We continue the series of stories with one sent by Cristina Mary, a friend who fell in love, from childhood, with the light bulbs in the sky, and now travels a lot because of the job.
I asked her to tell us about flights and airplanes, about plane events, about new experiences. Below you have some small experiences with different airlines. I miss traveling, especially flying by plane!
When I was a kid, I was sitting on the balcony and watching the light bulbs flickering over my block at night, thinking how beautiful it could be to fly among the stars. What do you want, I was a dream child.
With the passing of years the dream came true and due to the job I started to fly a lot on the route Bucharest-Cluj-Bucharest, in most cases with TAROM. I can say that I flew with the loud and rustic ATR, but also with the quieter and more beautiful Boeing. What I can say about the experience with Tarom is that I always had beautiful things on board, snacks to my liking and the accompanying staff always willing to answer nice questions, which is great for Romania. What I don't like when flying with the ATR are the seats, they are so used that sometimes I get a feeling of old and insecurity, and that's not pleasant.
The most memorable event, on this route, is related to a flight to Cluj. After I got on the plane and sat quietly, ready for the flight, I saw a gentleman announcing to another gentleman that he was sitting in his place. The one who was already sitting down was very convinced that he was in the right place and told him that it was impossible because he looked closely at the ticket. They both took out their tickets and looked, then I heard, “You know, we have the same place but you're not on the right plane. This is the plane to Cluj, and you have a flight from Timisoara ”. Okay, you're wrong about the subway, the tram, but taking another plane isn't exactly okay. Luckily I didn't take off and I had time to get on the plane from Timisoara. What had happened? Both flights were adjacent in terms of gate number and there were 2 buses, one from Timisoara and one from Cluj. The gentleman entered the right gate, his ticket was checked correctly, but the bus was wrong. ???? It was morning!:) ????
Then the flights to the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, France started and I had the opportunity to fly with several airlines, even with my partner TAROM from SkyTeam - KLM. The experience with the Dutch operator was always pleasant again, very good snacks both for breakfast and during the day. They do not scratch and are always willing to give you an extra drink and do it with a smile on their lips. The staff is always smiling and the blue uniform fits wonderfully with the blond ladies with Nordic air. I can say that I saw many beautiful ladies on this route. A unique experience was when I received one chicken rap at noon and there were some gentlemen who asked for a second portion of "shaorma" ????. They made me smile and I can say that the companions were a little upset by the request because they did not know exactly what shaorma is.
The second incident was on a flight Brussels - Bucharest, a pretty busy premium route, with many politicians, business people, personalities, etc. I remember that in a sea of costumes and expensive perfumes, a new character appeared. He was a beggar with filthy clothes, plump, with a big beard and smelled awful. He had at least 4 rows of clothes on him, typical of those who live on the streets. He landed next to a very well-dressed gentleman and I stoically looked at him as he resisted the entire flight. The companions did not know exactly how to react, they could not isolate him because the man paid his place, they could not discriminate.
Another unique experience I had with her Wizz Air. I have often chosen this operator for short visits to Paris or Rome. I am not a sophisticated being ????. I accept everyone as I am, but I can't help but think about the minds of those who choose a raffia net as a cabin bag. We've seen extremely cheap bags so it's not about the money. Most of the time, Wizz Air flight attendants are stressed, tired and this can be seen. They no longer have the patience to interact with people ????. The smells of a Wizz race are unique and I still don't notice how some get salami sandwiches and onions on the plane. The worst incident was on a flight from Paris. An agitated crowd waited for the gates to open, ready for the start. When the embarkation began, everyone fled, with their raffia bags, to the plane. It was like a 100 sprint meter race to get a good spot. For those who do not know, you do not get a seat at Wizz, you sit where you find free space. The place is for a fee, and I hate it. A problem is also in the space between the chairs, a nightmare for a tall man.
Pegasus Airlines, hmm, it was an interesting experience. I flew on the route Bucharest-Istanbul-Antalya and return. This year we decided to go on holiday in Antalya and we found great prices at the low cost carrier Pegasus. The planes are clean and look good, the foot space is generous and we felt comfortable. I didn't like the fact that the flight attendants, both on and off, smelled very sweaty and didn't seem normal. No, I'm not bad, I'm realistic and tell you what to expect if you go this route. The flight time is ok, 1: 20 hours between Bucharest and Istanbul and 1: 10 hours between Istanbul and Antalya. The only problem is that you spend some time between flights, through the airport.
They have many, many security check points, but they are understandable. Anyone entering the airport must pass the security check and I can tell you that even the bus station has a control center. What was left in my mind was that on the plane the safety measures were presented on the folding screen. There are some nice kids who explained what to do during the flight, in case of accidents. A unique and beautiful method!
The most recent flight experience I had with her Austrian Airlines to Vienna and I can say that it was a comfortable and beautiful flight. Ever since the morning, when I was in the waiting room, I smiled when the team of attendants appeared and the girls were dressed in red from head to toe. When you see so much red in front of your eyes you definitely wake up. The morning snack was a muffin and drinks of choice. Austrian Airlines introduces us to safety with a video shot on the screen, where some animated characters tell us what to do and what not to do. During the Austrian Airlines flight, Just For Laughs Gags movies are made on the folding screen that make you smile and keep you busy. I recommend the destination Vienna both autumn and winter because it is a lively city, beautiful and does not take into account the season! Tip for Vienna, the airport has few duty free shops so do good and get souvenirs from the city 😉
The flights will continue and I promise to come back with stories and information that I hope you find useful. I tried to say only a few more interesting things, but that's not all. I could write entire pages about how much I love to travel and fly. Maybe I'll tell you about a sunset or sunrise from the plane and how wonderful the cities can be at night, especially Paris and Istanbul.
So dear ones: "Keep calm and travel on"!
