The Great Change: Turning Cathy into a Lawyer

Nope, I still don't like the Frankfurt airport. A complete pain in the ass to transfer through. Even though the security line moved faster than last time (this time I also wielded my Star Alliance status to go in the even quicker line) it still involved working up a sweat, rushing from one flight to the next across tarmacs and terminals. And woe be the traveler (like me) with unrollable carry-ons: the airport offers luggage carts, but puts barriers up every 50 meters or so to thus prevent you from rolling your bags throughout your entire journey.

I did find it amusing to read in the inflight magazine that Lufthansa thinks it's ready to start using its new monstrous double-decker Airbus planes as early as next year. (Flying into Hamburg you can sometimes see the Airbus factory, with those gigantic aeronautical whales parked on the tarmac.) Lufthansa plans to configure theirs to hold over 500 people. Lately they were cheered to discover that "everything" worked when they tried landing one at the Frankfurt airport in October. Apparently this meant they were able to land it, pull it up to a gate, have the jetways reach the doors, and managed to elevate the catering trucks sufficiently to service it. However I saw nothing that indicated they've figured out how they are planning to get 500 people through the airport in time to make their connections. I think they might want to put some thought into that before they declare that "everything" is fine.

I did also read some good news, though, in the international airport department: apparently the first phase of renovations is complete for Charles de Gaulle's space-age looking but otherwise ineffective terminal 1. Unfortunately, there are three more phases to go. And I think they may have started this one while I was still living there - in 1998! But I do commend their efforts.

I also commend Newark airport, whose international arrivals terminal I just tried out for the first time. I haven't thoroughly tested it, nor tried to change planes from it, but for people planning to stay in New Jersey for a while it seemed decent.

Posted 12/22, written 12/21.