Or at least that is what it felt like. Came midnight and I am sitting in the airport in Singapore. There is something or other about the flight being a bit delayed. It doesn’t matter if the instructions are being given in Chinese, German or English. It all sounds like waaaa-waaaa-waaaa. It isn’t just masks, it is people not being able to handle a microphone at the proper distance and enunciating clearly. *
*(note, my time zones start in Singapore and end in Frankfurt)/
We finally board shortly before 0100 local. The flight is full. I am in a window seat. There is barely enough room to sit. It would have been better had my seat been just a bit closer to the outside wall so that I could lean.
Next to me is a youngish Chinese man and in the aisle seat is an older German Gentleman who was way too tall for his seat. His two traveling companions were in the row behind us…..
Food choices are chicken with noodles or beef with mashed potatoes. I went with the noodles; there were plenty of mushrooms and never did find any chicken. Tiny shreds of what might have been veg. Not appetizing, not warm…..the cheese & crackers were far better. Please note – on these packed aircraft the window seat is a good choice for air circulation and not coming in contact with too many people. It is a horrible choice if you actually want anything from the cabin attendants who didn’t seem to be able to see anyone beyond the isle.
I managed a bit of sleep, then gave up and went to reading. The USB plug in for power worked beautifully, so my phone lasted through the entire trip without problems. Late leaving meant late arrival. While still in the lounge waiting for the flight, I managed to reassure the woman seated next to me who was traveling from Auckland to Manchester that missing her 0730 flight was guaranteed but there were two more at reasonable times so not to worry too much. (less than 90 minutes between flights? No way would I ever sign up for that…..)
Arriving in Frankfurt at 0730 it was the usual walk to the end of the earth to get to immigration followed by baggage claim and 80+ minutes wait for luggage. I figured that the late flight plus the fact that the flight number was continuing on to JFK meant that there was luggage to be sorted. It arrived on the carousel in dribs and drabs. Five bags here, a dozen there. Mine finally showed up intact for which I was more than relieved.
The next stage? Walk or taxi to the hotel? It was a couple of km and I was tired. Went with the Taxi. The desk people at the Hampton Inn were lovely, as soon as a room was cleaned they let me in (before noon even) so by 1230 I was headed to bed. ….. (short bit of wakefulness at 2230, then back to bed)
My flight to Lisbon is tomorrow. This turned out to be a smart way to travel – I was just so wiped that continuing on today would have been more than I could have managed without wiping out completely…
That sounds like a flight to avoid.
What airline and which plane?
Singapore Airlines… which has been great in the past. Newer planes are the worst, they pack in more people
Airport acoustics are always horrible. But you know I have to mention that consonants are higher pitched than vowels and you lose the higher frequencies with age, so that you can hear people but they sound like they’re mumbling. You get the music of the voice without the lyrics.
Said the woman who got her first hearing aids at 27.