My first TR of the year! Well, it proves iWife and I are still capable of travelling after our recent medical issues, despite the now horrendous cost of Travel Insurance! (Ł4200 for Worldwide multi-trip). Just to expand on that, I apparently had a mini-stroke (TIA) last year, which led to a fall and fractured vertebrae in my back: I don’t move as well as I used to! And poor Lady T started the year with a Lung Cancer diagnosis and several months of Chemo, which has also left her weak in the legs. So we are now officially a 2-Stick Household!


We managed our first trips of 2024 in September, visiting family in Yorkshire and then friends in PHX, but those were quite routine and didn’t justify a TR. That was swiftly this month by a return to Crete, this time staying in Chania Old Town, which is the purpose of this TR. New City, new Hotel, just the same airport as previously. BTW,I discovered it ...

So, let’s go on a trip to Mediterranean sunshine and historic buildings and Greek food and wine. We’ll be moving slowly, so you will be able to keep up!

Saturday 12 Oct 24.

The day inevitably started with the Taxi at 0530 for the 15-min run to JER Airport. Weekend and early hours rates applied, so that was Ł32 gone before we reALLY start! The airport was quiet, though, and check-in and Security was a breeze. A quick Duty Free purchase of ciggies, and on to the Lounge … and as we are just settling in our flight is called to Gate 10. Yes, boarding at 0620 for an 0700 departure. Oh, well, off we trot/totter!

BA1339, A319, JER-LHR, 0700-0810, CE Seats 1A/C

In the holding pen at Gate 10, I ask the desk Agent if they’re doing Pre-Boarding. “Oh, yes”, he says, and points us to a seating zone near the door to the Ramp area. “This is good”, I muse to myself … although we’re Group 1 anyway, we now trump Group 0 as well! And so we and the other halt and lame and infants are ushered to the aircraft steps [or Ramp, in the JER scenario]. Quickly into our seats, plenty of room on the overhead above Row 1, and our sticks folded to fit. And watch the rest of the pax getting on board, myopically peering at the row labels … “Yes, this is Row 1, yours is much further back.”

Oh, good, it’s Captain Speaking tine again. A 20 minute delay on departure, due to Flow Control by ATC at LHR. Oh, well, all you can do is wait, and eventually we headed off for the 161 miles to LHR. We had a sort of snack breakfast, but it was quite unmemorable and not worth photographing!

At LHR it’s the usual “Purple Signs for Flight Connections”, where after a long walk we get put through assorted barriers scanning BPs and make our way up to Main Security. TEDIOUS! The new scanners seem to alert to everything and anything, leading to the tray conveyor system being blocked by trays needing Secondary checks. But, eventually, we are free to make our way to the First Lounge and some sort of proper breakfast and pink Champagne for Lady T. And we got seats!

BA666, A320, LHR-CHQ, 1045-1645, CE Seats 1D/F

Gate … ummm, 17? Anyway, I totter up to desk, enquire about Pre-Boarding, and … BINGO. In fairness, we are both extremely slow and unsteady on our feet these days, so I do’t feel all that guilty about beating Group 0 onto the aircraft. Settle in quickly, sticks folded and stowed in the spacious overhead, and watch the Great Public boarding. “Yes, this is Row 1, etc.”

Less good to hear our cheerful Captain talking to us already … “Bit of a problem with the APU, yada, yada, Engineers are looking into it.” Eventually a 30-minute delay before we get going, and the Up And Away to Crete. Followed by drinks and …



Standard BA Curry!

Nothing to write home about, but what did I expect? It was edible, and nicely served by charming CC looking after 12 rows of CE. And after 3h 20m in a not very comfortable seat, we arrived at CHQ to be bussed to Immigration. There, in the mass of humanity, an Agent spotted we two old totters and fed us into an empty Fast Track lane … Thank You! Duly Bordered and stamped by a friendly lady, we made our way to Reclaim where, about 10 minutes later, our case materialised. Off to the outside world, where a very clear sign indicated our driver. He was pre-booked through the Hotel, as a complimentary add-on to our BA Hols booking, and we set off into Chania for a 30-minute drive. This is apparently part of their “Mr and Mrs Smith” booking package, and kindly applied to ours too. And … we are here!

Part 2. Chania.



Straight down there and left at the end!
A short 5-minute walk from the Taxi drop-off zone to the Hotel, which was kindly assisted by Artemis from Reception dragging our wheelie-case, and here we are at Azade. Flights in CE, JER-LHR-CHQ plus Hotel with BA Holidays was Ł2099, booked last December … a very fair price, I think!

https://azade-chania.com

Just 9 Suites in a beautifully restored 17th century Villa (1640, actually). Our Suite, #303, is labelled as Superior Double, and very superior it is too.

https://azade-chania.com/ux_room/sup.../#lg=1&slide=1

Spacious and well equipped, and with a large furnished outside Terrace with a view across the rooftops to the old Harbour. Nice touches include a small Wine Fridge [they know who we are] and a super-efficient wet-room rain shower. The only negative was a paucity of storage for our clothes.


Fridges



Breakfast offers a collection of cold items as well as a modest a la carte offer.




The narrow lanes of Old Town and the Harbour area contain a reasonable selection of Restaurants and Bars. We were not over-impressed by the menu choices offered, but we managed to keep ourselves adequately fed and watered through the week. Of course there are plenty of tourist shops everywhere! And we only managed to get completely lost once, on our first day of exploring!

All in all it was a very pleasant week, with decent weather most of the time. But we have to say we prefer Rethymno, where we will be returning next June once the BA Holidays website starts working properly!

"It's all Greek to me", or "Per Astra ad Crete" with BA.

Have a few Holiday Snaps!


Harbour by night

Sunset

At water level in the Harbour

WINE O'CLOCK

Homeward bound.

Again Azade organised a complimentary Taxi to the airport, and helped us with our case down to the pick-up point. Interestingly we were not charged the €3/day Tourism Tax, as apparently staying in an historic building gives an exemption! 30 minutes later, having ground through Town traffic and up onto the plateau where the airport is located, we are at CHQ Departures where the BA Priority desk was quick and efficient, and with a very short queue. Up the escalator to Security, which was also agreeably quick … and indeed almost casual! Through to the Shopping Mall for a carton or two of ciggies, then Immigration for a passport stamp and off to Gate 14. No lounge here, but the large holding area was reasonably pleasant and with a view of the ramp area.

BA661, A320, CHQ-LHR, 1415-1630, CE Seats 1D/F

Anyway, we perched ourselves on seats at the front of proceedings, and waited for proceedings to proceed. Eventually Ground Agents appeared, and I enquired about pre-boarding. “Yes, certainly. Wait there and we will call you forward.” Much juggling of Tensa barriers outside ensued, forming a collection of enclosures [[i] this photo from a previous trip to give an idea of the environment beyond the Gate podium].




Eventually assorted Groups, including the pre-boarders, were moved into various holding areas outside before eventually we, and Groups 0-3, are all released to board the bus to the remote stand. Fortunately the pre-boarders were nearest the bus, and thus had a chance to grab a seat. Not super helpful, perhaps? And when we arrive at the aircraft, there is of course a surge of humanity to the front and rear steps which unsurprisingly left the halt and lame with no special treatment whatsoever in their wake ... NOT very helpful for sure!

Seats 1D/F offered a sanctuary, again with a mass of overhead locker space, as the rest of the pax boarded. And happily on this occasion Captain Speaking remained silent, so we were soon on our way. Another good set of CC looked after 11 rows of CE, and after a drinks run fed us Lunch.




Despite the presentation, the Lamb was perfectly tender and very tasty. Sadly the Cheesy Cauliflower had drowned, and could not be resuscitated.

Arrival at LHR was routine, followed by the long walk to Connections. Security was a pain, though, with innumerable bags again being sent to the one Agent doing Secondary Screening. As with the outbound, it was so clogged up that the trays couldn’t move, as yet another one waited to join the secondary belt. Lady T was one of those … the reason provided was that the magnetic closure on her iPad cover had the same signature as Military grade explosive! Oh, right, and my identical iPad cover didn’t? Something really needs to get sorted out here!

With a couple of hours left to waste, we weaved our way to the FLounge and flopped Nothing to do but wait for ….

BA1350, A319, LHR-JER, 1940-2045, CE Seats 1A/C

Gate 12? I think so, and pre-boarding worked well for us and a couple of wheelchair pax who joined us. Apart from that, nothing to say really. A couple of salads nourished us (Trout for her, Mozzarella for me) and then we were home … with the most massive braking on touchdown that threw my whole body forward against the seatbelt. Whaaaat?

Reclaim, taxi, home, collapse! Tier Points duly credited correctly, and just waiting for the BA Hols bonus to turn up in a couple of weeks.

It was nice to have a week in a new destination, even if it didn’t inspire us as much as we had hoped. Perhaps Chania is a bit too touristy? Certainly most restaurant staff performed their duties in a fairly perfunctory manner but without any great charm or sociability. I don’t think we’ll go back … we’ll settle for the 1h15m transfer from CHQ to Rethymno.

Off to the Dominican Republic again at the end of November … Zoetry Agua again, ‘cos we’re old and boring!

Well done. Nice report. I am glad to hear that you are both on the mend. I've actually never been to Greece and really want to go. And that sounds like a good deal, booking with BA Holidays...

Nice to see a report from you!

You'll need to cut back on the fags!

Yes, most agreeably cheap for a very nice boutique hotel and 4 flight sectors. Also the bonus double Tier Points for a BA Holidays booking, which helps hugely for preserving BAEC Status!

Welcome back Uncle T! SO glad that you appear to be on the mend again, I have missed your insightful TR's so thank you for another great one! Looking forward to the next one already.....

Cheers! Nowhere new planned, but I'll see if I can milk some new/useful information from ... Punta Cana [Zoetry Agua], Punta Cana [again!], Phoenix and Rethymno!

Great report although why does BA food always looks like they've dropped it from a great height?

You've potentially solved a thorny issue. My Infinitely Better Half has been nagging encouraging me to book somewhere for next Spring at the end of the "falling down/off mountains" season, that is "warm, quiet, with good food and not too far" and has dismissed every suggestion to date. I reckon Crete is a winner.
And it also meets my "does good pies" criterion.

That's probably the kindest thing one can say about something that really wouldn't look out of place being served up in your average hospital

You fellas need to fly United long haul and see the slop they serve there. BA food looks positively Michelin star compared to poor ole Uniteds catering...

Great report! Your previous report inspired us to visit Crete, as our first visit to Greece.

I'd go back just for the food, especially considering the price. World class seafood and pretty much everything else sourced from local farms.

The very inexpensive yet good wine and free dessert and raki at the end of meals are also a plus

Fun to read, I was supposed to be in Greece this week, but husband had a stroke in June, no more traveling for me.

Wow, glad to have inspired you!
The 'complimentary dessert and Raki' is a beautiful cultural convention, for which I totally approve! Here's one I consumed last year!

Nice to see you and Mrs T travelling again sir, enjoy it while you can.