Let’s start with a thought: when you pay 54 euros for a round-trip flight, the main goal is to arrive at your destination.
How you get there becomes a minor detail.
Everything was going well.
Yes, we had left Bergamo slightly late, and yes, I had had a fever for two days, but by now we were flying over the island that would be the backdrop for our long-awaited weekend of relaxation.
We were almost there: the pilot had just announced the landing.
Skiathos, in addition to the crystal clear sea, is also famous for another reason: it is home to one of the most tricky airstrips in Europe. Only pilots with the rank of commander are allowed to land here. The reason? The runway measures just 1,628 meters – well below the average of more than 2,500 – and is completely surrounded by the sea.
Therefore:
One of the pilots looked at the other and exclaimed, “Well, now you take over since you've done the training,” and the other replied “Excuse me, but aren't you the commander?”
The airport prevented us from landing because the runway was too dark (7 p.m., sun just setting) and our plane was not suitable for those conditions.
In fact, we were diverted and landed in Athens.
We waited an hour before they let us disembark from the plane and two more in the hope that buses would arrive to take us all (about 200 people) to a hotel for the night.
But all’s well that ends well….
In addition to the bus ride (30 minutes), the airline also paid for our overnight stay, dinner (at midnight, made just for us) and breakfast (at 4:00 a.m.) in a very luxurious 5* hotel. Three hours of sleep in total, but on a mattress with a topper and in a luxury hotel for free.
The next morning, at 5:00 a.m., we again took the private bus to the airport, where to greet us was a new flight arranged especially for us to Skiathos (also, of course, expensed).
So finally, at 9:00 a.m. we were on our island, ready to enjoy our well-deserved vacation.
As for possible compensation, we are waiting for feedback from flight-delayed.com…. stay tuned!
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