I normally dont do a trip report for such a short hop as it is normally the same old ding-dong we get on the plane, it flies to Dublin, we get the shuttle bus to an airport hotel for a meeting and a few hours later we do the same in reverse. Today however there were sufficient variations that inspired me to tickle the keyboard. For starters we were going to a place the other side of Dublin which entailed a trip round the M50. If you think the M25 is bad..... The other was that the time of the meeting was such that we had to fly Aer Arann on an earlier flight and return on a much, much later flight than usual. It was one of the few times that I missed Ryanair [ii]
Aer John drove me to ORK and as we drove to the terminal, immediately a difference was apparent. ORK has built a new terminal which has not opened yet. It was due to do so on May 10 and then by the end of Quarter 2 and now the latest rumour is that there will be a phased opening with the building being used for arrivals from July 10. Up till now aircraft have lined up parallel to the old terminal but in preparation for the new one where there are jetbridges, four aircraft that had overnighted were parked facing it. The downside is that they are still boarding people from the old place so there is a considerable trudge from the building to the aircraft. We however were to be a bit more fortunate. Parked alongside the old terminal was a Czech Airlines plane and two Aer Arann planes one of which was ours.
I was travelling with two colleagues, C and K and we all had the same booking reference. As I was the first I managed to organise that we would all sit together for this and the return flight and also got checked in and boarding cards issued for both flights. Once done, Aer John and I went upstairs, he to have breakfast and I to await my colleagues and also to watch what was happening in the new order. We watched the outgoing aircraft being pushed back with tugs a first for ORK before my colleagues joined us and we went through security. At this stage I decided I would visit the Ladies but it was closed for cleaning. No matter I could wait.
Boarding was called and off we went. Look at the final sentence of the last but one paragraph Czech Airlines, Aer Arann, Aer Arann with the Czech Airlines nearest to the exit to the tarmac....
.....except it wasnt. It had just taxied. [:0]
Stand 4. Second aircraft on the right carolled the girl cheerfully as she ripped our boarding passes and off we went to follow the Pied Piper in the orange reflective jacket who was leading us to the second aircraft on the right. At stand 4, at the now first aircraft on the right, the crew stood atop the steps to welcome their passengers and looked with bewildered amazement (or was it amazed bewilderment) as they trudged past with nary a glance at them. [?] The ground crew stopped what they were doing to watch us and still we followed the Pied Piper. At this stage I could see that the door of the further aircraft wasn't even open and I stopped refusing to go on further much to the protests of those behind me. [:0] C and K agreed with me and they too stopped and it looked like a nasty incident was brewing since those behind us couldnt move. Fortunately however at this stage the dispatcher came rushing over to wave us back to the proper aircraft. After that it was plain sailing or should I say plane flying? There was a nasty moment before take-off when the pilot announced a 14 minute delay because of fog at DUB which some people heard as 40 minutes, but in fact we took off on time and landed 15 minutes early to face the M50 [:(]
On the way through the baggage hall I decided to divert to the Ladies (remember it was closed in ORK) and the others went on. Once into the arrivals hall I looked for the others and quickly spotted C who had obviously diverted to the Gents but of K there was no sign. We checked the taxi queue as the last time there had been a 30 minute wait for taxis but there was no queue at all and around the arrivals area but still no sign. I got out my mobile phone to ring her but just as it switched on I remembered that the last time we were in DUB she had gone for a smoothie. Sure enough she was at the smoothie bar and all was well. We hopped straight into a taxi, told him where we were going and asked K for the exact address. I held her smoothie while she searched it. There then came a delightful interlude. C was in the front seat and the driver decided to do a bit of male bonding
Driver: Are you watching the World Cup?
C: God, no! Id rather watch a knitting competition
*giggles from the back seat*
Driver: Rugby?
C: No
*more giggles*
Driver: Were you watching the match on Sunday?
C: No
*still more giggles*
C: I do watch cricket. Do you?
Driver: No
*total collapse of the two ladies in the back*
The M50 is surprisingly empty and we make it in record time to our destination and are the first there. [y]
About 30 minutes later I decide to ring the office but cant find my phone. I ask K to ring my number but the silence is ominous. [:0] Oh, cr*p! I left the phone in the taxi when I held the smoothie. We ring it a second time and this time the taxi driver answers. We ask if he is the one who left three people off a certain destination and he affirms he was and then asks how we got his number. We tell him it is our number we are ringing and he tells us he found the phone when it rang. He called one of the numbers in the Address Book to tell us he had got the phone and we debate as to how I am going to be re-united with it. He offers to meet us at the airport; to leave it at the airport (yeah! Im dead sure the airport authorities want that responsibility) or to come and collect us to take us back to the airport even though his shift finishes at 2:00pm and we are not due to leave till 4:30. However that is the option we choose. Just as we decide that C comes into the room and tells us he has received a call from his office and one of us has left a phone in the taxi. The number he rang was random and fortunately a work one. Although on the periphery of our work that person immediately made the connection with K and rang her office. She works in the same building as C and it was assumed that it was her phone but knew it had to be either one of us. Result! [y]
The only other thing of significance for you travel aficionados is that the meeting finishes much earlier than expected. We are due to catch the 7:25 flight but wonder if we can get on the 5:55 Ryanair flight and pay for it out of our own pockets. We go to the website but as it is a same day flight we are directed to customer services. However when we ring them we are told that all customer service agents are busy and are redirected to the website. [ii] Our only alternative is to head for the airport and see what happens. The taxi (and phone) arrives and we join the car park that is the M50 and creep along. We pass the Red Cow Roundabout (London has Hyde Park Corner, Dublin has the Red Cow Roundabout) where it eases off temporarily till we get to the toll booth. After that the traffic flows freely although we commiserate with the poor souls in the car park on the other carriageway. We arrive at DUB at 5:30 an decide it really is too late to try to book tickets, negotiate security and dash down to the gate for the 5:55 flight and so we chill out, get something to eat and mull over the adventures of the day before an uneventful flight home.
