Getting to PP and Palma Airport

[Portofan]

You have made your holiday plans and the long awaited day dawns when you finally make your journey.

As one of our Forumites told us recently in speaking to Richard Branson, at Palma, he RB, always came by a budget carrier as he could not justify the cost of the private jet. I must say I agree and do similar or even on a charter.Don't quite want to flaunt it!

Down to your local airport then, maybe 4 am or a 10 pm job, proceedure the same. Have to say in my earlier visits to PP, came on a charter and all passengers on the plane were coming to PP or to CSV. Just imagine that ! In to the terminal and one look at the queues told you which check in desks. All the men in smart sports jackets or blazers nicely cut trousers proper shoes and a few cravats even with the token Panama hats. And the ladies well, of whatever age, they stood out too. And the kids. Kids? Find them if you could.8o

In those days it was different. Now the tour operator on the flight covers Magaluf and Palma Nova. The dress code of the passengers is more relaxed. "Smart but casual" as Billy Connolly used to say. Trouble is everyone has a different interpretation!

Knew a guy once who did a lot of Business Class travel and went long haul holidays. At short notice booked up an AI week in Majorca or Ibiza, can't remember which. Told me he was going and I thought "Wrong place, wrong tour company , wrong type of holiday, wrong time of year for you two " but said to him "Ah well, hope the weather's good, see you when you both get back!"
First comment when I saw him afterwards was to say when he went to check in outward that he thought looking at fellow travellers they should under go psychometric and aptitude testing to ensure suitability to fly!
We love and always wear our best and newest shell suits to go! So relaxing! Quite upset we were!

Well the flights are all the same, are they not. Pass quickly to arrival.

In to Palma and off the plane. If your first time you will best follow the crowd and you think that the tannoy announcement in Spanish means "Welcome to Palma de Mallorca Health Farm. We hope you will enjoy the three kilometre walk to collect your baggage and it will loosen you up after your flight. Gracias."
And you realise you are on the track of the Grand Prix as the buggies race up on you in the corridors!

"Those kids on the carousels will catch a foot or break an arm" you think, but does it matter, they were not on your flight. No there is a flight in from one of those places across the North Sea and the kids wouldn't understand you anyway!!

Maybe off to get your car now and will it be a test of patience or of impatience?>:
Or find your tour operator staff? Hand picked? What for? >D

Pass on to the coach and you wait and wait and wait. You are tired and hot and hungry probably. What's the problem?
Oh it's that guy with the ???? (At this stage please, a multiple choice is available. Please choose whatever age , manner of attire, baseball cap or Panama hat etcetara is holding up the ****** coach!!>: >:

Now if it's first time and I suppose if it's your twenty first time and there are fellow travellers going to perhaps three or four destinations you are thinking "Are they in mine? " :lol :lol Multiple choice here again!!:lol :lol

And if you are really really lucky you will get a free yes free!! tour around Alcudia on the way and so you'll know where your next trip will be to!:eek :eek Or not!!:lol :lol

Then at last you are there!!

You've made it!!

On with the holidays!!

Yipppeeee!!:rollin :rollin

PS Will do the return trip but if some one else wishes to tell of the delights of passing back through PMI please do!!

Hmmmm. Abandoned package holidays after a memorable one to Lanzarote: the shaven heads, tattoos, metalwork, and that was the women.... Found Palma Airport not as bad as we were warned: best tip for first timers is that there are lots of ladies loos, so you don't have to join the queue at the first one... and after son and I had found our bags on the furthest possible carousel found there was a door through to the arrivals hall which meant we didn't have to fight our way back to the main one, we were there and met up with hubby who had sorted out the hire car in no time. We were impressed. Worked like clockwork going back too.
Very pleased we weren't flying those few days in July when the cleaners were on strike, that must have been a really horrible arrival.

[Portofan]

Hmmmm.Penny.

Do I detect a little something against people who come on package holidays?

We travel with the operator who own that hotel on the front, Sis Pins, and remember when Illa d'Or was in the brochure and probably is still available on request.

Lovely sunny day here in the UK today and in PP.

Enjoy!!

Portofan!!!!!>: did you have to tell everybody about the Sis Pins>: next thing you know we'll have some of those folks from on here going there!!!!!
Then it wont just be diving into shops to avoid them, it'll be hiding under tableclothes at breakfast!:lol .
The real reason portofan and I stay at the Sis Pins is that Butlins have yet to open up in PP, unless that's butlins on the Alcudia road?, and when they do we'll be first to upgrade to them!. See Portofan that's how we put them off , not telling them what a fantastic hotel it is, how all the staff are so friendly, that the rooms are so comfortable and fellow guest so warm and friendly, God if they knew that they'd all want to come. Now imagine that :eek .

Keep up the funny posts M8 I love them.

Rob

Rob, Is your "Butlins" referal the one across from the "Kite" flyers? If so i had a friend who stayed their and said it was wonderfull, we also had a look and were most impressed, you being the sporty type would love it! l

[JH02JLH]

Hi Portofan!

Read your airport posts with great interest!

When we flew out with Air Berlin we found a couple sitting in "our" seats (mine and my daughter's - hubby grinning as he and my son took their seats behind us). My daughter was desperate to sit by the window but the man refused to budge, not in a nasty way, but just wouldn't move.

I think his wife was quite relieved to sit across the aisle from him and seemed to enjoy her flight more than we did as he never shut up the whole way over, except for when we encountered THE STORM and then he went quiet.

Hubby went into super-stress mode when we arrived at PMI and when we found our car we saw that our way was blocked by a large group of people (not mentioning nationality) who were leisurely packing their huge people carrier. I found it impossible to make a right turn to get out of the space so I had to drive the wrong way down the aisle and then reverse into a space at the end.

As we were driving back up, the group from the people carrier decided to climb in en masse and were now blocking my way again. I slowed down but hubby leaned over and sounded the horn making a very rude gesture at the same time which they responded to!

Not a good start to the holiday!

Jane:lol

[Portofan]

Hi guys and gals!

Own up time!:eek

Sherry and I had a few days in Palma city last week , just for a change from PP and as usual there were a couple on incidents on the outward journey.

Firstly we are in the departure lounge of our airport, and on the next gate was the Emirates flight to Dubai. This flight was due to go before ours as we had a slight delay. As you do, we were looking round at our fellow passengers and wondering , will they be in our hotel ? and so on and looking at a couple close by to us ,who some how looked a bit up tight .

Call over the PA system -"This is a final call for passengers Bloggs and Snoggs (or whatever) for flight bla bla to Dubai".

Three or four minutes elapse and same again. Another three minutes and same again but this was the final final call!

Then our "friends" suddenly come alive and Woof! Rush up to the Palma gate , to be sent packing away to the next gate!:lol

There's always one!:lol

And then we board and the plane is not going to be full. So we get comfortably settled. Boarding continuing and two guys come up the aisle, 60/30, like a father and son, might even have had a little loosener up in the bar.

Father to me "Hey you are in my seat pal"!>:

I am in the correct seat as usual. Will spare the rest but there was a flight attendant standing in the row behind us and she kindly directed the "family" to their correct seats in front of us.

"Sorry about that pal, you know how it is these numbers bla bla" and then he settled down to a peaceful journey.

As I said there's always one!:rollin :rollin