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They say that hind sight is 20/20. I think it’s closer to 20/15.
As I look at all my photos and think back about our experiences over the past year, I realize that we have been very lucky. No major mishaps, nice apartments/neighborhoods, wonderful people, and above all: each other.
I just want everyone to know (including the powers that be) that I realize how lucky we’ve been.
Part of the reason I’ve been looking back on my photos (other than organizing them for more blog posts…be patient with me) is because it’s Friday. One of the e-groups I belong to is called Photo Friday. Each Friday they deliver an email that includes a concept. Last Friday the concept was “The Good Life”. We’re supposed to submit a link to a photo that we feel expresses this concept. I think I have several photos that could illustrate this, but I can only choose one to submit.
As I look through my photos taken over the last year, the photos that ping my heart the most are the ones that document the little things. The kitchen in our apartment in Milan with (empty) wine bottles lined up. The kitties laying in the sun on the balcony. The bike path behind our apartment building in Brussels. Again, so many photos of the little things that made our lives good.
The photo I’ve chosen was taken the first day I arrived in Milan. It was my first cappuccino in Italy. I remember finding it strange that I had to stand at the counter and drink it. I also know that it was the last time I had a cappuccino after 11AM. Soon after my arrival, a friend informed us of the cafe etiquette that it’s considered gauche [out of fashion] to drink cappuccinos after lunch. I really miss my morning cappuccino!
So here it is (sigh), my first cappuccino in Italy…my “The Good Life”.
If you had to pick one photo to express your “The Good Life”, what would it be?
We’ve had a few adventures here in Europe that I haven’t blogged about yet. I’m calling them Long Lost Adventures. Here’s the first in the series. Our first guests in Milan.
Long Lost Adventure #1
Way back in July of 2007, my Mother and her husband Wes planned an amazing 3 week Italian holiday. The first week they spent with us in Milan, then they headed south for a tour of Rome and Tuscany. Ah, the life…
Even though Milan is in Northern Italy, it’s very hot and humid there in July. And smoggy (you’ll be able to see it in some of the photos). So just moving and breathing require a little more effort.
A little bit about jet lag
When you fly west, jet lag is often a very big problem for the first couple of days.
We’ve found the best way to deal with this is by not napping. If you stay up until bedtime of the location you have arrived, you’ll adjust much more quickly to the new time zone. It is never easy. When guests arrived, I basically dragged them out into the city to try to keep them awake! I’ve had people fall asleep on me in the middle of a conversation at the dinner table.
One of the first things that I dragged them out for was Gelato. Cool delicious, distinctly Italian.
Donna and Wes’ first gelato
I don’t think they like their photo taken while they’re eating either…
Here’s a photo of my gelato from that day. Cocco e Mango, or Coconut and Mango.
Let me first say, in no unconditional terms, Alitalia Sucks.
I’m sure that this is no surprise to anyone who has used their services.
July 1, 2007 7:30AM – Overbooked
My flight was scheduled for 10:30am on Sunday July 1st on Alitalia.
I left our apartment at 7:30AM.
I arrived at the checkin line by no later that 8:45am.
When I finally got to the check in desk at 9:30am, the woman handed me what looked like boarding passes but they had “Stand by” and said “not for travel” on them.
Since I had paid full fare for my ticket, I asked her what these “tickets” were.
She told me that the flight was overbooked and that I had to go to desk 315 for more information. And I had to take my luggage with me. Not a good sign.
As I walked toward desk 315, and saw that there was a “Continental Queue” (Continental Queue = a line of people that resembles more of a mob than a line, found most often in continental Europe), I got more and more frustrated. I had just waited 45 minutes for them to tell me that I wasn’t getting on my flight! Now I had to wait in ANOTHER line?!
I should have counted my blessings that I only had to wait 45 minutes in the first line.
Two hours later, a lot of Italian language drama, and countless swearing by multiple Alitalia customers, and I finally reached the front of desk 315.
The woman asked for my passport and boarding passes and then started typing away in her computer. There was no “we’re sorry for the inconvience, I’m now going to take care of you”, she just started working away.
Finally she started handing me documents to sign.
I stopped her and asked “What is going on?”
She tells me nonchalantly that they are giving me a hotel room for the night, a rebooked flight the next day, and a voucher for 150 euro.
THE NEXT DAY??? What??
I tell her that I don’t want a hotel room as I live in Milan and would rather have a taxi home. She tells me that she can’t get a taxi, but she MIGHT be able to get me a trip on the Malpensa express.
“That’s not good enough, I have all my baggage and it took me an hour to get here this morning”, I say.
”I’m sorry mam, there is nothing else I can do for you, this is what they are offering”, she says exasperated.
”I know that you probably can’t help me, but I would like to speak with someone who can. Is there a supervisor I can speak with?” I say as calmly as possible.
”I will call her”, again in her exasperated tone.
Finally after speaking with someone on the phone, she says, “My supervisor will speak to you in a few moments. Go to desk 105 and wait there for her”.
”I have waited in line for 3 hours, I am not going anywhere. She should come here to speak with me.” I say through clenched teeth.
”She cannot come over here”, she counters.
”And I cannot go over there”, I respond.
”Please, please, I will walk you over there, just wait here and let me take the next person”, she begs.
”I don’t think so, I’ll wait here until she is available”, I am not convinced.
”You can’t make those people wait any longer, you are inconvieniencing all those people, you are making them wait like you had to wait”, she tries reasoning.
”No, your supervisor is inconvieniencing them and making them wait”, I counter.
”Please?”, she once again begs.
”Fine, I will wait right here until the supervisor is ready, and then you will walk me over”, I state as I am tired of arguing (and honestly do not want to cause the potental passengers any longer wait).
I wait about 5 minutes and then a different Alitalia representative walks me over to the other side of the check-in lines and I speak with the supervisor Emanuella. Our exchange, while rather tense, is fairly pleasant.
My list of requests (for the inconvienience they have caused me):
1. I ask for more than 150 euro credit (which is insulting).
She tells me that she cannot give me more than 150 euro credit, that she can ask Alitalia, but she knows that they will say no more.
2. I ask to be upgraded on my flight to the US, and then on my return flight to Italy.
She tells me that the flight is full, but she will put me on the stand by list.
She tells me she will work on getting me the upgrade for my return flight.
3. I tell her I want a taxi home and then a return taxi for the next morning.
She then passes me off to another Alitalia representative who makes out the taxi voucher and a voucher for lunch (since it’s already noon).
I found out in my conversation that none of the people I have spoken to are actual Alitalia employees, they are a contract company…SEA. At one point I refer to Emanuella as ‘you’(as in the company), and she corrects me and says that she is not Alitalia. And I respond, “Ok, but you REPRESENT them, so it’s the same to me”.
This is the salad and coke I bought with my voucher from Alitalia at Malpensa.
This is what it looked like under the pretty top layer
I wait another 2 hours for a taxi to take me home (which is really a hired car service, not a taxi at all).
July 2nd 2007 – The Next Day
Next morning, my car is waiting for me 15 minutes early! Nice surprise.
There is no line at the bag check only line! I also ask her about the upgrade.
She is nice and tells me I am on the upgrade list, but that they cannot arrange for an upgrade from Boston. She says that I should speak with someone in Boston about that. I ask her to make a note on my ticket…she says she will.
I spotted this sign the next morning. Worth my while??!! What would have changed? 200 euro voucher?!
I have time for a cafe and brioche and to grab some stuff at the duty free shop.
When the gate opens, I ask the woman if I have been upgraded. She takes my boarding pass and returns with a new one, “yes, you have been upgraded”.
Yea! Small victories!
We board late. We leave late.
Decent flight (except for the surprising amount of children in buisness class).
We arrive on time. Well almost…just a day late.
July 10, 2007 – The Return Flight
We arrived at the airport 3.5 hours before our flight!!
Alitalia in Boston claimed they knew nothing about a request to add me to the upgrade list for my return trip to Milan. They claimed that Milan should have made a note or given them notice in order for them to do that. After a little confrontation with one of the ticket staff (she was a tad too short and irritated with me for no reason…but we straightened it out), the Boston staff was very helpful and reassigned us to exit row seats (my mother and her husband were traveling with me).
We arrived at Malpensa airport in Milan, as did our luggage on schedule.
My sunny side view is that I was not really going on vacation…I had no hotel reservations, I was not traveling with small children or pets.
The down side is that I had to cancel appointments that I had made for Monday (which could not be rescheduled the week I was home), and I lost a day to visit with family and friends.
So really nothing Alitalia could do would make up for that time lost or the inconviences they caused.
Except maybe another round trip ticket home, perhaps…
Moral of the story:
Alitalia (and I’m sure many other airlines) make it a policy to overbook their flights. Make sure that you are checked in well in advance of your flight time. They bump in order of check-in, not your ticket status. They also do not compensate adequately if you have been bumped involuntarily (I don’t know what kind of compensation package they offer the VOLUNTEERS who are bumped).
None of the Ticket counters in Boston had a copy of Alitalia’s policy on overbooking (even though every counter states that they have one on request).
I still do not have a copy of their official overbooking policy.
