EDINBURGH AIRPORT during Covid-19: I catch a tram to EDI and find things much quieter than usual.
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- Опубліковано 11 сер 2020
- I caught a tram to Edinburgh Airport to see how busy or quiet Scotland's busiest airport would be during Covid-19 restrictions. There were more flights on the departure board than expected, but less passengers in the terminal building.
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Well Scott, I enjoyed this sadistic trip and also reading your diary about that crazy trip. I have done my share of long distance flights, but I could not imagine doing what you did. My longest trip was Atlanta - LAX - Sydney and return, on a Delta 777 in 2018. By that point, I was working for Delta, and being on company business, I had a confirmed first class seat all the way through. I just don't sleep well on planes, never have, never will. So despite the lie flat seats, I would rarely feel refreshed upon arrival. The LAX-Atlanta leg was the killer - it felt like we were flying backwards. I could not imagine doing this trip sitting in steerage.
My absolute worst long haul flight was on TWA, routing Minneapolis - JFK - Heathrow and back in 1988. I was travelling back home to England with my 6 month old first born son to show him off to the family. Going over was ok, except we got put in the hold inbound JFK and my son's ears went. He had finished his last bottle, so there was nothing I could do but hold him. It was probably less than 10 minutes in the holding pattern, but it felt it was an hour. Felt sorry for all the passengers around me because of the noise. So here was me thinking that if a woman can travel alone with kids, then I sure as heck could. Utmost respect for any woman travelling alone with one or two, or three kids.
On the way back to Minneapolis, I had to call the airline 2-3 days ahead to confirm we would be travelling. While I was on the phone, I found out almost by accident that TWA had a schedule change, and the Heathrow - JFK leg was now departing an hour earlier. Now I had TWO major problems, first my flight down to Heathrow from Liverpool would get me into Heathrow about 80 minutes ahead of my retimed flight, and then I had to hope I can get through the check in / customs / security quickly, and hope that the gate is close. So I had to run over to Terminal 2 from Terminal 1 along the underground maze of passageways with Anthony perched on a luggage cart. Fortunately he didn't fall off. Then had to barge my way to the front of the line, I had no other choice, fortunately the passengers were fine with that. Then dash through customs and security and make it with minutes to spare. Never would have made it with today's security issues.
So now I was a really sweaty mess, and it gets worse.....because of the late check-in, I found that we were given a seat in the rear of the 747....yes, the smoking area. No spare seats anywhere, and we were sat between two loud New Yorker's. So I had Anthony on my lap for the duration stuck in a middle seat. Did I mention that they were heavy smokers and drinkers???? Well, they must each have smoked a dozen cigarettes and had 4 or 5 whiskey shots. Tried walking around with the little guy and plonked myself down on a flight attendant jump seat momentarily to get him all adjusted. "You can't sit there bellowed the flight attendant....." I was so rattled by all of this that I was almost close to tears. I was really ticked off with TWA due to the fact that they did not contact me in any way about the schedule change, and then that flight attendant yelling at me as the last straw. But on the flight to Minneapolis, my nerves were calmed by an absolutely top class flight attendant was working the seats I was in. He was close to retiring, and just oozed class. When TWA went bankrupt, I often wondered how this affected him, because I believe that the employees may have lost their pensions.
Well, a year later, I got hired by Northwest Airlines, and smoking got banned on planes before I started working, thank goodness. Saw all the changes, the highs and the lows, worked on Sept 11th and went through all the fears and changes, plus all the airline upheavals caused by the aftermath of Sept 11. Went through a merger with Delta, which resulted in my office transferring to Atlanta, and have recently retired after over 30 wonderful years.
I felt very fortunate that I did not have to deal with passengers. The customer service agents who check you in, get you onboard, deal with your lost baggage issues, and the flight attendants are the front line. They are the face of the airline for the passengers, so they deal with all the passenger's anxieties and frustrations, anger and aggression and worse that can blow up from nowhere. And boy, have things escalated over the past few years. When you think you have heard it all before, something will happen that you simply could not make up or get your head around.
Sorry for jabbering on and on and on, but your blog brought it all flooding back, especially about the smoking. The food was mediocre back then as it is today, but most flights over a couple of hours would serve snacks or a full meal - and for no extra charge. Seats were less cramped together - more leg room and more support in the seat cushions. People didn't bring oversized bags into the cabins, it was free to check your bags in. In flight entertainment was very limited - so bring book. No internet onboard back then. Airports were less crowded - mass travel was still in its infancy - in the USA, Southwest, People's Express and a few other carriers offered some low cost flights, and it took several years before the low cost carriers allowed for this mass travel that we see today. Before 9-11, security at the airports was very relaxed and quite lax. You could walk into the terminal and walk right up the gate without any security in the 1980's - early 90's. You could turn up at the airport 30 minutes before departure with relative ease. Them were the days!!!!
All the best Scott, Ian
The views while on the tram was amazing .Especially the castle .Soon I will be landing there can’t wait
You shouldn't have even entered the terminal building as you were not a passenger, Edinburgh Airport released guidelines to follow when traveling - ua-cam.com/video/b77DpIIXxds/v-deo.html
Hi and well spotted. I've since learned this after shooting the video, although I don't recall seeing any warnings outside the building. Fortunately I didn't linger.
@@PlanesTrainsEverything At this time ua-cam.com/video/iuB9nnwj1bg/v-deo.html there is clear indications behind the check in desks. No excuse im my eyes. ua-cam.com/video/iuB9nnwj1bg/v-deo.html As well as the clear FlySafe posters around the terminal.
wearing a mask is necessary.
Yep, as soon as you enter any building or transport, the mask is mandatory.
@@PlanesTrainsEverything Is it true the airport is not in edinburgh anymore
@@theprogrammerrolandmc3039 wdym? It is in the Edinburgh area, I live there
@@arane7197 .. i had to ask scottish government as i had to go abroad for a funeral i wont be reading the edinburgh evning news again tottaly fake news www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lifestyle/travel/edinburgh-travel-restrictions-can-i-travel-airport-edinburgh-and-lothians-and-what-are-rules-going-abroad-3042962