There And Back Again

On Thursday I went to Cardiff.  Just a quick day trip, out in the morning, back in the evening.  At least that was the plan...

When I checked in at the airport, around half past seven in the evening, the woman at the desk handed me my boarding pass and then said, as if it was an irrelevant little detail, 'oh and the flight's been delayed until 1.'

'1.  1 am?' I asked, thinking as I said it that it couldn't be because all the airports would be closed.  But she confirmed it was so and handed me a voucher for £7 worth of 'refreshment' which is a misnomer if ever there were one: being forced to choose from a range of pre-packed foods under neon lighting is the antithesis of refreshing.

So, five hours in Cardiff Airport.

The time passes very slowly.

I kept thinking that as a resourceful Lady Traveller I ought to be able to come up with some super strategy to while away the time - turn lemons into lemonade etc.  Weren't my airport reviews based on this very thing?

But unfortunately Cardiff Airport is little more than a shed and offers very little material with which to work.  One bar, one cafe (closed), one WH Smith, one duty free shop (though it closed soon afterwards), voila tout.

My laptop was at home, my phone ran out of battery and I just didn't feel like starting in to writing a bestselling novel.  So I read a little and people watched a little and watched the screens hopefully and eventually a plane materialised and I got home somewhere around three in the morning.

The next day, I wondered if there was a hint to be gleaned from the experience.  Why, yes.  Two hints, actually.

First hint: air travel is often exhausting and frustrating.  Airlines treat you like a child, telling you half-truths (or not telling you anything at all); airports are most often horribly lit ghettoes with uncomfortable chairs and a smaller or greater choice of unappealing food outlets.  There is nothing any of us can do when stranded at an airport except remind ourselves that the time will eventually pass.

Second hint: never, ever, even when just going on a quick day trip, leave your phone charger at home.

Airport Reviews: Melbourne International

Or my new home away from home.  I do seem to be clocking up a lot of hours in this place.  Good news for you because I have hints hints hints!

(View from Cafe Vue) 

Overview

There is one terminal for all international departures from Melbourne.  Once you get past the troika of check in, security, immigration it’s actually pretty nice – you just have to get past them first.

The business end

There are plenty of shops and restaurants beyond security and I would advise getting airside with despatch as a) there’s not much to do landside (spell check wants to correct that to ‘landslide’) and b) as well as security you have to clear immigration/customs and the queues can be slow moving.  You have to fill out a departure card before you get to the head of the queue – you might want to do this at the desks provided.  Juggling your handbag, carry on, passport, boarding card and trying to fill out the form is an Olympic-level sport.  

The fun (?) part

The good news is that once you’re through, the terminal is pretty nice.  Mimco is good for girly presents (costume jewellery, handbags, hair accessories), Witchery for clothes basics (again for girls).  There are several shops peddling Akubra hats, Uggs, souvenir t-shirts, plush kangaroos, didgeridoos, merino wool jumpers etc.  Dreamtime Journey has some interesting indigenous-designed souvenirs.  There is also a shop called Australian Produce Store which, as well as selling confectionery, stocks the all-healing magical Paw Paw ointment.

For food, if you have time, I recommend Café Vue, an offshoot of Vue de Monde, one of Melbourne’s fanciest restaurants.  This is a café/bistro version, but you can get a decent meal and a glass of wine.  It is a bit pricey, but then by the time you’re leaving Melbourne you will have had to come to terms with your Melbourne sticker shock. Café Vue also do lunch boxes to take away – an excellent option if your airline charges for food (even if it doesn’t).  A memorable picnic on Air New Zealand to Auckland contained cold chicken, potato salad and a lemon tart whose memory makes my mouth water.

Airport Reviews: LHR Terminal 1

Overview

I have spent much, oh much time over the years in London Heathrow Terminal 1.  It’s where all the flights to and from Ireland are based, plus several of the Star Alliance carriers are there too.  It used to be that the Irish flights and domestic flights went from a ghetto with one café and a tiny newsagents – to add insult to injury, you had to walk as far as Wales to get there.  Now, they’ve upgraded the departures lounge and integrated it so that, no matter where you’re going (Cape Town, Belfast) you can – wait for it – shop!  Have edible food!  Buy a book!

The business end

Security can be slow (as throughout Heathrow because of the volume of passengers), so give yourself plenty of time.  If you’re travelling within Britain or to Ireland there’s an extra security measure whereby you get your picture taken before security and then have to pass through an additional checkpoint before getting to your gate.   Leave time.

The fun (?) part

For shopping there are some of the $$$ luxury brand shops that Heathrow delights in, but also a decent sprinkling of high street shops (and all tax free!) including French Connection and LK Bennett.  There is a WH Smith bookshop as well as several newsagents.  For pressies, I recommend checking out Chocolate Box which stocks Artisan du Chocolat and buying some of their sea salt caramel chocolates, possibly the best chocolate creation ever to come out of the British Isles.

[There is also a Dixons electronics shop and, if you don't know already, many airside electronics shops have a service where you can ring up the shop, order your new laptop (or whatever) and arrange to collect it next time you're flying.  Given that VAT on a new computer can be over €100 this is worth taking into account.]

Foodwise (I get so excited about this because I remember when the only option was a very ordinaire chain pub serving bog standard wine and plastic toasties) I would recommend Giraffe as your best bet for a meal: the food comes pretty quickly and is good, although the service can be a wee bit erratic.  Coffeewise there are branches of Pret a Manger (also good for take away picnic food), Nero and Costa.

Extra tip

I don’t know how long they’ll be there, but once you get to the corralling area immediately before the Irish departure gates there are some fairly comfortable sofas.  These have proved very valuable to me when en route from Australia and jet-lagged to falling-over point.

Airport Reviews: Canberra

[For more on the airport reviews, read the preamble.]

It seemed appropriate to start the airport reviews with Canberra, since getting delayed there gave me the idea in the first place. 

Overview

People mostly visit Canberra for one of two reasons: they have business with the federal government or they are visiting a National Cultural Institution.  There are (currently) no international flights to or from Canberra.  In consequence, the airport is small and designed for quick getaways.  You will spot: politicians, members of the armed services, people wearing grey.  You will not spot: celebrities, fashionistas, non-Australians (well hardly any).

The business end

The good news is – check-in and security are both super speedy.  The clientele noted above tend to travel light and efficiently. 

The bad news is …

The fun (?) part

All those frequent flying politicians head straight to the lounges.  If you are flying with Virgin, you can buy a day pass for their lounge.  If flying Qantas (and not a member of their frequent flyer programme) you have limited options for eating/relaxing.

There is a Relay shop that sells a great range of magazines and newspapers, a limited range of books, some okay souvenirs that won’t actively offend your loved ones and basic toiletries.  There is a Hudsons Coffee which – look, if you need caffeine, it’s not terrible.  Not good, but not terrible.  There is also a Tuk Chop which has pretty decent dumplings and fried rice.  For seating, you’re limited to the seats by the gates, but at least there are plenty of these.  And for bonus, the toilets are very clean and shiny.

If you have a delay of more than a couple of hours, I would recommend heading elsewhere.  The Australian War Memorial Museum is less than a 15 minute taxi ride away and most of the other big museums and galleries can be reached within 20.