A real flying circus

By Roger Clarke on Sep 25, 08 07:51 PM

Nice to be back - well it isn't really, I would rather still be in Santorini where my son was married last week. He was booked with XL but managed to find another flight through Athens with Olympic so apart from having to spend half a day each way studying the walls of Athens Airport everything turned out fine if somewhat more expensive.

While other airlines seemed to be having rounds of applause and handing out champagne to couples either going out to Santorini to get married or returning home as man and wife Olympic manage to studiously ignore them.

Meanwhile it would not have been an enjoyable trip without a decent moan. What is it about people on aircraft? First they want to be first on - even though seats are already allocated - then when you land they want to be first off even though there is going to be a fairly long wait for baggage.

As for baggage? Why do people ignore signs suggesting you stand behind a blue, yellow or whatever colour line a metre or so away from the carousel so everyone has a clear view of arriving luggage and room to manoeuvre it off the conveyor.

No, that is far too simple, too logical and needs a modicum of active brain cells. So instead they cram in there, whole families, lining the belt usually surrounding themselves with trolleys to make it even more congested.

They cluster around the belt as if it is the bar in a crowded pub two minutes before closing time so no one can see which bags are coming and when by some miracle, or more likely if, you spot your luggage through legs, arms and kiss me quick hats, you have no room to ease you bag on to the floor so have no option but to drag your case off the conveyor taking two or three people down with it - more if you try hard.

Not that there is much hope anything will change anytime soon. It was like that when I first flew 40 years ago and suspect it will still be the same 40 years on unless we introduce an intelligence test before you are allowed to board an aircraft.

Enough for now though. I will tell you about the wedding soon.