|
5
fast track at security , and the selection of a standard seat .
On the day of my departure from Milan , everything — from the trip to Linate to security — controls went smoothly until I took my seat onboard the easyJet A320 bound for ORY . That was when the Captain announced a 20-minute delayed departure . Those 20 minutes became 45 before taxiing , and almost an hour when we finally took off , transforming my expected easygoing Parisian hub connection into a stressful rush to catch my flight to California .
|
That was also because Frenchbee had not allowed me to check-in online because I had a one-way ticket to the US . Instead , I would have to check in at the airline ’ s Orly Terminal 4 counters , which close 90 minutes (!) before the scheduled departure times of all its flights .
Once I had disembarked from the easyJet plane , I rushed all the way to the exit of Orly Terminal 1 , jumped on the OrlyVal automatic train to Terminal 4 , and arrived at Check-In Area 48 exactly when the agent was making a ‘ last call ’ to LA-bound
|
4 The poor legroom ( for Premium Economy seating ) is pretty evident in this photo , considering that the author is 5 ’ 7 ” tall .
5 The vanity kit is small but pretty and it contains all you need for a long-haul flight : a pair of socks , eyemask , earplugs and dental kit
|
passengers . A couple of minutes later , my bag was on its way to the plane ’ s belly and I was finally flashing my boarding card .
In the following half hour , I had to deal with security control agents , who were determined to find some kind of explosives inside my hand luggage ( to the point of taking out every single item ). However , at the end of a ( very ) long walk through Terminal 4 , I finally reached Gate F25 , where Airbus A350-900 F-HREU , operating flight BF730 , was awaiting its human cargo .
After such a stressful and tiring morning , I reconciled with flying when I found out that FrenchBlue passengers not only have a dedicated boarding queue , but also a dedicated jet bridge ( something of which you cannot be sure even when you fly Business Class ). Consequently , enplaning was a breeze and , within a few seconds , I found myself in the A350 ’ s tiny
|