London to Banjul via Barcelona on Vueling Airways

My recent journey to sunny and wet Gambia was via Barcelona. It was a Vueling flight, chosen, as always because it was the cheapest flight I could find.
The downsides to the journey were a longish (8 hour) transfer in Spain, and an awfully early departure from Gatwick.
Actually, 8 am is not that early, but getting to the airport two hours early from the Midlands is not easy at that time.

Gatwick North Terminal is fine, except for this stupid rule about not smoking.
Why is it only the UK which literally and overly enforces this rule?
Is it not my choice to slowly kill myself with cigarettes?
Can someone not bring an action against Gatwick Airport for infringing Human Rights?

The only slightly delayed flight to Barcelona was uneventful.
No frills at all.
The flight was cheap.
Arriving at Barcelona because i had many hours to kill I left out of the airport and went into town. The shuttlebus cost 10.20 Euro (That would be Twenty pounds in London No Doubt) for the return journey, and it takes about twenty minutes to deliver you to the centre of town.
Right outside what appears to be The Albert Hall.

The weather was nice and I walked for several hours. Not once was I disturbed by anyone wanting to bum a cigarette, borrow cash for the bus fare home, or offer me a nice time.
In this respect Barcelona is Very Civilised.





A couple of beers were not expensive, and cigarettes cost about half of the UK price. Obviously the EU that Britain is in is not the same as the EU Spain uses.

Aerobus - Frequent and not expensive.

Back to the airport with hours to spare, so I checked into one of the lounges. It cost 25 Euro.
If you are passing through Barcelona airport and are considering pre booking a lounge – Don’t bother. The ones I found online were all offering access for £25, as of today’s date 25UKP will get you almost 30EURO, so save your money and pay on arrival.

Barcelona Airport Lounge Report:
All drinks are included and unlimited – the beer was not premium but was cold (and canned). They even have some decent top shelf products. Yummy.
Sadly, no hot food but the cold snacks, pasta, salads, sandwiches and picky things were plentiful, fresh and all quite nice.
The ‘free broadband’ only lasts 20 minutes, if you want more they want money. The lounge is No-Smoking but it’s not far to nip out to an enourmous outside ‘Smoking-Allowed’ area. Seats were comfy, clean, and plenty, and the place only started to get busy at about 5:30pm . Marks out of ten= 7.
The Vueling flight left pretty much on time, another slightly boring but functioning A320. No frills again and no in flight entertainment (IFE) either. Oh well think positive: less drain on the aircraft’s generators and something less to go wrong. As soon as the flight gets airborne the curtain at the front is closed and the crew start noshing. I think the cabin crew on some medium haul - no frills flights, have a very cushy job.
Without a doubt the girls (and boys) on Ryanair and EasyJet short haul have a Very Tiring Job, and are probably the most poorly paid. If you believe reports, if they don’t sell at least 50 Ryanair lottery tickets per flight they go home hungry.
This flight was maybe 55% full, with these load factors this route cannot be profitable but I was just happy to have two empty seats next to me and the six seats in front were unoccupied too.
The Vueling cabin does not  have any ‘First Class’ seats.
The only thing to disturb me was the two, or maybe three toddlers across the isle with their mother.
They were hyperactive, inquisitive and Very Noisy.
Children on flights is a Hot Potato (current topic) right now, and it needs to be addressed.
My views would be – put them all together in a ‘noisy area’ maybe at the back of the plane. The hold would be ideal, but maybe that would not be practical; lack of access from the main passenger cabin.
Of course these days it wouldn't  be considered politically correct to restrain them with cuffs and ropes.
 But would it not be possible to give them a gentle sedative?
Anyway at least the woman with them had to decency to put them to her breast for some dinner and that quietened them down for a short while.
I still think Temazepam (Diazepam) in moderation, is the answer.

Gatwick Airport. Not fit for Humans.

I Love this soapbox.

So Gatwick Airport. You are the most useless, customer irresponsive, waste of space.
Yes, it is a real word - Irresponsive
You are staffed, largely in part, a significant part anyway,  by Liars, who really just want to enjoy the cache of working for Britain's second busiest airport, and not provide any real service to the poor pathetic cattle who have the misfortune to be travelling from here.

Feck the Customers - Let's Party.

They even rejoice in the fact that 'sorry we have no information at the present....'- and I swear, that's the only time they grin.
Ok, so what's behind this rant? Maybe, is the complete lack of consideration for Smokers: After foolishly checking in for my (delayed) Gambia Bird flight to Freetown, I find myself  'Out of The Country' as the useless staff like to tell me.
Now I've been thinking about this, and it occurs to me if I light a cigarette while I'm 'Out of The Country' who can prosecute me? So, the 'Official Procedure' is this: The useless airline desk CAN take any smokers back Into the Country if they feel like it, but they have to get the permission of Immigration, who can approve, or not approve of this action.
Also they have to be ars3d to do it , and as they have a busy day of chatting with each other about TV programs they have watched and the price of bread, and dissappearing - all six of them, at the same time to their staff room, (where no doubt, they Can Smoke), they are not inclined to try to get permission for just one slightly bolshy smoker.
Did I mention that my delay was initially Five Hours before a revised departure time would be released, and it ended up being an Eight Hour Delay. (see next post about Gambia Bird)
And the lies ? Well one of the Airline Desks woman had the nerve to tell me - down the phone, not to my face - that everyone had been told that if they check in early, they will not be able to smoke.
Total complete utter LIE. I definately was not given that information.
Why does Gatwick Airport have to be (almost) the only airport in the World where no consideration is given for smokers ?
I don't care if they give me a small smelly room with an ashtray - just give me somewhere so I don't have to break your rules and inconvenience others.