Post by ronturner on Oct 13, 2019 12:44:00 GMT 1
As many will know, great fan I am and always have been of aviation, I am these days, not too enchanted with rigmarole around every flight which makes it less enjoyable that it otherwise might be. So here goes with my recent experience.
From home to Nantes by car and off site parking 5 minutes away from the airport. Prior booking necessary but not prior payment. Quick response and drop off right outside of the terminal.
Check-in in on line for Transavia and bag drop short queue. Interesting feature of Transavia is that you can choose the weight you want to take and spread it over how ever many bags you want. Thus its cheaper for one person to book say 40kg in three bags. (our situation.)
Security was quick, efficient, polite and through in no time. Waited about 60 minutes to board. This was the worst part of the journey. The terminal can get cramped. For years nothing was done at Nantes because a new airport was to be built. Now scrapped. Long overdue work is now going on. (This is good for us because the new place would have been far north of Nantes and nearly two hours from us.)
Transavia B737-800 was almost full. A few seats remaining which happily benefitted us being adjacent. Quite comfortable seats for the 3 and half hour ride to Crete. Announcements on the aircraft were unintelligible, in French or English. On time departure.
On time arrival at Heraklion. Bussed a few metres. Would have been three times quicker to have walked. (Hot hot hot. even at 19-00 hours) Very cramped, old terminal with chaotic baggage carousel. About 30 minutes to get our bags. No passport control being in Schengen. Pre arranged taxi waiting for us. Perfect.
10 days in Crete then by catamaran to Santorini.
After 5 days, pre arranged shared shuttle pick up on time. A very old airport and far too small for the traffic of today. They benefit from having good weather so a lot of stuff is out side. Café and lines for check in before even going into the terminal.
Baggage drop was very quick as was the security line. A lot of shouting going on, but it was good humoured and efficient. Bottles galore being confiscated, ( Ouzo etc.. Why do people try?_)
Another wait in a very cramped under ventilated terminal. I guess not much bigger than Speke before hangar 2 was converted. However a nice upper floor with a bar and a viewing balcony.
Transavia arrived ahead of time. We were called to the gate to wait in a partly shaded area alongside the tarmac and again bussed a few metres to the aeroplane. Departure again ahead of schedule, Full aircraft with more unintelligible announcements.
Uneventful flight arriving at Nantes in good weather, half an hour early. A walk through all the buildings works and scaffolding to passport control ( Anti terrorism rather than a border check) 30 minute wait for bags.
A quick call for pick up resulted in the shuttle turning up outside the terminal just as we exited it. Five minutes to the car. Pay 80 Euros for 16 days, and we were off on the autoroute home.
Not too bad at all.
NB Thanks to those who earlier in the year gave me some tips on how to enjoy Crete.
From home to Nantes by car and off site parking 5 minutes away from the airport. Prior booking necessary but not prior payment. Quick response and drop off right outside of the terminal.
Check-in in on line for Transavia and bag drop short queue. Interesting feature of Transavia is that you can choose the weight you want to take and spread it over how ever many bags you want. Thus its cheaper for one person to book say 40kg in three bags. (our situation.)
Security was quick, efficient, polite and through in no time. Waited about 60 minutes to board. This was the worst part of the journey. The terminal can get cramped. For years nothing was done at Nantes because a new airport was to be built. Now scrapped. Long overdue work is now going on. (This is good for us because the new place would have been far north of Nantes and nearly two hours from us.)
Transavia B737-800 was almost full. A few seats remaining which happily benefitted us being adjacent. Quite comfortable seats for the 3 and half hour ride to Crete. Announcements on the aircraft were unintelligible, in French or English. On time departure.
On time arrival at Heraklion. Bussed a few metres. Would have been three times quicker to have walked. (Hot hot hot. even at 19-00 hours) Very cramped, old terminal with chaotic baggage carousel. About 30 minutes to get our bags. No passport control being in Schengen. Pre arranged taxi waiting for us. Perfect.
10 days in Crete then by catamaran to Santorini.
After 5 days, pre arranged shared shuttle pick up on time. A very old airport and far too small for the traffic of today. They benefit from having good weather so a lot of stuff is out side. Café and lines for check in before even going into the terminal.
Baggage drop was very quick as was the security line. A lot of shouting going on, but it was good humoured and efficient. Bottles galore being confiscated, ( Ouzo etc.. Why do people try?_)
Another wait in a very cramped under ventilated terminal. I guess not much bigger than Speke before hangar 2 was converted. However a nice upper floor with a bar and a viewing balcony.
Transavia arrived ahead of time. We were called to the gate to wait in a partly shaded area alongside the tarmac and again bussed a few metres to the aeroplane. Departure again ahead of schedule, Full aircraft with more unintelligible announcements.
Uneventful flight arriving at Nantes in good weather, half an hour early. A walk through all the buildings works and scaffolding to passport control ( Anti terrorism rather than a border check) 30 minute wait for bags.
A quick call for pick up resulted in the shuttle turning up outside the terminal just as we exited it. Five minutes to the car. Pay 80 Euros for 16 days, and we were off on the autoroute home.
Not too bad at all.
NB Thanks to those who earlier in the year gave me some tips on how to enjoy Crete.