Not quite the same, but... Yesterday, I got to VIE 2 hours early (through transport luck) for my OS flight to LHR. At check-in, I was told it was running 2h30 late. I noted that it really didn't matter.

I actually quite looked forward to this. A little time to do stuff at my own pace this week was quite welcome, and I do enjoy airports. So, I went for a haircut, went shopping in a couple of the book and clothes shops, then sat in the Senator lounge for a couple of hours (free wireless access, good coffee, omelettes, pastries, cakes and soup all provided for you) and caught up with some news stories and a little bit of work.

Got to the bus gate about half an hour early (felt like stretching my legs), and found a bunch of people already queuing for the gate, whinging about how terrible it is that they have to queue this long for a delayed flight. I never understand this airport queuing mentality. It's not as if they all had massive carry-ons or anything.

Get on the plane, and it's an old-looking NG 737-300. There's a whole bunch of pax having a right go at the cabin crew about the delay. It's a weather delay, like half the other flights caught in this storm in VIE! Everyone was informed about the delay at check-in, the monitors kept you up to date... Why do people behave like spoilt kids once they get inside an airport?

Anyway, I really enjoyed hanging round VIE. Yup, the *G lounge access definitely helped, but, in general, unless it's a one-flight-a-day shed type place, I do enjoy it.

Kudos to NG, too, who provided about the best food I've ever had in Y. Salad, a delicious, huge, pork fillet in mustard and pepper sauce with a gratin dauphinois, followed by chocolate mousse, all prepared by Do&Co, all served on actual crockery with actual metal cutlery, in actual meal-sized portions. For a 2-hour flight!

I'm going to do this trip again. Oh yes.