It is a Friday evening at 8
30 pm, I am at the Executive Club 4th floor at the Madrid Barajas
Airport Hilton Hotel. It is 230 pm in Miami, which I left exactly 52 hours ago
to travel to the same destination which can be done by a direct flight of about
9 hours.
Why 52 hours instead of 9
hours?
Quality of Life rather than
the Quantity, my dear Watson.
Imagine all the new and old
friends that I met on this trip? Always pleased to see a familiar face and
always eager to make new friends.. on the air, on the ground ..
My sister’s husband dropped
me off at Gate 3 Concourse D at Miami International Airport, TSA pre check and
security check were a breeze.
Made my way to the Centurion
Club. I did not enter the Admirals Club of the American Airlines, as I was
anticipating the friendly faces at the Centurion Club. I was not disappointed.
This is what America and
especially Miami an interesting place to visit: Colombia, Haiti, Puerto Rico,
Cuba all touching you in a matter of minutes.
It was too early for a
Sauvignon Blanc from NZ, but Earl Grey tea, and some offerings from Michele
Bernstein’s cuisine.
Mayte’s (she is from Sancti
Spiritus, Cuba) massage was so good that I was relaxed all through the first
flight of this journey, Miami to Boston.
2 hours 45 minutes, Seat 1 D,
the usual mediocre meal offering, an unappetizingly large serving of Quinoa
with vegetables. I didn’t drink as I
knew what was waiting for me on my next flight.
As this flight arrived
earlier than the opening of the Qatar Airways check in desks (no e-check in, no
TSA pre check, in general Boston Airport did feel like a third world airport,
as are many US airports). I spent a little time at the American Airlines
Admirals Club, with an ambiance not worth mentioning, except for the long
bartender. A young lady by the name of Jazmin made some fresh guacamole, tasted
it, as I did not want the stomach to be full for the QR Qatar Airways offerings
a few hours later. (Some foreigners in the USA, live in some fear, which they
have a reason to, as seen just a couple of days later by an Executive Order of
the President, Jazmin did not want a photo taken, and I have noticed that some
of the Mexican ladies working at Hotels would refuse to speak Spanish and will
answer you in broken English.)
Outside the terminal, the air
was cold, the inter terminal buses ran only every 15-20 minutes but quickly
enough deposited at the International Terminal E.
Upstairs and immediately
attended at the Check in by an inexperienced girl in hijab of Algerian origin,
but with the help of her colleague, nevertheless gave me a favourite seat, 1 K
I quickly went through TSA
and Security and was eager to greet the Colombian lady from Medellin who works
at the Air France Lounge. As expected the AF staff, both francophone black Africans
were unfriendly but the Colombians who worked at the lounge made up for it.
It was close to 20.15 , a
leisurely walk to gate E8, watching people dozing off waiting to board their
flights to distant destinations: Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways.. Some
new players, the Low Cost Norwegian Airlines, beware, they were hours late!
I made the mistake of signing
up for the DOHA city tour, a mistake because the other attendees had to clear
immigration which took over one and half hours, so the city tour shrunk to a
visit to the Souq which I had visited on another occasion.
Above is the area where J passengers clear the Immigration, tea, coffee and savouries were waiting for you if you decide to enjoy them before joining the short line at the immigration where your picture was taken and passport checked and stamped. Qatar welcomes people to take a break during their long flights which they can either do it at a hotel, or in the quiet comfort of their lounges or at the airport shops.
