On the move again

Traveling to Albania, using Austrian & Tyrolean Airlines for the first time, was an excellent experience, although, generally speaking, traveling today is no longer a pleasure, but a real chore. The flights are totally booked, the taxes on the tickets consist of almost 50% of the total fare, and the seats are smaller and very restricting on the transatlantic routes, where 767 aircrafts are used.

Somehow I expected Austrian airline to be well organized and I was not disappointed. There is usually some delay leaving from JFK airport due to the congested New York traffic, and all airlines seems to be equally affected upon departure. This was also the case for the Austrian, late evening, flight I boarded for Vienna, where I was supposed to have an hour to connect with the Tyrolean flight for Tirana. To be frank I was a bit nervous when the departure from NY was delayed by 45 minutes, but the captain forecasted correctly the arrival in Vienna, almost to the minute. Many are the connections made here and when I stepped out of the plane (1/2 later than the regularly scheduled time) I was surprised to find not one, but 8 Austrian airport personnel waiting to quickly direct all passengers to the various gates.

Austrian airline web site that I had read carefully before leaving NY, promised connections within 30 minutes for all flights, and they were certainly right! This, I believe, is due not only to the well programmed schedules, but for the very judicious assignment of this airport’s gates. Normally, as I have traveled thru Italy, France, and England, arriving from the States is usually at the opposite end of the airport for the European connecting flights, because they separate the transatlantic from the Schengen traffic areas, thus forcing the passengers to cross the entire airport to check in at the next flight. But this apparently is not the case in Vienna! The gate for Albania, and other neighboring countries was 3 minutes away; thus, the remaining ½ hour for the connection was plentiful!

Another wonderful surprise, and the first of this kind: on the Tyrolean plane to Tirana (of the old propeller type, but looking very clean and almost new!) the announcements were made in 3 languages, which included Albanian! This is what I call ‘knowing how to do business’, and that’s why probably almost 2/3 of the passengers on my flight from NY were Albanian. Several of them were elderly ladies, who needed assistance, which was provided, as I observed, very efficiently at both NY and Vienna gates.

At Tirana’s Rinas airport (now named ‘Mother Theresa’), where German and American companies are handling a large modernization program, I found lots of new construction ongoing for a very large, modern structure and architecturally designed terminal, of the same type as other European ones. The new building’s skeleton is soaring toward the sky, where there was waste land only 4 months ago. It’s a must since several are now the airlines servicing Albania. Among the latest one: British Airways; however, a passenger arriving from the US must change airport in London to catch the local flight to Albania.

Upon arrival at my rented apartment/office in Tirana, I found my friends had already stacked my fridge with some food and drinks; thus I was able to just relax, catch up with some local news, and then go out to dinner with them. A month worth of work is expecting me now, and I am ready for it!