long trips considerations

I have always thought that I don't have any problem with flying hours, or sleeping on planes.. I refuse to deal with any sleeping pills no matter how long the trip is, and sometimes I even find myself getting into a deep sleep before departure and nothing would wake me up.. not even the craziest landing.

But this time it was different.. and not because of the long flying hours and jet lag, or the fogs and all the delay. It was because of the airline itself. Etihad Airways!

The first and last time (hopefully) that I will think of it as an option.
A long stopover with one of the airlines would eventually equal the delay of this particular airline.

And don't get me started with how lousy their service is, they just throw food on the trays even if you're sleeping. They would do anything to wake you up. I remember in the middle of the journey with everyone sleeping, there were like 4 or 5 things thrown at me without being asked if i want to eat or not. Including Ice Cream!!! How strange is that?

Getting stuck in Abu Dhabi's airport is definitely not a nice thing, especially when it's just too small, ugly, and don't have enough chairs for everyone to sit. People would be sleeping on the floors with long queues for everything, using the phone, getting food.. hotel accommodations... anything..
The odd thing was to find in such a country with such an airport the digital screens not working, and the airport staff writing the new flights' schedules on paper boards! And people fighting their way, huge crowds, crying babies, trying to check the new departure times. Which were not even fixed, with changes done almost every hour or so.

It was an experience I'll never forget. One that taught me to book for an airline not the connection time! Having another 9 hours delay on top of the 12 stopover hours was very unbearable, considering the airport itself.
RJ, LH, KL, AF, EK.. GOOD JOB! REALLY!