Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Away with the Sea - Air France Strike!

I can see it for miles
I can see it in your face
Within the miles
That lie between us
Away with the sea
The sea that lies between you and me
The tears they float
Away with the sea
It's in the mirror
It's in my eyes
Within the miles that lie between us
Within the miles that lie between us
Away with the sea
Away with the sea

The tears they float
Away with the sea
Away with the sea

The sea that lies between you and me
The tears they float
Away with the sea
Away with the sea
It all began on Wednesday afternoon, just after I completed some translation work with Isabel for a private school admissions application for her son Hugo. The phone rang. It was Fred with the news that his flight from Clermont to Paris on Friday afternoon had been cancelled due to a planned Air France Strike. My initial reaction of laughter was not well received by Fred, but was more of a gallows humor after having survived the RATP/SNCF strike earlier while I was in Paris delivering training for my American Work Contract. I would be leaving on Thursday to deliver the same training in Germany and planned to meet up with Fred in Paris on Friday night for the weekend.
When Fred got home from work, we got on the phone with Air France to find out what his options might be for the Friday travel. Of course, when we called customer service we had to wait and listen to the lovely theme music:
The sea that lies between you and me
The tears they float
Away with the sea
Away with the sea
...
When we finally connected with someone, the only option for Fred would be to take the early morning flight to Paris and then to work in Paris during the day.
My flight to Germany on Thursday via Lyon went without a hitch. Unfortunately, my return trip to Paris on Friday evening was not so smooth. To begin with, the flight was delayed one hour. Then when we boarded the plane, we had to wait close to another hour for a departure spot. On the plane during our hour delay, you may have guessed it. Yes, we got to listen to:
The sea that lies between you and me
The tears they float
Away with the sea
Away with the sea
Once we arrived in Paris CDG and parked, we had to wait several more minutes on board while the passerelle was being connected to the plane. For our entertainment, you got it, we listened to:
The sea that lies between you and me
The tears they float
Away with the sea
Away with the sea
Departing from the plane, we found the door to get into the terminal locked and had to wait several more minutes for someone to arrive and unlock it. Fortunately, there was no musical entertainment.
Already more than two hours late from Germany, at a different terminal than originally posted, I was very lucky to find the MotoTaxi which took me to the hotel. Unfortunately, I arrived too late for a proper dinner, but was able to order from the bar menu just in time for the last call at the Sofitel bar.
The next morning, I was checking my emails and found an email from Air France informing me that my flight to Copenhagen on Sunday had been cancelled. We got on the phone immediately and called Air France and yeah, you guessed it, during our half hour wait to get to a person, we got to listen to:
The sea that lies between you and me
The tears they float
Away with the sea
Away with the sea
A reservation was made for me on Luftunsa flights via Frankfort, but we would need to stop by an Air France office in Paris to pick up the paper tickets. The first office we went to at the Madeline had a queue that went out the door of the building, so we decided to go to another Air France office. At the second office, I stood in line with about 50 people in front of me and Fred went searching for a frequent flyer section. The lady in front of me was on her mobile phone, on hold with Air France and hearing something that I just had to sing along with:
The sea that lies between you and me
The tears they float
Away with the sea
Away with the sea