18th March 2012

I don't like flying, but as Him indoors says, it's better than the alternative. So, it was with trepidation that we recently took Alitalia flights that required a change-over in Rome.  Well, we certainly survived, but consistent they weren't. Although both connecting flights used the same airline, one airport accepted liquids in hand-luggage, the other didn't. Alitalia at one end allowed our hand-luggage on board, the other didn't. One airport waved me through security, the other connecting airport gave me a full, thorough body-search!  Yes, I know: just like Diana Ross.  I understand the need for security, but..
What of other airlines? EasyJet appeared in a Paris court yesterday accused of discrimination against a disabled passenger. A 39-year-old woman in a wheelchair was forced to leave a Paris-Nice plane because she was unaccompanied - despite having made the outward journey without a problem. Several passengers volunteered to 'accompany' the woman, but EasyJet said the accompanying person must be recorded before check-in.  I can see that a wheelchair might be a problem in an unforeseen evacuation of the plane, but it's the inconsistency that appears to be the problem.
Him indoors says it was St. Patrick's Day yesterday. So? Well, we should have used O'Flaherty's Travel - O'Flaherty gets you nowhere.....

6th October 2008

Every once in a while, amidst the normal daily routine, something happens to disturb our equilibrium. So it was a few months ago. A family emergency demanded our immediate return to the UK. There wasn't a moment to lose, so thankful for my PC, I quicky searched for a budget flight from Toulouse to Birmingham. Nothing until two days time, as it was out of season, so reluctantly I booked EasyJet to Gatwick - that Gd forsaken place. We'd just have to rent a car when we arrived. It wasn't until I told him indoors that we thought: what about Bruno? I rang Gisella who runs a doggie holiday camp near Toulouse, but as luck would have it, she answered from her mobile in Morocco! Oh no. What were we going to do? We had just 2 hours before the plane was due to leave. We tried everyone. Because of Bruno's notoriety, no-one locally was prepared to take him. All the local rescue centre could offer was the number of a kennel we'd never heard of in Montauban. Throwing everything in the car, not forgetting the 'passports, tickets, money' mantra, we raced in the general direction of Montauban. H was worried about the car. 'What's that whine coming from the back?' It was only Bruno. And then, guess what? We got lost. The rain was pelting down, the day was as dark as night, my mobile wouldn't work in the car and we were stuck in the middle of nowhere with the seconds ticking away. Frantically I climbed out into the torrents of rain and, miraculously, my phone suddenly worked. I dialed the kennel. 'Er...venez-vite et me trouver.' Miraculously the man understood my stumbling French and agreed to come and find us, guided by the late-Xmas flashing lights of a nearby shop and my frantic arm-waving at the side of the road. Success! We dropped Bruno, dashed to the airport and just managed to catch the final check-in time with minutes to spare. You know what EasyJet are like. Huge sighs of relief from him. And me, of nervous disposition? As usual every silver lining has a cloud!