It was a sunny, albeit mildly chilly, Thursday morning, and I was sitting in the hostel lounge, trying in vain to revise for exams. A few French people, all armed with massive backpacks, had just walked into the hostel. They looked like any other group of backpackers, except they had something interesting to say: they went to the airport early in the morning, but were sent back because their flight got cancelled. And to add to that, all flights in the UK and Ireland that day had been cancelled.
What was this? And would my flight, scheduled for the following evening, be able to take off? I asked the girl at the reception, and was told that a volcano had erupted in Iceland, and that the ashes were covering the skies of Britain, posing a safety hazard. It sounded like a joke, but having seen the people that had just returned to the hostel, I decided to believe this.
It was no joke. More flights were cancelled, and there were talks about booking ferry tickets out of Ireland. To make things worse, the internet stations at the hostel were down, so I couldn't even check live updates on the spot. All I had were updates from people that were scheduled to leave Ireland that same day.
Time went by. My flight hadn't been cancelled as of lunchtime, so I went out for a tour as planned. When I got to the Temple Bar and was about to dig into my dinner, however, some people standing next to me flipped out a newspaper with the Icelandic volcano story on the first page. They noticed that I was trying to read the article, and asked if I was supposed to travel anywhere today. These gentlemen were from Birmingham, their flight had been cancelled (I forget their destination), so they had decided to take a ferry to Dublin instead. After a half hour chat with one of them, I was advised to go and book a ferry ticket.
Upon returning to the hostel, I found out that all flights leaving up until 1pm on Friday had now been cancelled. Most people were taking advantage of free rebooking services or were looking for alternate ways out. Most guests at the hostel were panicked, but in a sense, things were normal. People were still bringing cans of beer to the kitchen to drink together, complaining about how expensive everything is in Dublin.
If anything, this chaotic situation gave guests an excuse to bond with each other. All you had to do to start talking was to ask, "Are you travelling today?" We were all in it together, and strangers were helping strangers so that everyone could get out of Ireland in due time to their next destinations.
I found myself saying "Good luck! See you tonight if my flight gets cancelled." to the group I'd just met the previousn ight. Maybe I jinxed things -- at around noon today, I got the following text message from Ryanair:
URGENT-Your Ryanair flight has been cancelled - please visit www.ryanair.com for free rebooking/refund
And now I too was stranded in Dublin for a while. In an hour and a half at an internet cafe, I managed to notify my dad of the situation, cancelled a dinner appointment in London, and after multiple tries, rebooked my flight. All the weekend flights to London were fully booked, so the earliest I could get was Monday morning. That would leave me with a mere 1.5 days to explore London. So instead, I booked a flight straight to Edinburgh for Sunday evening.
News reports say Scottish and Irish skies are clearing up gradually, so hopefully I won't need to reschedule a second time. It's a pity that I've had to give up London, but I do appreciate that the industry cares about passenger safety, especially after what happened to Poland a few days ago. Plus, at least I'm stuck in a city where I am fluent in the language. Not to mention accommodation is decently cheap here... (It's one of the few cheap things in Dublin)
Update: I shouldn't have spoken too early. My rebooked flight also got cancelled, so now I have a ferry ticket and a bus ticket. All I need is a bus or train ticket from Dublin to Belfast, and I'll be on my way home, safe and sound.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The perils of travelling with Ryanair
From travel books and well-travelled friends, I had heard of many European discount airline myths. Fly for a mere pound. Could this be true? Apparently it was, which was a concept hard to grasp as a person that hadn't even managed to take the Megabus for $1. At the heart of these myths was one name: Ryanair. And one year, a representative from Ryanair was on television, proudly announcing that it had made a decent annual profit. Cheap flights, but still making profits... it sounded too good to be true.
When I got to come to Europe for myself, I was finally exposed to real people that used this airline to travel. The most recent of these people was a friend of mine that I will refer to as "Neo". Neo is a seasoned traveller, having spent time in a large number of cities in three continents over the past year. However, even he was not prepared for Ryanair's little quirks when the time came to leave after visiting me for a day in Edinburgh...
1. Boarding pass
We had to fit in as much of Scotland as possible in a mere 24 hours, so naturally we forgot about printing Neo's boarding pass beforehand. Luckily, for most airlines, there's always the option of printing off the boarding pass at the airport. Ryanair is no exception... just with a catch.
"It will cost £40."
That's right, 40 pounds, spelt f-o-r-t-y, for a single sheet of paper. That's over $70, for you North Americans. The only sheet of paper I've seen that's more expensive than that is a university diploma. Being his student self, Neo wasn't just going to give into that. And the search for a printer in/near the airport began, so we could get Neo off to Frankfurt on his 11.15 flight.
Edinburgh Turnhouse airport does not have any printers available to the public, and our best bet was to go to the nearby Hilton Hotel, a 10 minute walk away. We took the courtesy shuttle, posing at first as travellers "flying in from Frankfurt", then as travellers "flying back to Frankfurt". In retrospect, it must have sounded mildly fishy, given that I wasn't even carrying any luggage on the way there. But that aside, the hotel trip did the job, and Neo walked away with a $5 boarding pass. A much more reasonable price to pay.
2. Check-in luggage
Before going off to search for printers, we had also asked about luggage policies. Neo had one backpack, a laptop bag, and a mini duffel bag of sorts, and was planning to check two items in. The initial assumption went along the lines of: 'I could probably check the first item in for free, and either pay for the second or haggle to get that in free too.' But who are we fooling. This assumption was far off what was actually demanded:
"£35 for the first checked baggage, £70 for the second."
This meant that Neo would have to pay a whopping £105 (around $180-190 CAD) with his luggage the way it was. As he aptly put it, "it would be cheaper to buy a second seat or a new ticket elsewhere". There was no way Neo was going to fit everything in his hand luggage anyways (especially not with a bottle of whiskey), so there were two options: a) buy a small suitcase that would fit the contents of two of Neo's current bags, or b) "wear, like, 8 shirts".
Upon returning from the Hilton Hotel, Neo frantically rearranged his bags for a good half an hour, and ended up wearing 5 shirts and his newly purchased Scottish hat.
3. Delay
And as we thought everything was finally fine, we learned that there were problems, and that more details would be announced at 11h. At the airport, it sounded like the problems were due to inclement weather - the people at the desk didn't really know. Yet when Neo got on the plane, apparently a different reason was provided by the pilot, which had to do with air traffic, rather than bad weather.
In the end, Neo was able to reach his destination at a reasonable time, but only after hours of unnecessary hassle right before his flight. Nothing we can do about different reasons given by different sources for the same delay, but save yourselves any additional trouble by printing your boarding pass beforehand and minimizing the number of bags you travel with!
When I got to come to Europe for myself, I was finally exposed to real people that used this airline to travel. The most recent of these people was a friend of mine that I will refer to as "Neo". Neo is a seasoned traveller, having spent time in a large number of cities in three continents over the past year. However, even he was not prepared for Ryanair's little quirks when the time came to leave after visiting me for a day in Edinburgh...
1. Boarding pass
We had to fit in as much of Scotland as possible in a mere 24 hours, so naturally we forgot about printing Neo's boarding pass beforehand. Luckily, for most airlines, there's always the option of printing off the boarding pass at the airport. Ryanair is no exception... just with a catch.
"It will cost £40."
That's right, 40 pounds, spelt f-o-r-t-y, for a single sheet of paper. That's over $70, for you North Americans. The only sheet of paper I've seen that's more expensive than that is a university diploma. Being his student self, Neo wasn't just going to give into that. And the search for a printer in/near the airport began, so we could get Neo off to Frankfurt on his 11.15 flight.
Edinburgh Turnhouse airport does not have any printers available to the public, and our best bet was to go to the nearby Hilton Hotel, a 10 minute walk away. We took the courtesy shuttle, posing at first as travellers "flying in from Frankfurt", then as travellers "flying back to Frankfurt". In retrospect, it must have sounded mildly fishy, given that I wasn't even carrying any luggage on the way there. But that aside, the hotel trip did the job, and Neo walked away with a $5 boarding pass. A much more reasonable price to pay.
2. Check-in luggage
Before going off to search for printers, we had also asked about luggage policies. Neo had one backpack, a laptop bag, and a mini duffel bag of sorts, and was planning to check two items in. The initial assumption went along the lines of: 'I could probably check the first item in for free, and either pay for the second or haggle to get that in free too.' But who are we fooling. This assumption was far off what was actually demanded:
"£35 for the first checked baggage, £70 for the second."
This meant that Neo would have to pay a whopping £105 (around $180-190 CAD) with his luggage the way it was. As he aptly put it, "it would be cheaper to buy a second seat or a new ticket elsewhere". There was no way Neo was going to fit everything in his hand luggage anyways (especially not with a bottle of whiskey), so there were two options: a) buy a small suitcase that would fit the contents of two of Neo's current bags, or b) "wear, like, 8 shirts".
Upon returning from the Hilton Hotel, Neo frantically rearranged his bags for a good half an hour, and ended up wearing 5 shirts and his newly purchased Scottish hat.
3. Delay
And as we thought everything was finally fine, we learned that there were problems, and that more details would be announced at 11h. At the airport, it sounded like the problems were due to inclement weather - the people at the desk didn't really know. Yet when Neo got on the plane, apparently a different reason was provided by the pilot, which had to do with air traffic, rather than bad weather.
In the end, Neo was able to reach his destination at a reasonable time, but only after hours of unnecessary hassle right before his flight. Nothing we can do about different reasons given by different sources for the same delay, but save yourselves any additional trouble by printing your boarding pass beforehand and minimizing the number of bags you travel with!
Friday, September 11, 2009
In-flight Food
If one were to ask me about my fondest memories of flying, I'd probably reply, "Food." In other words, flights themselves are pretty boring. Just about every flight I have been on has provided 1) pretzels, peanuts, or a snack mix, and 2) a choice of (or rather, the lack of choice) juices. Due to sheer boredom, this distribution of miniscule edibles becomes an event to look forward to.
Though, to be fair, I've had more than pretzels and juice. My first real memory of plane food dates back to April 1996, on a flight from London to Seoul, which was also my only time flying business class. It was a grueling 14 hour flight, and in the middle of the night, I woke up to find myself and my brother the only two passengers that weren't completely passed out. It's fascinating to see what privileges come with being children -- we were offered sweets, as well as stick biscuits with cheese dip. By no means are these special items in everyday life, but in the confines of a plane, these were rare delicacies to be savoured and talked about for years to come.
The real fun of plane food comes at mealtime. I'm sure anyone that has been on an intercontinental flight can recall receiving a tray with tiny plastic containers of bread, salad, and some not-so-aesthetically-appealing entrée. Or a tray with just an omelette, in the case of morning flights. The omelette I had on a domestic flight through the USA in September 2002 still holds the title of "Worst Omelette I've Ever Had", without a single contender, seven years later.
Fortunately, some airlines have introduced different items to make our tastebuds happy even on light. The two major Korean airlines (Korean Air, Asiana) introduced Bibimbap on flights not so long after the turn of the century, and from what I hear, it's been a smash hit. Sure, it's never going to come sizzlin' in a stone bowl, but with instant rice that tastes as if just cooked, pre-cut veggies, and chili paste in tubes not unlike those of acrylic paint, it was a refreshing change from the same old pasta. In 2004, my family liked it so much that we even came home with a box of 10 of those chili paste tubes.
Today's flight to London marked my first intercontinental flight in over 5 years, and my booking reference email also mentioned in-flight meals. Hooray! While I was fully aware that I'd be flying with a non-Korean carrier (read: no bibimbap for dinner), the promise of an in-flight meal was a reason in itself to be excited. Even as I was falling asleep by the window, I was telling myself not to sleep too soundly, lest I miss this rare opportunity.
After an hour or so, I woke up to the smell of food. Curried chicken, but not quite. Mmm... If the food tasted as good as it smelt, I'd be one happy traveller today. (I had also been blessed earlier with food that wasn't a pre-made, overpriced sandwich in layers of cling wrap) I saw one of the flight attendants serving dinner a few rows ahead, and sat upright in anticipation. When he got to about three rows ahead of mine, he went to the far rear of the plane with a non-empty cart. I was left staring at where he had been standing 15 seconds ago, sniffing other people's chicken dinners, and thinking that even within the same economy cabin, some people must be more equal than others.
A few minutes later, the same flight attendant resurfaced with a full cart. Now that he was closer, I could hear my dinner options: "Chicken or pasta?" After the lady in front of me got her chicken dinner, I was also asked the same question. I replied, "Chicken," waiting for a silver and green tinfoil wrapped meal to come out of the cart. But alas, the chicken was all gone! I was left with different dinner options now: Pasta or Starve? I am no fan of pasta, and in theory, I should not be eating cheese. Yet in situations like this, survival instincts trump all. In the mean time, a pasta tray had made its way onto my open-up table, and I found myself eating it without second thought. At least the salad came with tasty sesame ginger dressing.
In-flight dinner: Dinner roll, pasta, salad, and an "oatmeal chewie".
At the time of writing (on paper while in the plane), I have 2.5 hours left till my next in-flight meal: Breakfast. Maybe my omelette from 7 years ago will find a successor for its title, or solidify its position as reigning champion.
Though really, in-flight food isn't bad, given all the restrictions of a plane...
Epilogue: An omelette breakfast was actually quite a good in-flight breakfast. Today I got a small banana loaf and raspberry yogurt. Even that I got because the guy next to me was nice enough to hold onto mine while I was asleep...
Though, to be fair, I've had more than pretzels and juice. My first real memory of plane food dates back to April 1996, on a flight from London to Seoul, which was also my only time flying business class. It was a grueling 14 hour flight, and in the middle of the night, I woke up to find myself and my brother the only two passengers that weren't completely passed out. It's fascinating to see what privileges come with being children -- we were offered sweets, as well as stick biscuits with cheese dip. By no means are these special items in everyday life, but in the confines of a plane, these were rare delicacies to be savoured and talked about for years to come.
The real fun of plane food comes at mealtime. I'm sure anyone that has been on an intercontinental flight can recall receiving a tray with tiny plastic containers of bread, salad, and some not-so-aesthetically-appealing entrée. Or a tray with just an omelette, in the case of morning flights. The omelette I had on a domestic flight through the USA in September 2002 still holds the title of "Worst Omelette I've Ever Had", without a single contender, seven years later.
Fortunately, some airlines have introduced different items to make our tastebuds happy even on light. The two major Korean airlines (Korean Air, Asiana) introduced Bibimbap on flights not so long after the turn of the century, and from what I hear, it's been a smash hit. Sure, it's never going to come sizzlin' in a stone bowl, but with instant rice that tastes as if just cooked, pre-cut veggies, and chili paste in tubes not unlike those of acrylic paint, it was a refreshing change from the same old pasta. In 2004, my family liked it so much that we even came home with a box of 10 of those chili paste tubes.
Today's flight to London marked my first intercontinental flight in over 5 years, and my booking reference email also mentioned in-flight meals. Hooray! While I was fully aware that I'd be flying with a non-Korean carrier (read: no bibimbap for dinner), the promise of an in-flight meal was a reason in itself to be excited. Even as I was falling asleep by the window, I was telling myself not to sleep too soundly, lest I miss this rare opportunity.
After an hour or so, I woke up to the smell of food. Curried chicken, but not quite. Mmm... If the food tasted as good as it smelt, I'd be one happy traveller today. (I had also been blessed earlier with food that wasn't a pre-made, overpriced sandwich in layers of cling wrap) I saw one of the flight attendants serving dinner a few rows ahead, and sat upright in anticipation. When he got to about three rows ahead of mine, he went to the far rear of the plane with a non-empty cart. I was left staring at where he had been standing 15 seconds ago, sniffing other people's chicken dinners, and thinking that even within the same economy cabin, some people must be more equal than others.
A few minutes later, the same flight attendant resurfaced with a full cart. Now that he was closer, I could hear my dinner options: "Chicken or pasta?" After the lady in front of me got her chicken dinner, I was also asked the same question. I replied, "Chicken," waiting for a silver and green tinfoil wrapped meal to come out of the cart. But alas, the chicken was all gone! I was left with different dinner options now: Pasta or Starve? I am no fan of pasta, and in theory, I should not be eating cheese. Yet in situations like this, survival instincts trump all. In the mean time, a pasta tray had made its way onto my open-up table, and I found myself eating it without second thought. At least the salad came with tasty sesame ginger dressing.
In-flight dinner: Dinner roll, pasta, salad, and an "oatmeal chewie".At the time of writing (on paper while in the plane), I have 2.5 hours left till my next in-flight meal: Breakfast. Maybe my omelette from 7 years ago will find a successor for its title, or solidify its position as reigning champion.
Though really, in-flight food isn't bad, given all the restrictions of a plane...
Epilogue: An omelette breakfast was actually quite a good in-flight breakfast. Today I got a small banana loaf and raspberry yogurt. Even that I got because the guy next to me was nice enough to hold onto mine while I was asleep...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Back in NYC, sans luggage
I'm sitting in a hostel just minutes away from LaGuardia airport in New York, wearing the same magenta tee I was wearing on yesterday's flights. (Note: This place is called a hostel, but it's more like a homey B&B) Normally I'd have something else in my carry-on luggage, given how I pack every single bag to the brim whenever I'm moving. This time, however, I was proud of myself for being able to crunch almost everything into two medium-sized suitcases, with the rest happily packed up in very light carry-on bags.
My flights went from Vancouver to Ottawa, then from Ottawa to NYC. Last time I had a cross-border connecting flight, I was told at LaGuardia that I had to pick up my luggage first in Toronto, and then go through customs. Given that, I had a little too much faith in airports. I wasn't told anything in Vancouver, and I asked more than one person in Ottawa... the conclusion was that I'd be fine going through customs with just my carry-ons. Coasted through customs, telling the officer that I was on a 3-day trip on my way to the UK. Even the metal detector wasn't as picky as the Vancouver one, which had gotten me groped because of the metal buttons on my jeans. (Yes, I'd also forgotten that I should be wearing yoga pants on flights, not jeans)
After a short flight with nobody sitting next to me, I was back in good ol' Noo Yawk, one of my favourite cities in the States. I was happy to be back at one of my multiple "homes". Not for long. All the checked baggage from my flight had arrived, and the conveyor belt was not moving. My bags were nowhere to be seen. Uh-oh. Not good. I was directed to the Air Canada baggage office right by the conveyor belt. Luggage info was entered into the Star Alliance international baggage tracing system, along with my cell number and temporary accommodation information. I walked out with a reference number, the name of the person that told me my luggage will be delivered next day afternoon or evening, and the few items I was lucky not to have checked in.
Fast forward to today. For a good hour or two, I was desperately trying to benefit from whatever weak wireless internet I can get here, in the hopes that maybe the online tracker would have posted my bags' whereabouts. None, nada, zilch. If the luggage hadn't been traced at noon next day, how would I expect them to send everything over by the end of the day? Given that I had provided my flight information and even my bag tag numbers, this was far from impressive.
I called the central baggage office. I hate making phone calls for reservations, customer service, and the like, so you can imagine how impatient I had to have been to actually make a phone call. But hey, voila! Despite what the online tracker said about the bags still being traced, my bags had been located in Ottawa (as I'd assumed). I was told that my bags will be sent to the hostel this evening, but that the delivery people wouldn't be calling me because they don't call hotels or B&Bs. Um, okay, I gave my cellphone number for a reason. I emphasized that, adding that the cell number is *my* number and that I'll have it on me.
I guess Air Canada trained their baggage office employees well so they won't get themselves stuck dealing with angry customers on the phone. I was told again they don't call hotels or B&Bs, and "I hope you have a great day, bye bye." Now I can only pray that my luggage will indeed come this evening as promised.
I'll go console myself with some clothes shopping (I desperately need a new top to last me today, and maybe a backup item for tomorrow), lunch, and a cupcake or two from my favourite bakery in NYC, Babycakes.
Lesson of the day: No matter what they tell you at the airport, if you have to go through customs, make sure you pick up your luggage first and then proceed to your connecting flight.
Edit: Having to pick up luggage between connecting flights only applies in special cases, e.g. going through US customs in Canada instead of in the US. Toronto (YYZ) and Ottawa (YOW) are among the few airports where I'll need to pay extra attention.
My flights went from Vancouver to Ottawa, then from Ottawa to NYC. Last time I had a cross-border connecting flight, I was told at LaGuardia that I had to pick up my luggage first in Toronto, and then go through customs. Given that, I had a little too much faith in airports. I wasn't told anything in Vancouver, and I asked more than one person in Ottawa... the conclusion was that I'd be fine going through customs with just my carry-ons. Coasted through customs, telling the officer that I was on a 3-day trip on my way to the UK. Even the metal detector wasn't as picky as the Vancouver one, which had gotten me groped because of the metal buttons on my jeans. (Yes, I'd also forgotten that I should be wearing yoga pants on flights, not jeans)
After a short flight with nobody sitting next to me, I was back in good ol' Noo Yawk, one of my favourite cities in the States. I was happy to be back at one of my multiple "homes". Not for long. All the checked baggage from my flight had arrived, and the conveyor belt was not moving. My bags were nowhere to be seen. Uh-oh. Not good. I was directed to the Air Canada baggage office right by the conveyor belt. Luggage info was entered into the Star Alliance international baggage tracing system, along with my cell number and temporary accommodation information. I walked out with a reference number, the name of the person that told me my luggage will be delivered next day afternoon or evening, and the few items I was lucky not to have checked in.
Fast forward to today. For a good hour or two, I was desperately trying to benefit from whatever weak wireless internet I can get here, in the hopes that maybe the online tracker would have posted my bags' whereabouts. None, nada, zilch. If the luggage hadn't been traced at noon next day, how would I expect them to send everything over by the end of the day? Given that I had provided my flight information and even my bag tag numbers, this was far from impressive.
I called the central baggage office. I hate making phone calls for reservations, customer service, and the like, so you can imagine how impatient I had to have been to actually make a phone call. But hey, voila! Despite what the online tracker said about the bags still being traced, my bags had been located in Ottawa (as I'd assumed). I was told that my bags will be sent to the hostel this evening, but that the delivery people wouldn't be calling me because they don't call hotels or B&Bs. Um, okay, I gave my cellphone number for a reason. I emphasized that, adding that the cell number is *my* number and that I'll have it on me.
I guess Air Canada trained their baggage office employees well so they won't get themselves stuck dealing with angry customers on the phone. I was told again they don't call hotels or B&Bs, and "I hope you have a great day, bye bye." Now I can only pray that my luggage will indeed come this evening as promised.
I'll go console myself with some clothes shopping (I desperately need a new top to last me today, and maybe a backup item for tomorrow), lunch, and a cupcake or two from my favourite bakery in NYC, Babycakes.
Lesson of the day: No matter what they tell you at the airport, if you have to go through customs, make sure you pick up your luggage first and then proceed to your connecting flight.
Edit: Having to pick up luggage between connecting flights only applies in special cases, e.g. going through US customs in Canada instead of in the US. Toronto (YYZ) and Ottawa (YOW) are among the few airports where I'll need to pay extra attention.
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