It was the most unassuming of starts to an intercontinental trip: a short hop to Amsterdam in Economy. Regular readers will know that this is not necessarily unusual for me. The UK is generally speaking an awful place to begin an intercontinental journey, especially if you enjoy flying in the pointy end of the aircraft. Better to slip out of the country quietly, enjoy a day or two in a favourite continental city and then begin the long haul on friendlier shores. That’s why I found myself kicking off this latest long-haul adventure with a KLM flight to Amsterdam. That, and the need – once again – to breathe new life into my modest, but definitely usable stash of Flying Blue miles.
Departure and flight
As ever, the trip began with a tram ride to Edinburgh Airport. There was no Fast Track for me today, and the queues for Security were so bad that they were backed up to the entry gates. Twenty-five minutes later I was through this nightmare, but sadly ‘loungeless’. Even the normally quiet branch of Caffè Nero at the eastern pier had closed at 1130, for reasons that it was keeping to itself. “Pret” provided an alternative, while I watched my 1325 scheduled departure time become 1405, thanks to late arrival of the inbound aircraft.
Boarding was fairly orderly and I took my seat in 6A as part of Boarding Group 4, having allowed myself the small indulgence of booking an extra-legroom seat. It was actually 1432 before we pushed back. The flight was fairly uneventful, except that the occupant of 5F spent the whole time coughing uncontrollably, with quite horrendous sound effects. I hoped he was far enough away so as not to constitute a clear and present danger.
Arrival
After successfully negotiating the Other Passports line on arrival at Schiphol, it was an easy job to catch a local train to Hoofddorp, locate the Hampton by Hilton hotel and make the short walk. I’d even had the presence of mind to acquire an attractive tray of sushi before leaving the airport, which together with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from the hotel bar, made for an enjoyable supper in my room.
As I knew from my days of frequent business travel to Frankfurt, even short-haul flying can sometimes be quite tiring. Sure enough, I easily fell into a deep and restful sleep.
