Reply to: heart bleeds for BAA

[Gibbon]

Um, what's wrong with the train?

tim

There is no train at Ciampino. You have to catch a bus to Ciampino villiage, then the train, then the underground and if you're staying around central historic area then a taxi, unless traveling light.

[tim123]

I go to Rome 2 - 3 times a year and would strongly recommend pre-booking
a limo return. The taxis outside charge 50 - 60 euros each way and you can get a limo , usually a Merc for 70 - 80 euros return. The bus is cheap but chaotic and you usually have to catch a Taxi anyway from the Termini to your hotel. Also the bus goes when full and I know of people being stranded at the termini and getting extorted by the taxis for the trip to the airport.

Um, what's wrong with the train?

tim

[Gibbon]

Decline & Fall?

Yep, very interesting book especially the rise of christianity and their increasing militancy. The avtar is Julian the Apostate, the last non christian emperor who tried to reverse the influence of the christians on Roman life, but he died to early for his reforms (non violent) to have effect.

The amount of ancient knowledge lost under Theodosius the Great (Tosser) when he made christianity offical religion of the empire was staggering. The monks were allowed to go and destroy all the pagan temples and probably caused the fire that destroyed the library at Alexandria.

I could go on and on and on ..................................

[shoes]

I go to Rome 2 - 3 times a year and would strongly recommend pre-booking
a limo return. The taxis outside charge 50 - 60 euros each way and you can get a limo , usually a Merc for 70 - 80 euros return. The bus is cheap but chaotic and you usually have to catch a Taxi anyway from the Termini to your hotel. Also the bus goes when full and I know of people being stranded at the termini and getting extorted by the taxis for the trip to the airport.

Theres a direct train from Fiumicino airport to Termini, then get a taxi. Getting a taxi in Rome is worthwhile as an experience in its own right anyway.

[Gibbon]

might have known you'd know about Rome.

How come Expat?

[expat]

I go to Rome 2 - 3 times a year

might have known you'd know about Rome.

[Gibbon]

Arrived at night earlier this year with gf and encountered the mafiosi taxi drivers. Too long to explain but was a big charade.

I go to Rome 2 - 3 times a year and would strongly recommend pre-booking
a limo return. The taxis outside charge 50 - 60 euros each way and you can get a limo , usually a Merc for 70 - 80 euros return. The bus is cheap but chaotic and you usually have to catch a Taxi anyway from the Termini to your hotel. Also the bus goes when full and I know of people being stranded at the termini and getting extorted by the taxis for the trip to the airport.

[LegendsWear7]

Rome Ciampino is the worst although they are starting to modernise it.

Arrived at night earlier this year with gf and encountered the mafiosi taxi drivers. Too long to explain but was a big charade.

[Gibbon]

I've used Luton a few times in the last few months and found OK.

Bremen is good though, 5 mins from getting off the plane to exiting the terminal.

Rome Ciampino is the worst although they are starting to modernise it.

[expat]

I thought LHR was the worst until one time I flew into Luton, which manages to combine the incompetence of Heathrow with the chavness of Gatwick in one package.

That's where I part company with O'Leary, who said that most passengers would avoid Heathrow at any cost. I will avoid Heathrow at almost any cost.

[expat]

There is absolutely no way that the competition authorities would allow a charging basis like this. Everybody will be charged the same fee regardless of where they have flown from.

tim

Sorry then, I must have misunderstood the info.

It wouldn't be as simple as that anyway, for example the government does have the policy of "Gateway" airports and "Regional" airports. So I have to fly via London partly because HMG see the London airports as the gateway to the United Kingdom. Not BAA's fault (assuming they didn't buy it).

[tim123]

SAA (owned by BAA) has ludicrously high landing charges in their Scottish airports unless you come from another BAA airport.

There is absolutely no way that the competition authorities would allow a charging basis like this. Everybody will be charged the same fee regardless of where they have flown from.

tim

[bobhope]

I thought LHR was the worst until one time I flew into Luton, which manages to combine the incompetence of Heathrow with the chavness of Gatwick in one package.

Zürich - I kind of preferred the old airport, which was an airport with a couple of shops. Now it seems more of a shopping mall that just happens to have a few planes flying in and out.

[Back In Business]

Zurich airport is by far the best I've been in - the new one anyway. They have the longest lounge bar in the airline world (Swiss International Lounge). Not sure if that means much, but the experience was very good in general.

In the UK London City and Birmingham Intl. are the best (both non-BAA).

The worst is Coventry Intl. which is actually just a collection of sheds. I'm forced to use it because my client buys the tickets. The only good thing is that it only takes 15 minutes from landing to exiting the terminal.

[Gonzo]

The first time I flew from London City I asked where the business lounge was...only to be informed there was no business lounge. However once you get in to the lounge area it might as well be as its actually quite nice.

Still get annoyed at having to take my shoes off though!

Mailman

They had stopped making people take their shoes off three weeks ago. They still confiscated our lighters though.

City Airport is still my favourite in the UK.
Edinburgh 2nd favourite for ease of use.

Frankfurt - pretty good, although we got caught up in the long queues for passengers trying to board a plane for the States - even though we were flying back to the UK. FFS.

Oslo - pretty good, very pleasant.
Singapore - ultra efficient. Best I've ever been through.
Luxembourg - very efficient but a bit shabby (they are building a new terminal at the minute)
Jersey was efficient and nice but don't go through security until the last minute because the only things the other side are the duty free shop and the departure gates.

Auckland - pleasant but queues can be long (both incoming and outgoing - although the immigration section had improved enourmously last time I was there).

Antwerp - the most surreal experience I have ever had - only people in the check in area when we arrived were a couple of old codgers sitting chatting but weren't going on any flights. Waited there for an hour - lots of people walked through but didn't have any luggage and didn't look like they were travelling anywhere. The cafe was full (of non-travellers), but it was the only thing that was open. There were nine check in counters but only two had computer terminals on them! Eventually they opened one of them for our flight.