Quick TR ***YUL-CDG-SOF*** on AF with lessons learned!
May 9, 2011 | 10:41 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 5
Quick TR ***YUL-CDG-SOF*** on AF with lessons learned! (In Y)
Hey guys,
First TR, I will try to keep it short and to the point.
At YUL, check-in line was long and slow unlike my usual bag drop experience with BA. I was flying AF and made a huge mistake by not booking a day later when the first A380 would fly from YUL to CDG.
My return flight is in January 2012 and I am even considering paying $200 to change to A380, but I have to give it some more thought.
Security line was long, I am not exaggerating when I say that I waited 40 minutes....
Good service on board, but it didn't make up for the absolutely disappointment with the food and the IFE. Food was awful and I heard other people complain. I did not eat anything except the (very) small chocolate.The screen was small and for the first time in many years I did not watch anything, another remark was that I don't think the remote control's best place is next to the screen. (Plane was B 777-300ER)
(It might also be a good place to mention that LH and BA's food + IFE > AF).
I ended up pleasantly surprised at CDG, as I remember the last few times I was there I absolutely hated it, but I felt it was a completely different experience with well-designed signs everywhere and the touch of art.
I had a few days in Paris, which were absolutely amazing and I cannot stress enough how much I loved the city.
The lessons learned part....Feel free to laugh...
I lost my credit card the last day and I couldn't buy a ticket to get on the train to CDG. For some reason, my debit card didn't work with any of the Parisian ATM's and I thought that although I really like Paris I rather get to the airport! But: no train = no plane. I ended up going through the turnstile with some old lady claiming I was in a rush and showing an old ticket. So far, so good. I knew that I was in the correct place and got on the train with all the passengers with the big bags. To be sure, I asked a person next to me whether it was going to the airport. Well, of course it was!
Prochaine station: Notre-Dame.
Hm, why is the next station Notre-Dame, that's not in the airport's direction? Probably it is some other Notre-Dame! Brilliant thought! Well, the prochaine station after Notre-Dame was the Luxembourg gardens which clearly showed that I was going to the airport, but not the right one!
No big deal, I get off and get on the right train.
I arrive at CDG with a big grin and proceed to check in my luggage. Whoops, over 3kg overweight. As I cannot pay, I decide to throw some of that excess in my backpack. Long story short, my backpack decides to fall apart in the middle of the airport. Well, clearly I could've put everything back in the suitcase, but you might remember that, I cannot pay in any way to have that excess luggage put on the plane. Human ingenuity in action - I wrap my backpack with a sweater and tighten everything together so it doesn't fall out.
I proceed to check in again hoping I've hit the magical 23kg. Nope, 24kg.
I put all my charm into action and the nice French lady just mentions that I should be 'more careful' next time I pack....
In summary, always have local currency in cold hard cash with you....
First TR, I will try to keep it short and to the point.
At YUL, check-in line was long and slow unlike my usual bag drop experience with BA. I was flying AF and made a huge mistake by not booking a day later when the first A380 would fly from YUL to CDG.
My return flight is in January 2012 and I am even considering paying $200 to change to A380, but I have to give it some more thought.
Security line was long, I am not exaggerating when I say that I waited 40 minutes....
Good service on board, but it didn't make up for the absolutely disappointment with the food and the IFE. Food was awful and I heard other people complain. I did not eat anything except the (very) small chocolate.The screen was small and for the first time in many years I did not watch anything, another remark was that I don't think the remote control's best place is next to the screen. (Plane was B 777-300ER)
(It might also be a good place to mention that LH and BA's food + IFE > AF).
I ended up pleasantly surprised at CDG, as I remember the last few times I was there I absolutely hated it, but I felt it was a completely different experience with well-designed signs everywhere and the touch of art.
I had a few days in Paris, which were absolutely amazing and I cannot stress enough how much I loved the city.
The lessons learned part....Feel free to laugh...
I lost my credit card the last day and I couldn't buy a ticket to get on the train to CDG. For some reason, my debit card didn't work with any of the Parisian ATM's and I thought that although I really like Paris I rather get to the airport! But: no train = no plane. I ended up going through the turnstile with some old lady claiming I was in a rush and showing an old ticket. So far, so good. I knew that I was in the correct place and got on the train with all the passengers with the big bags. To be sure, I asked a person next to me whether it was going to the airport. Well, of course it was!
Prochaine station: Notre-Dame.
Hm, why is the next station Notre-Dame, that's not in the airport's direction? Probably it is some other Notre-Dame! Brilliant thought! Well, the prochaine station after Notre-Dame was the Luxembourg gardens which clearly showed that I was going to the airport, but not the right one!
No big deal, I get off and get on the right train.
I arrive at CDG with a big grin and proceed to check in my luggage. Whoops, over 3kg overweight. As I cannot pay, I decide to throw some of that excess in my backpack. Long story short, my backpack decides to fall apart in the middle of the airport. Well, clearly I could've put everything back in the suitcase, but you might remember that, I cannot pay in any way to have that excess luggage put on the plane. Human ingenuity in action - I wrap my backpack with a sweater and tighten everything together so it doesn't fall out.
I proceed to check in again hoping I've hit the magical 23kg. Nope, 24kg.
I put all my charm into action and the nice French lady just mentions that I should be 'more careful' next time I pack....
In summary, always have local currency in cold hard cash with you....
Last edited by iliketraveling; May 9, 2011 at 11:13 am
May 10, 2011 | 1:23 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: BRS
Posts: 336
Eeek! Glad things worked out for you in the end, that's a pretty close call! Did you try paying for things with your debit card, rather than just using it for getting cash?
May 10, 2011 | 6:26 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,961
When things decide to go wrong, they will, no matter how many times you bend backwards. It reminds me of last weekend in Toronto. When trying to pick up a ticket for the evening concert, I was told that I had bought online for a wrong date and had to pay again - but cash only. I did not have enough on me so went to the banking machine just across the corner, only to find that it chose to be 'temporarily' out of order... After that, all was fine, and I hope that you are fine as well, wherever you are.