The Joys of Air Travel/life/travel

Posed on Mon, 27 Mar 2006 :: /life/travel :: link

Well, I've just got back from the first OpenVAS DevCon in Onsabrück in .de. More on that later.

However, this particular post is about STN airport. On the way out, I had a transfer in STN, and nothing could be easier. I got off the plane, was told to walk down corridor 'a', and I ended up right by the gate where my next flight was due. Easy, right?
However, on the way back, things didn't quite go to plan. I knew the day was going to start badly when I found myself wandering around Onsabrück at 2:30am in the rain, trying to find a random bus shelter that the airport bus stops at. I failed fairly miserably to catch the 2:56am bus, but at least it showed me where the bus shelter was, unlike the random drunk tramp that insited on trying to talk to me. The next bus was at 4:22am, so I did have quite a wait. However, this meant that I had 10 minutes before check in closed for the flight. I made it. Just.
The flight set off on time, and all was fine. When we landed at STN, there was a slight delay due to some 'confusion' over which gate we were heading into. So, I get off the plane and expect to head down a magic corridor somewhere. Well, it didn't quite happen like that. We climbed down the stairs instead of using a gangway, and then were ushered into a bus. This then took us to the other side of the airport and dumped us by passport control and arrivals, so no facility for transfer passengers.
This meant that I had to go through all of passport control and security checks again, and as the plane was late getting in, I didn't have much time. So, I finally manage to find where the departure gates are, and spot a HUGE queue to get in. I join it, and about 10 minutes later discover that there is an even longer queue inside to get through security. Never mind, I'll still make the flight if I run. So, the man who checks your boarding passes before letting you get to the security bit notices that I'm a transfer passenger, and tells me not to use this queue, but go straight to the 'Priority lane' which is used for first class passengers etc. I do this, and the man checking the tickets insisted that I don't have the right ticket, and to join the queue again. So, I do so, and 10 minutes later, I'm told to go to the 'Priority lane' again. WTF? I eventually manage to get the left hand to meet the right hand, and get through the priority lane.
Now, STN has a rather high-tech system with opening and closing corridors and routing people to the right gates. Today, however, it was very broken. So, a usual 5 minute walk to the gate turns into a 15 minute jog. I arrive at the gate, just as it says 'final call', and it's shut. They haven't even opened the gate yet. Eventually, I get on the aircraft, and look out the window. I'm on the same plane I got off, and sitting in exactly the same seat that I was two hours earlier.