I'm not quite sure what all this frequent flying is about. Perhaps I did in the 1990s but as the years roll by I hold nothing but contempt for wallpaper couples who do weekends in Estonia and Barcelona. It is bad for the environment, bad for the city (no city needs stripping by wallpaper couples) and bad for the normal folk who have to travel because of a split lifestyle.
Nowadays any stavros can go anywhere, anytime for very little money - I might have to say down with the free market, it has ruined travel, it has made it dull, vulgar and painful - the only thing one can do is take plenty of time off and catch a train - if you are travelling on the continent this is the only way to reach one's destination in style. If, however, you are heading for an island in the Mediterranean in the winter time, then you have to catch a plane, or two...
I am writing this from Malpensa airport in Milan. I am waiting to board the second plane today. The Copenhagen gambit did pay off and I will return to life in Scandinavia but this time I will be living in Lund, Sweden, which means living on the other side of the Żresund bridge.
When I say return I mean with the birds, in the spring, and so consequently I am travelling home somewhat laden, with books. In order to get home without breaking the bank courtesy of the German airline that promises efficiency but at a hefty cost, I decided to play travel agent and book my own ticket combination online.
After much internet browsing (yawn) I managed to secure myself a flight home with two separate non-agreement airlines, SAS and Alitalia - the only way to get to Malta in one day. Mea maxima culpa - I have excess baggage and it's Christmas time - but so every other Stavros, Rasmus and Loris. Everyone is flying somewhere with bags and skis and microwave ovens... that means that in Copenhagen I paid up for every extra kilo with all that was left of my money.
But if you play travel agent then you could be paying twice - and that will add up to the price of a crowded, germ-infested flight to New York City. The money I "saved" on my ticket, was subsequently lost at Kastrup airport, Copenhagen: "Not only can you not fly direct with SAS, you also have to pay €10 per extra kilo, furthermore, you will be charged for your coffee, tea and cardboard sandwich, have a nice flight, and next time bear in mind that you can only bring 20 kilos on board." I know, I admit mea maxima culpa, but that doesn't mean I can't sit here and resent the free flying market. I'm not going on a jolly to Estonia, I'm flying home for a considerable amount of time and I'm a girl - I need things!
In Milan I present the receipt for the excess baggage and as anticipated they inform me that it is not valid for the next leg of the journey, but south of the Alps sometimes people close an eye, and in this case that closed eye allows me to check in both bags - the kindness of a stranger I could never repay or fully thank. Thank you signora, wherever you are.
When I call the Swede in hysteria he listens calmly to my drama, then says, "Well, at least you saved some money. If that were me, I would have simply paid twice." Perhaps my genuine plight got lost in translation, or perhaps the Swede would never travel without weighing his luggage beforehand and making sure there was enough money to cover the excess weight, thus avoiding undesirable scenes, drama and panic - now what kind of a life would that be? One can only begin to imagine.
Nowadays any stavros can go anywhere, anytime for very little money - I might have to say down with the free market, it has ruined travel, it has made it dull, vulgar and painful - the only thing one can do is take plenty of time off and catch a train - if you are travelling on the continent this is the only way to reach one's destination in style. If, however, you are heading for an island in the Mediterranean in the winter time, then you have to catch a plane, or two...
I am writing this from Malpensa airport in Milan. I am waiting to board the second plane today. The Copenhagen gambit did pay off and I will return to life in Scandinavia but this time I will be living in Lund, Sweden, which means living on the other side of the Żresund bridge.
When I say return I mean with the birds, in the spring, and so consequently I am travelling home somewhat laden, with books. In order to get home without breaking the bank courtesy of the German airline that promises efficiency but at a hefty cost, I decided to play travel agent and book my own ticket combination online.
After much internet browsing (yawn) I managed to secure myself a flight home with two separate non-agreement airlines, SAS and Alitalia - the only way to get to Malta in one day. Mea maxima culpa - I have excess baggage and it's Christmas time - but so every other Stavros, Rasmus and Loris. Everyone is flying somewhere with bags and skis and microwave ovens... that means that in Copenhagen I paid up for every extra kilo with all that was left of my money.
But if you play travel agent then you could be paying twice - and that will add up to the price of a crowded, germ-infested flight to New York City. The money I "saved" on my ticket, was subsequently lost at Kastrup airport, Copenhagen: "Not only can you not fly direct with SAS, you also have to pay €10 per extra kilo, furthermore, you will be charged for your coffee, tea and cardboard sandwich, have a nice flight, and next time bear in mind that you can only bring 20 kilos on board." I know, I admit mea maxima culpa, but that doesn't mean I can't sit here and resent the free flying market. I'm not going on a jolly to Estonia, I'm flying home for a considerable amount of time and I'm a girl - I need things!
In Milan I present the receipt for the excess baggage and as anticipated they inform me that it is not valid for the next leg of the journey, but south of the Alps sometimes people close an eye, and in this case that closed eye allows me to check in both bags - the kindness of a stranger I could never repay or fully thank. Thank you signora, wherever you are.
When I call the Swede in hysteria he listens calmly to my drama, then says, "Well, at least you saved some money. If that were me, I would have simply paid twice." Perhaps my genuine plight got lost in translation, or perhaps the Swede would never travel without weighing his luggage beforehand and making sure there was enough money to cover the excess weight, thus avoiding undesirable scenes, drama and panic - now what kind of a life would that be? One can only begin to imagine.