Thailand
Laos
Cambodia
China
Vietnam
Philippines
Israel
Jordan
Egypt
France
USA
Canada
עברית
One hour before the flight I had a work emergency so I almost missed the train to the airport. Ten minutes after sitting in the airplane to Qatar one of the stewardesses announced that there’s a problem with the airplane’s door. This caused the first delay in a combined deal of Arkia Airlines and Qatar Airlines. This is considered a cheap flight from Israel to Beijing with two connections. One in Amman, Jordan and the second is in Doha, Qatar. The downfall of this deal is a long wait of six hours in Doha.
So we came back to the airport, waited for an hour, got on the bus and the airplane for the second time, only to hear of a airport strike started the minute we boarded the airplane. So here we go for the second time from the airplane back to the airport.
During the long wait, Arkia Airlines gave us free lunch coupons. After a few hours I got the anticipated answer – a direct flight from Israel to Beijing leaving 1:30 in the morning, arriving nine hours later in Beijing. Although we had a huge delay, I will be in Beijing only twenty minutes after the Qatar airplane lands there, due to the direct flight.
I was the only passenger on the Arkia flight to Beijing. Most of the others were on their way to Thailand, India or Amman. Arkia took responsibility for their own flight and Qatar Airlines. They practically gave all passengers a free ticket on their own expense for a different Airlines company.
Before boarding the plane (for the third time) I saw the Israeli Paralympic expedition boarding with their special equipment for the Paralympic Games in Beijing starting only a week later.
The El-Al airplane is nice. For my taste, there’s not enough room for the legs, but it’s convenient enough. Of course the flight was direct so no complaints. The only thing I missed was Qatar’s duty free. I had a feeling of a lost adventure…
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