I spent three weeks in and around Europe and when I came back to India the differences hit me.Its a world away from each other but in its own ways both places have somethings to offer one being that one is home and the other is a holiday destination but lets celebrate the differences
At the Indian airports I am required to tag my bags with baggage tags,then my check in baggage will have to be sent through a scanner,i will be frisked by a very bored often times sleepy security staff and sent on my way to immigration.Here most often than not there is a disgruntled person who thinks i have no business to be jetting off on holiday and so he or she will pour over my passport and stamp it at random.I will them sit in a very dull and drab airport which claims to have duty free but if retail businesses are run the way our duty free is then god help the seller and they buyer
In the one hour that i am there there are at least three announcements that flights have been delayed thanks to technical fault or late arrival of another flight.
As we enter the aircraft,the air hostesses that greet us are all in their 35 to 50 years .They are well groomed and efficient but not very pretty.....flash back to Indian carriers....most in their 20 or 30,most very pretty or well made up with ready smile and polite manner.Would i trust them in an emergency? Not sure as they don't inspire confidence in me (though they may in the male traveller).
Crying children who's parents cant get them to wear seat belts are no problem to the German air hostess,they will start by telling the parents to make sure their child is seated and should that fail they will get the job done.In many cases the child is either so terrified of the big built woman or they just need some discipline....but they sit quiet.
If a passenger has had too much to drink they will tell him or her in no uncertain terms that they will not be served again.I don't see that happening in our country.
Get off at a German airport and there are hardly any staff.Just enough to guide you if you happen to be getting a connecting flight.All the others will follow arrows and signboards that will get one to the correct place.
We get to immigration and are passports are stamped by a very bored but scary looking German and we are on our way.
The duty free is like a fancy mall,every luxury item is there in well proportioned shops,well lit displays and efficient staff.All promotions (and there are plenty) are clear and interesting.We are offered a shot of Remy martin as there is a promo on (what fun).The eating places are plenty and we have choices so a two or four hour transit passes off with ease.No bored moments.
The toilets and this is my biggest concern....In Indian airports the toilets are just about OK or real dirty.There will be many a cleaning person but for some reason it just cant stay clean.....reach Frankfurt and decide to use the loo.....quantum leap in cleanliness.Not a single cleaning person in sight but the toilets are clean they smell good one can have a shower,separate rooms for nursing mothers,room for kids to have diaper changes and room for handicapped.Toilets in large numbers and every one of them without exception are clean and smell good...
So at the end of the holiday we are back at the German airport.We have checked in online,the boarding pass is scanned.For those with smart phones they scan their phone on a machine.The we drop our baggage (no tags no security check).We wander until its time to board and have to pass security.No frisking....we just walk through a scanner and god forbid it beeps then from nowhere there will be enough people to surround you but otherwise walk through.All bags,belts,jackets are neatly sent out in trays so no need to wipe the dirt off the conveyor belt (no dirt in their airports but most certainly in ours).Then we are ready to board.It takes about less half an hour at the most and with the minimum of staff and the most efficient machines.
As we wait i hear an announcement of flight every minute or so,the boards are full of flight departing to places far and wide.I wait in vain for a flight to be delayed or cancelled (it probably happens only in storms,snow or ice or some such act of god).and once again I wonder what makes us so different?.Are we just not bothered are are we just too many people?
all I know is that that level of efficiency is not just system driven it is an attitude and I don't see us getting there very soon ,but at the end of the day its good to be home.
At the Indian airports I am required to tag my bags with baggage tags,then my check in baggage will have to be sent through a scanner,i will be frisked by a very bored often times sleepy security staff and sent on my way to immigration.Here most often than not there is a disgruntled person who thinks i have no business to be jetting off on holiday and so he or she will pour over my passport and stamp it at random.I will them sit in a very dull and drab airport which claims to have duty free but if retail businesses are run the way our duty free is then god help the seller and they buyer
In the one hour that i am there there are at least three announcements that flights have been delayed thanks to technical fault or late arrival of another flight.
As we enter the aircraft,the air hostesses that greet us are all in their 35 to 50 years .They are well groomed and efficient but not very pretty.....flash back to Indian carriers....most in their 20 or 30,most very pretty or well made up with ready smile and polite manner.Would i trust them in an emergency? Not sure as they don't inspire confidence in me (though they may in the male traveller).
Crying children who's parents cant get them to wear seat belts are no problem to the German air hostess,they will start by telling the parents to make sure their child is seated and should that fail they will get the job done.In many cases the child is either so terrified of the big built woman or they just need some discipline....but they sit quiet.
If a passenger has had too much to drink they will tell him or her in no uncertain terms that they will not be served again.I don't see that happening in our country.
Get off at a German airport and there are hardly any staff.Just enough to guide you if you happen to be getting a connecting flight.All the others will follow arrows and signboards that will get one to the correct place.
We get to immigration and are passports are stamped by a very bored but scary looking German and we are on our way.
The duty free is like a fancy mall,every luxury item is there in well proportioned shops,well lit displays and efficient staff.All promotions (and there are plenty) are clear and interesting.We are offered a shot of Remy martin as there is a promo on (what fun).The eating places are plenty and we have choices so a two or four hour transit passes off with ease.No bored moments.
The toilets and this is my biggest concern....In Indian airports the toilets are just about OK or real dirty.There will be many a cleaning person but for some reason it just cant stay clean.....reach Frankfurt and decide to use the loo.....quantum leap in cleanliness.Not a single cleaning person in sight but the toilets are clean they smell good one can have a shower,separate rooms for nursing mothers,room for kids to have diaper changes and room for handicapped.Toilets in large numbers and every one of them without exception are clean and smell good...
So at the end of the holiday we are back at the German airport.We have checked in online,the boarding pass is scanned.For those with smart phones they scan their phone on a machine.The we drop our baggage (no tags no security check).We wander until its time to board and have to pass security.No frisking....we just walk through a scanner and god forbid it beeps then from nowhere there will be enough people to surround you but otherwise walk through.All bags,belts,jackets are neatly sent out in trays so no need to wipe the dirt off the conveyor belt (no dirt in their airports but most certainly in ours).Then we are ready to board.It takes about less half an hour at the most and with the minimum of staff and the most efficient machines.
As we wait i hear an announcement of flight every minute or so,the boards are full of flight departing to places far and wide.I wait in vain for a flight to be delayed or cancelled (it probably happens only in storms,snow or ice or some such act of god).and once again I wonder what makes us so different?.Are we just not bothered are are we just too many people?
all I know is that that level of efficiency is not just system driven it is an attitude and I don't see us getting there very soon ,but at the end of the day its good to be home.
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