Tirana - New York

As I was leaving my apartment in Tirana it started to rain again. As much as I hate carrying additional stuff I decided that an umbrella was a must if I didn’t want to get soaked to the bone, a condition that could not be afforded with a 16 hour trip ahead. The half hour car ride to Rinas (“Mother Theresa”) airport was uneventful, with my usual, careful driver skillfully avoiding the many huge potholes in certain areas that turn into small lakes when it rains.

At the airport I found new pleasant surprises.....

First of all, there is no longer an exit fee, I was informed with a smile. From the new monitor displaying the departure schedule, I can see that in the space of 3 hours there will be over 10 flights to a variety of destinations that I never expected to see.

Austrian Airlines was, as expected, very efficient and prompt for the checking process, with a fully functioning computerized system. The security screening as an outgoing passenger, for the first time, was up to par with the rest of the other world airports: thoroughly and efficiently carried out. Inside the departure area, there are now 3 main gates, a larger number of shops, fully stacked with souvenirs, duty free items, newspapers from all over the world, and a wonderful collection of books, especially about and on Albania, including dictionaries, and language learning courses with cds. The bar was doing a booming business and was also equipped to sell a variety of sandwiches. It was a pleasure to see all these new activities, which include also the ongoing construction of a huge, modern style new terminal right next door to the present building.

The rain magically stopped when I boarded the bus that would take me to the plane, but I noticed that the airline I was taking even had a “covered” staircase!

The Tirana-Vienna leg of the trip is short and food is served only if purchased on board (this is apparently a standard in continental flights). The connection in Vienna for NY was as easy as the one which I experienced in reverse when I went to Tirana. The distance between the transit gates was very short, the checking in for the transatlantic flight extremely efficient, and the departure pretty much on time. The 10 minutes delay was caused by the need to fix a malfunctioning overhead bin, which was promptly handled.

While this was going on and I was watching the seemingly never ending care with which the stewards were accommodating passengers, I again had an extraordinary experience.

I was sitting on an aisle (in a 2 seats row) and the fellow passenger of my left was just as stocky and wide shouldered person as I am. I was resigned to spent the next 10 hours squeezing myself in the space that these days have shrunk on all long distance carriers of 767 type of aircrafts…..when a watchful steward offered me to move a couple of rows back where the 2 seats there had become available. I was extremely pleased to accept such a stroke of luck, especially since I had not asked for anything!

The food on this leg of the flight was of top quality and delicious, and the service on board never stopped! Austrain Airlines gets a A+ from me, and I’ll certainly fly them again whenever possible. Meantime, would you believe that the rain followed me all the way to NY?