Globe trotter. Jet setter. Lucky.
Names I have been called for the type of work I do.
Yes I travel a lot with my work as an International Trainer. China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Italy etc. Then there are the holiday trips, Peru, Ecuador, the Galapagos Island, Iceland, Thailand, Spain, Bali.
Yester-year, travel or air fares were cheap, but with governments putting taxes on travelers and the cost of fuel, it is getting more and more expensive.
The major national carrier airlines, British Airlines, Alitalia, Turkish Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Gulf Air, are cutting corners in trying to save money, and in the light of increased competition from start-up airlines and the low cost cheap carriers like Asia Air, EasyJet, Ryann Air, Onur Air, offering less and less.
Often, as you start looking for prices to get from A to B and back to A again, the low cost airlines seem to be cheaper. But, it is the hidden add-ons, to pay for a snack and a drink, to pay to put a suitcase or luggage in the aircraft hold, the cost of getting to an airfield, the taxes, that the true cost is revealed, and there is not so much difference in pricing.
For me, I live about twenty minutes from Heathrow, and by taxi, I would pay about £30 (Pounds Stirling). Luton Airport where most of EasyJet flight depart will take perhaps one hour thirty minutes by taxi at a cost of £80 (pounds Stirling). Stansted Airport where most of Ryann Air depart from is a good two hours away, and about £110 (Pounds Stirling) by taxi.
Then where do they land at the destination. Add that cost into the equation, and the scheduled, national carriers are often cheaper.
My trip to Verona (see article) required me to firstly go to Bergamo to work with and visit my colleague Alessio Roberti recovering from a knee operation.
There is an airport, Orio, which is 10 minutes away, but to fly to it would mean a 5:30am departure from Luton Airport. How would I get there. Too expensive for a taxi, no public transport at that time of the night, and I cannot drive and leave the car there, as I will not return to Luton Airport but Gatwick, the other side of London.
The best way to get to Italy was to fly from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at 11:00am with British Airways, BA576.
A quick bus ride for £2 (Pound Stirling) to Heathrow, and a short underground/tube/metro ride to the new Terminal 5, my first visit. I left the tube station via the escalator for Departures. All well to the next floor level up with lots of signs for Arrivals, but once there, no signs for Departures located on the next floor (top floor). I could not find or see an escalator to take me up there, and I was not the only one. The only way I could get there was to take a lift down to the tube station and then a lift back up to departures. I was confused.
The flight to Italy, would take me to Milan’s Malpensa airport, an hours bus ride into the center of Milan. From the center of Milan there would be another bus ride to Bergamo where I would be picked up, another hours ride.
After visiting Alessio and his lovely family, I had to get to Verona, This involved a train journey from a small station called Traviolo, again about an hour. Riding the Italian railways is an experience, good clean trains, but the stations seem to only have name sign, so depending were you are seated, you either know where you are or not. Catching the 9pm train meant that there was no way I would see the sign of Verona anyway. The only way was to hope the train would be on time, and I knew the expected arrival time, so get off then. Trouble was the train stopped outside Verona station.
My flight back from Verona was BA2599 at 10 pm, it would mean an arrival at Gatwick at 11 pm, enough time for me to get across from arrivals to the train station, catch a train towards London, change at Clapham Junction for the local train back to Kingston upon Thames, the last train being 1am.
Having been dropped off at the airport early by Raffaele Tovazzi at the airport, I had three hours to wait for my flight. Well that will be enough time for a meal at the restaurant, not quite up to the usual high standard and quality food of Italy, but I can sit and relax. I sit eating some sort of meat and my eye caught the departure screen, my flight BA2599 delayed 45 minutes.
Oh Poo Poo, not good. Not only that but a plane load of tourists had their flight delayed and were given vouchers for a meal in the restaurant, meaning I would have to leave.
I went outside and sat in the car park and watched the sunset, tired, fed-up and concerned if BA would actually get me home.
Sunset at Verona Airport
Eventually the flight left Verona at 23:00. Oh Poo Poo, would I catch a train?
I raced through the terminal upon arrival, purchased a train ticket, and then asked when the next train to London was.
Big Oh Poo Poo, it had gone, the next one would be one and a half hours later, and I would not get a train back to Kingston. Idiot, why didn’t I ask first before buying the ticket?
Nothing for it, order a taxi. £45 (Pound Stirling), and back home at 2:30 am.
Globe trotter, jet setter. Forget it. Stay at home.