I'll keep this story as short as possible.
My mom was supposed to arrive this past Wednesday early morning. I hadn't seen her in over a year. The plane had left Toronto on the night of Monday the 21st, head to Vienna where then she was supposed to take a connecting flight to Yerevan.
Three hours into the first flight, while flying over the Atlantic, the plane turned back towards Toronto. About three-hundred passengers returned back to where they first started because: 1) A young guy on the flight died because of a drug overdose; 2) Three refugees were trying to flee Canada.
Once back in Toronto everyone was put in various hotels on the airport strip courtesy of Austrian Airlines. The next day all three-hundred passengers were split apart to depart on various flights to get to their destinations. My mom was now supposed to take a flight to Vienna, then to Prague where then she would have to take another flight to Yerevan. After her luggage had already been checked in she was told that that particular route was not going to work for her, she would have to go to London instead. Luckily in London there were vacant seats on the direct flight to Yerevan the same day courtesy of British Mediterranean (now 4 days from the first time she took a flight out of Toronto).
My aunt and I went to the airport on midnight of Wednesday/Thursday to pick up my mom. We were shocked by a surprise visitor...my sister! Never in a million years would I have thought I'd see my sister here. Now more than three days after their arrival I still can't believe she is in Armenia.
Unfortunately, other than their two carry-ons, their four heavy luggage (mostly filled with shopping they had done for me in Toronto) hadn't arrived on the same flight. They were stuck in the same clothes for not only the few days it took them to get here, but also until their luggage would arrive.
On Friday we received a phone call telling us that their luggage had arrived, so we head to the airport. We were confronted by a couple of rabiz guys in red uniforms telling us that they expected something green ($$$) after we picked up the luggage. In Lost and Found, where we picked up the luggage, my aunt and I were speaking in English trying to figure out how we would deal with the two corrupt guys once we came out of Lost and Found. While speaking in English the two friendly workers in blue interrupted our conversation and asked in English "What's the problem?". When we told them what was going on all hell broke loose. Apparently this routine happens quite often with the guys in red uniforms and because of them all staff in that department get in trouble. Eventually, after a smooth process at L&F, we were escorted out of the airport by one of the guys in blue, at which point I saw the guys in red take off. The guy in blue then informed us that this would be taken care of immediately.
So now this is a warning to all those who might have to deal with the employees at Zvartnots...only communicate with the employees in blue not the ones in red...and DO NOT GIVE ANYONE A CENT when it comes to dealing with lost luggage.
Other than that, the airport has been improving. Rather slowly, but it is still progress. There are now a few visa and passport booths rather than just one or two of each, and also airlines are handing out visa applications prior to Yerevan arrivals for those who do not have visas.
On another note, check out this house. It is being built across from the Vahakni homes...
YIKES!
My mom was supposed to arrive this past Wednesday early morning. I hadn't seen her in over a year. The plane had left Toronto on the night of Monday the 21st, head to Vienna where then she was supposed to take a connecting flight to Yerevan.
Three hours into the first flight, while flying over the Atlantic, the plane turned back towards Toronto. About three-hundred passengers returned back to where they first started because: 1) A young guy on the flight died because of a drug overdose; 2) Three refugees were trying to flee Canada.
Once back in Toronto everyone was put in various hotels on the airport strip courtesy of Austrian Airlines. The next day all three-hundred passengers were split apart to depart on various flights to get to their destinations. My mom was now supposed to take a flight to Vienna, then to Prague where then she would have to take another flight to Yerevan. After her luggage had already been checked in she was told that that particular route was not going to work for her, she would have to go to London instead. Luckily in London there were vacant seats on the direct flight to Yerevan the same day courtesy of British Mediterranean (now 4 days from the first time she took a flight out of Toronto).
My aunt and I went to the airport on midnight of Wednesday/Thursday to pick up my mom. We were shocked by a surprise visitor...my sister! Never in a million years would I have thought I'd see my sister here. Now more than three days after their arrival I still can't believe she is in Armenia.
Unfortunately, other than their two carry-ons, their four heavy luggage (mostly filled with shopping they had done for me in Toronto) hadn't arrived on the same flight. They were stuck in the same clothes for not only the few days it took them to get here, but also until their luggage would arrive.
On Friday we received a phone call telling us that their luggage had arrived, so we head to the airport. We were confronted by a couple of rabiz guys in red uniforms telling us that they expected something green ($$$) after we picked up the luggage. In Lost and Found, where we picked up the luggage, my aunt and I were speaking in English trying to figure out how we would deal with the two corrupt guys once we came out of Lost and Found. While speaking in English the two friendly workers in blue interrupted our conversation and asked in English "What's the problem?". When we told them what was going on all hell broke loose. Apparently this routine happens quite often with the guys in red uniforms and because of them all staff in that department get in trouble. Eventually, after a smooth process at L&F, we were escorted out of the airport by one of the guys in blue, at which point I saw the guys in red take off. The guy in blue then informed us that this would be taken care of immediately.
So now this is a warning to all those who might have to deal with the employees at Zvartnots...only communicate with the employees in blue not the ones in red...and DO NOT GIVE ANYONE A CENT when it comes to dealing with lost luggage.
Other than that, the airport has been improving. Rather slowly, but it is still progress. There are now a few visa and passport booths rather than just one or two of each, and also airlines are handing out visa applications prior to Yerevan arrivals for those who do not have visas.
On another note, check out this house. It is being built across from the Vahakni homes...
YIKES!
posted by Der Hova at 2:26 AM
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