This wasn't a no hassle trip. First off, they wanted to charge me for the bike, didn't matter that it was a legal luggage size. I argued and argued and finally they gave in when they understood that the bike was in bits and pieces. Then it got stuck in the oversized scanner. ugh. Lucky that I didn't bring the other bag because it's oh-so-slightly bigger.
1 hour to get through security. Long line and then then didn't like something in my backpack, scanned it and found "chemicals" in the explosives scan. So, off to the side, thorough pat down, empty every item in the back pack and my little bag, scanning, scanning, answering questions about occupation, where I'd been, possible exposures etc. etc. I asked after all this what could have set it off; one said could be as little as hand soap, another that some medications can do it.
She warned me that it could take "10 minutes" ... well, closer to 30.
So, almost 2 hours after I got to the parking lot, I've got a place to sit and relax. 1/2 hour from now I'm supposed to board. Y'never know.
Bad omen ...
No flight crew. 1 hour after scheduled departure flight crew started arriving; we got away perhaps 1.5 hours late. Big plane, half full. That was good.
Since most of us on Air Transat were either finishing our travels in Montreal or connecting to another TS flight, we'd been assured that ongoing flights would wait. They did, but barely. Perhaps a dozen of us got onto a very full plane to Rome. I'd been fooled when I checked in the night before by all the open seats but I guess that's because people don't want to pay extra to pre-reserve seats. I didn't see any empty ones. Ugh.
Would my luggage make to to Rome with that tight connection ? Well, you've probably guessed the answer ... yes. It's not as if there was another TS flight later in the day so they deal with all that.
Nice airport, reminded me of Qatar. No long walk through empty corridors like Toronto, no, you're immediately in the shopping area ! You only get to passport control when you want to exit or collect your bags.
A reasonably long walk, painless immigration -- scan passport, stamp, no questions, on your way ! -- bags out right away, "nothing to declare" non-queue at customs, walk right out and my driver was waiting. 45 minutes later and I'm at my hotel. 1.5 hours from touchdown to hotel -- very good !
It's probably 25 years some we flew into Rome for the first time. Since then and before that I/we have flown into Milan twice, Paris and London several times, Amsterdam twice including once simply in transit to Milan. I think that's it for Europe. I may have flown into Geneva once on business eons ago.
Airports are much more interesting than they used to be !
That said, I'm happy to be at the hotel. I need some sleep, some food and my bike put together. I haven't decided on the order of execution yet !
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