Tuesday, October 19
Suitcases out 6:00, leave the boat 6:45. Some people left as early as 3:00 am. Bus to Marseille airport, about 1.5 hours.
There were 21 on our bus to the airport, going on the same flight from Marseille to Frankfort. Airport is under construction. There was a Viking rep to help us all get checked in. Lots of walking carrying your stuff from parking lot to Lufthansa/ United.
Interestingly, we have worn cloth masks the entire trip. Lufthansa says we need to wear the surgical masks. I had them, so we switched.
Baggage checked all the way through.
Arrive in Frankfort 12:15. Our flight to Houston leaves in less than an hour. This is a real issue, since we need to go through passport control. Line is very long, and only 3 booths open. According to airport person there, we should have allowed at least 3 hours in Frankfort airport. Anyway, we finally get through, and get on as about the last people to get on the plane. We did get the whole row.
Watch several movies on the flight.
Arrive Houston on time about 5:30. Now we need to enter the US. We have 3 hours. Even with Mobile Passport and Global Entry, it took over an hour to get through. They had at least 2 big planes arrive at the same time, then only had 4 lines open in the ‘global entry’ side of things. So it took a long time.
When we go to claim our suitcases, they were already off the baggage claim. We got them, and exited to the belt to recheck to our final destination.
Then we needed to go through security again. This time, they did not have a TSAPRE line, so we had the shoes and computers issues that we usually avoid. Finally get through that, too. It is now after 7:00.
Houston Intercontinental has to be the most confusing and screwed up airport I have ever been in as far as trying to find your gate. Concourses are discontinuous, they criss-cross each other. We finally get to our gate – carrying our carry-on bags – about 7:30.
Arrive home on time, luggage came up quickly. We got a cab, and arrived at the house 11:00. Paid taxi $50; actual fare was $40.