Europe 2015 is in chaos or is that kaos…… air controllers on strike in Paris, baggage handlers threatening to stop work…taxi driver barricading the airport…. Greece has no money… and where are we off to
FIRST STOP Paris……and then Athens
The little Irish man loves to look after the shareholders and those accrued Qantas points are really only on paper… and you have to know the secret code to get the best value….I am very lucky that I know someone with the special skills to break that impenetrable code….phone once a week…then twice …then daily and then again and again and again until you get the right answer…..YOUR UPGRADE IS CONFIRMED…. Step one.
Flight confirmed.. Upgrade to Dubai confirmed and then it all goes sideways…
QF9 delayed.. our booked flight would have us with an 8 hour layover in Dubai and we would miss our connection to Paris……option 2 Emirates all the way…. Done
Into the Lounge a glass of Verve a nibble of salt and pepper squid, PP is keeping an eye on the flight all good not boarding yet…that all seems a bit to slow, “where on the board is the flight PP?”…that one there, no that’s QF9 our old flight…so lets hurry off to the plane before it leaves without us… and onto the plane…no dramas…all good the seats are near the bar …. but OH NO disaster strikes NO JAMMIES in Emirates Business Class…we might need a bit of therapy…so I’ll have a Campari…chicken roulade, roast lamb couple of glasses of St Emilion and a Cheese Board ahhhhhhh life is good..watch the #3 Hobbit again then off to beddy byes….
Watch the Women in Gold…. Light brekkie and we have arrived at the big sheds in the desert – Dubai …the express card was waved to get through to customs …comment… no… you are all the same…. join the long queue…it was a warning of what was to come…I’m heading off to ensconce myself in the Business Lounge but PP adjusts my direction of travel and into the First Class lounge…ahhh the Platinum Princess strikes again…
It was like 2014 all over again just better…..
The First Class lounge is interesting because it’s on the second level…. Secondo piano…got to get my practice in… so you can look down with suitable distain and dismissiveness, looking at….. all the busy “folks” closely engaging with each other in close proximity ..where the palatial layout of the First Class Lounge means you see no one.
Except the 6 bathroom wallahs with squeegees. Still not sure how they use them and 15 staff manning an automatic coffee machine at 5.30am in the morning.
The Business Lounge is on the Third level… in the clouds.. too far up to look down dismissively ..its just like people pretending to be in First Class but with a smaller area and a bigger crowd…….pffffff as the French would say.
Now off to Paris..after a nibble of sashimi and some urgent shopping………”I need to do a transfer to the credit card…..ahhhhhhhh……… its only day one….
At the gate, hoping for the wonderful beep and into comfort…but NO…no left turn on level 2 or 3 it’s a straight drop all the way to the bottom…. There is no turning left…it’s a queue and a right turn…PP starts to hyperventilate …. and tremble…. We are really going to have to sit with people….. in Economy… a shared row it was a seething mass of humanity sucking the air from the cabin.
….. no welcome Verve or a Campari to settle the nerves before the flight… NOTHING…. A cursory hello and welcome from the cabin supervisor to PP, her response was even more cursory and hoping its all a big mistake and someone has stolen her seat in Business…… but we are with the common folk.. PP’s only comment I don’t like this…… and nothing more needed to be said….
Not much on the movies wanted to watch Shaun the Sheep finished up with Shaun Escoffey…decided to look out for camels as we flew over Bagdad.
Didn’t tell PP we are flying over ISIS territory..she has had a bad enough day already.
Landed in Paris ….. does that all sound familiar how do you say déjà vu in French…..nice drive ….very pleasant …our chateaux at Chantilly awaits…..the holiday begins….