Now the time of the year has come when Nordic migratory birds travel back to their Viking haunts. This year our trip to Finland seemed more tiresome than ever. This can, of course, have something to do with advancing age, but also with the fact that the new procedures regarding check-in and security would require flexibility and understanding from the airport personnel, not only from the passengers.

At the new terminal T3 at the Málaga airport, we were impressed by the post-modern structure, with its 225-metre glass façade, but less so with the efficiency in the check-in lobby.

The enormous queues to the desk took up so much space in the hall that it was very difficult for other passengers to pass through. We had to wait for two hours in line at the check-in with our luggage and a screaming, claustrophobic cat. The gate was said to open two hours before the departure, but the attendant was 20 minutes late. The manning of the desks should be adapted to the number of passengers. Now, only two check-in desks were open, and this is far too little for a charter flight with over 300 passengers. I don’t understand why the check-in takes so long, because once you get to the desk the procedure is very fast indeed.

The line to security was pathetically slow, zigzagging between ropes like in a labyrinth. It took us more than one hour to reach the security control where shoes, jewellery, belts, were was stripped off and computers inspected. I had to pass through the ‘beeping gate’ (metal detector) three times, and was thoroughly searched by a surly Amazonian. An elderly lady had secured her jewellery by wearing kilos of it. She had to get help by a flight assistant to put it back on again. I know that all this is for our own safety, but why do the security personnel have to be so rude? I really tried to be polite, having learned a lesson from a warning incident.
It so happened that the famous Finnish equestrian and trainer Piia Pantsu, now living in Sweden, asked, “Are you looking for a bomb?” in the security control at Sturup airport in Sweden because she thought they showed an exaggerated interest in her handbag, containing woollen stockings and a toy for her 3-year-old son. She shouldn’t have said that, because all gates were locked, no flights were allowed to take off, and the police was summoned. Ms Pantsu was interrogated by the police and was not allowed to continue her journey until several hours later, thus missing an important training session. So watch your tongue when being searched.

These tiresome procedures really make you appreciate service and comfort once you get on board the plane, and I must say that Air Finland had done its best to make us feel comfortable. Smiling faces, warm towels before dinner, a good meal and information by the pilot in three languages was something badly needed after this ordeal. After all, flying is rather expensive, and you expect to get some value for your money.

It’s nice to be in our summer cottage, surrounded by wild animals, growing vegetables, fishing and shopping at our small village grocer’s. Soon, the hardships of the journey will be forgotten. I do hope, however, that full-body scanning will be introduced by then.