 am, he was working after hours, and had to shut the office. I stood there incredulously, unable to actually believe that with a "Flight Crisis," they were actually going to shut the information office. I join about 50 other people milling around, who like me, were wondering where the hell we were supposed to go next. Mr. Air France shouts "CHECK-IN DESK FOR AIR FRANCE," and promptly shuts his door, obviously entirely unwilling to deal with any more begrudged travelers.

I grab my suitcase and bags, and head to the growing queue at the security desk, where on the other side, crowds had begun to congregate. Air France decided to be smart, and open three check in desks (lol). I pick a queue, and begin waiting again. By 3 am, I still hadn't seen a clerk.

When I finally made it up to the check-in desk, it was obvious that people were losing any patience they had left. Our flight was meant to have departed by 1:40 am. It was now nearing 4:30 am. I had seen frustrated travelers shouting obscenities at the check-in agents. At that time, I giggled to myself, knowing that the agents themselves were not at fault. Upon arriving to the desk however, this patience ran out. By the desk next to me, an Egyptian male was shouting at the top of his voice. Proclaiming the complete incompetence of everyone working at the time, how HIS flight was more important that anyone else's. This outburst prompted more outbursts, and one male actually CLIMBED ON TOP of the check in desk in an attempt to get at the clerk.

Anyhow, I get to the desk, and try to find out what is going on. With this delay, there was no way I would have made my connection flight to D.C., so I start trying to figure that out. The girl at my desk, was, to say the least frazzled. AND COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT.

I know that I'm still in Egypt, so I chalk it up to that. (haha...I WISH that was the excuse).

This girl proceeds to tell me that there are no further flights to DC. That I could fly to New York JFK, but then I would have to find a way to get to NEWARK airport. I said just into New York was OK, I could figure out my own way from there. This was not an option. Apparently Air France will ONLY let you fly through to your final destination, despite them having caused you to miss the connection in the first place. 
>> later, I was to hear an Air France agent tell a couple who were considering this option, that if they had to take a taxi to Newark, that Air France would NOT reimburse the price of the taxi, as they were "no longer" in the country that the problem started in - Egypt. <<


After about 20 minutes of banging on the computer, the girl says "you'll have to wait for the booking agent. I cannot fix your problem. Please stand to the side." (insert me thinking wtf? again!)

I move to the side, and begin waiting with four other people who have been told the same thing. Eventually, the same girl that told us to move aside decides to help us with our booking. She disappears for a while, and reappears telling us that we have to move back to the other side of the security point, BACK TO THE ORIGINAL BOOKING OFFICE. Which, by this time, had been re-opened to deal with people. (Geniuses. If they had just left it open to begin with, they would have saved many people a great deal of standing around and waiting - because there was NO where for anyone to go other than the area in front of the check-in desks. No seats, no cafes, nothing).

I head back towards the booking office, being led with about 8 other people through the back side of the check in desks, around through the front and back in through the airport main door. The whole time having to cart around my heavy ass suitcase, and carry on bags, while an employee from Cairo Airport trotted along happily beside me with a cart carrying one suitcase.Apparently he figured my arms could use the work out!

At the booking office, I again join crowds of people waiting around. When I finally get my flight, I've been put on a flight for the NEXT day, and told to "take care, and be back tomorrow." No accommodation vouchers, no food vouchers, nothing. When I asked the girl where these were, she points behind her at the very crowded and exceptionally tense booking office, and says "I don't deal with that. You'll have to go back in there and wait in there to find out."

Now by this time, it's almost 6 am in the morning. I'd already been hanging around for seven hours, and wasn't willing to do it any longer. So I gave up the ghost, and headed to Maadi to spend the night at Karim's house, and try to get some rest....

I could only imagine what the next day was going to hold...but that warrants a new blog in it of itself.