It was a late flight from Lyon Airport – 22.10. The Riviera Travel coach with the twenty passengers for the Manchester flight got us to check in plenty of time. Being English, we formed a proper queue and stood and waited and waited. Someone eventually arrived at 20.20 and fiddled around at the desk for another 10 minutes before calling the first in the queue. By now there was quite a respectable queue forming. I don’t know if there was a problem or whether he was expressing his opinion of Brexit but it took nearly 15 minutes to check in the first couple. A colleague arrived and there was another 5 minute conversation between them before anyone else was called to the desk. Again it took another ten minutes to check in by which time the queue is beginning to get a bit restless. They eventually sorted themselves out, I check in and head for security. and we began to move a bit faster. Fortunately this is quiet and I’m soon heading for the gate.
It doesn’t seem to make any difference which airline or airport I am using, but the flight ALWAYS seems to leave from the furthest gate. There are a few shops in departures but not the shopping extravaganza found at British airports. They don’t have a Boots with a meal deal either!
I’m sitting minding my own business when there is a call for passenger Wasley to repost to the desk at the gate. Panic – what have I done – or is there a problem at home? It turns out I have been given the wrong boarding card. It is for another passenger and not me – I’d never checked the name on the card…
Apart from this bit of a fiasco, the rest of the flight went well. Boarding was efficient although being a ‘small aircraft’ we boarded using the stairs from the tarmac rather than through the ‘tunnel’. The aircraft wasn’t full and I had an empty seat next to me.
No food is provided during the flight although there is a basic snack menu to buy from. They don’t bother with a gift catalogue either. Cabin staff are efficient and good.
We were a few minutes late leaving Lyon but were in Manchester on time. Again it was down the steps, pausing Queen fashion at the top to survey the surroundings…
At 11pm, the airport was very quiet so it was quick through immigration and not too long a wait for the bags to appear.
All in all a good flight, which I would grade 5*. It was brought down to 3* by check in. I don’t know if this is typical or whether we were just unlucky. In the end, we found the checking fiasco amusing and were shrugging our shoulders in superior British fashion and tut tutting at the inefficiency of the French. Old rivalries die hard.
