Airports, flights, luggage
I cannot lie,
(well I can, and on occasion do, 😉)
but in this case, I cannot lie ;
I am impressed.
Beyond impressed with Air China and Beijing airport and the whole experience.
It was cheap, that was the first thing that drew me to it.
The reviews were as always, good and not so good.
But I booked.
Then I tried to check in on line and the circle went round and round – for two days. 🙄😩
Setting up some concern in my belly, my heart, my mind….. you get the picture.
Nothing to be done but fly to the airport and see.
Fly to the airport is a bit optimistic 😂
Because anyone who knows Melbourne knows that getting from the south east (me) to the airport can be, no, always is a challenge.
Try Friday night and the challenge comes with a capital C.
Clearly I should have left today, Sunday as there are no red lanes showing.
Friday evening was RED ALERT.
Oh, why didn’t I leave today? 😂
And there was the queue – as long as any virgin airline queue I have seen.
BUT DIFFERENT.
It moved, quietly, smoothly and no one seemed agitated or concerned they wouldn’t get through –
everyone smiled or to be honest, read their phones,
confident in their (yes, almost all were ‘Asian’) Air China.
And so I was checked in, easily, courteously.
It felt so generous.
She did ask me if I had a charger pack in my checked in luggage.
Yes said I. Please remove it.
And so I unlocked my case and removed it.
No one rushed me – it was so unusual – a sheer joy.
It felt so generous.
She asked me if I had a charger pack in my checked in luggage. Yes said I.
Please remove
And so I unlocked my case and removed it.
No one rushed me – it was so unusual.
Sheer joy.
I said goodbye to my bags, hoping I would see them again in Ulaanbaatar.
I did, which is more than we could say for Claire’s luggage coming from Istanbul. No arrival till Tuesday – 4 days to go !!!!!!
Customs was equally smooth and boarding was absolutely on time,
as was take off.
The hand luggage saga – almost always a battleground it seems,
went smoothly.
Somehow everything fitted, there was no moving ‘furniture’
banging closed etc etc. AND the plane was full.
Civilised is the word that comes to mind.
I noticed no alcohol was served.
Did that make a difference I wonder?
The screen map was amazing, you could rotate it any which way and see the whole world and where you were flying – fabulous.
Loved playing with the maps – such fun.
We landed spot on time, and again, almost instant disembarking.
Welcome to Beijing 🇨🇳 (PRC) and cameras EVERYWHERE
White eyes looking down on us, absolutely everywhere.
Spotless, beautiful, easy to move around.
Heaps and heaps of comfortable seating.
People sleeping on long seats.
A few coffee shops open (it was 5am)
Good free wifi but no facebook h
owever, facebook messenger worked –
go figure?
Just ‘feel good safe and cosy’
despite (or is it because of) the cameras.
The next leg was equally uneventful,
on time, quiet, clean, d
are I say it had a vibe of Swiss efficiency
with a gentler demeanour.
And now to the crux of the Chinese efficiency machine.
I had in fact two power packs in my case –
I had completely forgotten as I never travel with them
(well clearly not Never, 😂 but you know what I mean 🙄)
One I had removed and carried in my hand luggage.
One I Had removed For me.
I would never have noticed.
Unlocking my case when I got to our lodgings,
I found a piece of paper which did not look familiar.
It was not, familiar that is.
It most certainly wasn’t familiar.
It was a letter from the Checked Baggage Inspector etc of the PRC
to tell me they had removed a power pack
(and neatly locked my bag again 😂)
They had unlocked my bag, taken it, left me a note and locked it up again!!!!!
The funny thing is if they had not left me the polite letter,
I would never have known my case had been opened,
never mind that I was missing a power pack 😆
Welcome to China!!!!!!!
I would do the whole trip again without a second thought.
It was great, white cameras, baggage searchers and all.
And this is only the beginning.
Hold thumbs…..
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Brave New World of Blogging 