In not too distant past once more I’ve embarked on the journey between the UK and Poland. As usual (well usual since budget airlines started flying to Poland) I took the plane. This time it was not just a quick visit so I was going with a proper suitcase.
I must confess that the journey did not start well – I was made to pay for extra luggage – 2kg in hand luggage by Wizzair! I though it was unfair and ridiculous but agreed to pay as I thought it will be less hassle – far from it. Go there, wait in the queue, go back, wait in the queue. It did not start well. And it did not continued any better – unpack the hand luggage at security, go back and forth through the metal detector. Once on the other side I could buy a completely overpriced coffee, which wasn’t very good but was the only coffee on offer. Then the usual long wait, slight delay. Fortunately this time we didn’t miss our slot on the runway. Then the usual wait for the immigration questions, wait to collect baggage and finally out of the airport.
As I was going through the experience I have noticed that in the whole process of air-travel I did not enjoy any of it! And in fact I started seeing all the things put around the airport ‘experience’ to make us hate all of it less – shopping, special treatment in first class, food. The bottom line, at least for me is this: the only good thing about air travel is that I can move from A to B quickly*, nearly everything that surrounds it is either negative or superfluous.
I don’t like flying. Ship me in a train.
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* Quickly is sometimes arguable here. Taken door-to-door time Paris – London is quicker by train (I think) and much more enjoyable.
Budget airlines are much tighter on excess baggage – it’s one of the ways they make up for the discrepancy in costs. Having recently travelled myself by BA short haul (someone else was paying!), it’s clear that the ‘frilly’ airlines are a lot more lax in applying luggage restrictions.