[Gocamino] "The Way" in the air.

[Rosina]

Your experience, Randi, was , indeed,  pretty awful.  How very unfortunate! I've suffered such calamities with  most other Airlines all over the globe in a pretty long life of traveling, but never with Iberia. .
Over the last 30 or so years that I've gone to Spain on Iberia. two or three times a year,  I've never had any problems  or inconveniences other than the foreseeable delays and the like.  Would that I could remotely say the same about all the other airlines that I have used.
I am not influenced in my assertion by the fact that  Iberia made available to my NYC parish  round trips for future young New York Santiago pilgrims, for unbelievable next-to-nothing cost,  as a Christmas gesture. It might be that other airlines do the same.... but none that I know of. 
Yes, on my yearly trips to Seville for Holy Week in Iberia my luggage rarely, if ever, arrives with me.... but it is dutifully delivered at the hotel, intact, within a day or so. .
For one, I wouldn't go to Spain in any other airline. I've left valuables and what-have-yous in Iberia planes and receiving sites and have had every single item delivered to me one way or another. It simply wouldn't ever occur to me to fly to Spain  in any other airline.
But, as it has been forever remarked, one's last experience colors one's entire  opinion. Fortunately, I've never had any bad experiences with Iberia, and, had I had any one , it would most certainly be obscured by the incredible number of pleasant and positive ones.... even now, when airlines are having such dreadful financial difficulties and passengers must suffer the logical consequences.
But, on another subject:  Grant, our techi pilgrim guru, recently posted several sites where Camino programs aired in TVE (National television of Spain..... sort-of) could be seen.  They are grand... indeed.
Well, perhaps some of you may wish to know that if you are a subscriber to Time Warner Cable services for  an extra $5, (five dollars), a month you can receive not only TVE, live, from Spain 24/7, but also another station from Spain and about 10  stations from South America.  It seems to me that this is a terrific bargain since  subscribing to RAI from Italy costs $11. for one station alone,  and subscribing to Brasil's Globo costs more that $30. a month.
Friends of mine who are learning, or practicing,  Spanish tell me that this TVE and South American  "package" is the bargain of a lifetime. 
I don't remember the exact name of the TVE and South American Time Warner "package", but when I go home  next weekend I'll look it up and will let you know, if you are interested.
Hugs!
Rosina
 





-----Original Message-----
From: Randi W Buerlein/FS/VCU <rwbuerle at vcu.edu>
To: blaroli <blaroli at aol.com>
Cc: GoCamino <GoCamino at oakapple.net>; saintjames <saintjames at yahoo.com>
Sent: Sat, Dec 10, 2011 5:24 pm
Subject: Re: [Gocamino] "The Way" in the air.


What a wonderful story.  I do have to add that two months ago I walked the last part of the Camino .  I live in Virginia and I flew from Miami to Barcelona and my return flight was Barcelona to New York.  Both flights were Iberia , both were cancellled at the last minute at the airport and despite having travel insurance, the airlines was unable to document the cancelled flights and I was unable to collect reimbursement.  I was also issued vouchers from Iberia for my missed connecting flights and the vouchers  proved to be invalid at the counter.    If I had not had a credit card with me I would have had to wire for money.  I encountered huge unexpected costs.   Not to be a downer  because the Camino walk was one of the most completely beautiful experiences I've ever had .  I would just never fly Iberia again.


Randi

-----gocamino-bounces at oakapple.net wrote: -----
To: saintjames at yahoo.com, GoCamino at oakapple.net
From: Rosina 
Sent by: gocamino-bounces at oakapple.net
Date: 12/10/2011 01:22PM
Subject: [Gocamino] "The Way" in the air.


Hello you all,
n my American Airlines flight to Rio de Janeiro last Thursday evening the movie of choice was "The Way'. When it was over a sizable number of my fellow passengers applauded it.  (I don't remember such a thing happening before in other flights.... the applause, that is). I couldn't resist mentioning to a couple near me that I had made the pilgrimage several times. Somehow this information got around and the people coming over to ask questions not only kept me up a great deal of the night, but even in in the Customs line,  (in Brasil all non-Brasilians entering the country have their pictures taken as well as their fingerprints, from both hands (!), I think that pretty much the same practice is in place in the U.S. for non-citizens entering the country, but I'm not sure) people would come over to ask about the Camino.
hile the recent movie about the Camino made in Brasil, (a comedy) is still playing in the movie houses, I've been told that it will likely be released in DVDs soon, and the good news is that it will have English subtitles.
ack in New York City, my parish, with a good word from the Santiago Archdiocese,  obtained from Iberia  some very low cost  flight fares from NYC to Pamplona and from Santiago to NYC to be used by high school seniors going to the Camino next summer; they were auctioned off at the Christmas Bazar and were all gone in less than half an hour. From what I've heard, most of the teenagers'  parents also plan to go.
ou might remember that after completing the Camino, Iberia awards reduced fares (50% or so) on flights returning home from Santiago, within the country, to those pilgrims that solicit them Compostela in hand.  But, as it is the case with the free breakfast, or lunch, at the Parador, since only a small number of pilgrims may enjoy these benefits,  one must apply very early to obtain them.
h!... I've also learned here that the Pope has selected Rio de Janeiro as the site for the Youth Congress to be held in 2013; reportedly, the out-of-sequence year for the Congress, which every time that it has been held has attracted more than a million attendees, was selected so as not to conflict with the 2014 World Cup, that will be held in Rio, or with the 2016 Olympics which will also be held in Rio.
ell..... I guess that when you're hot you're hot. 
eanwhile, greetings from this city where the temperature is in the nineties.  If when I go back home next Saturday they are still showing "The Way" on the flight, I'll let you know.
ugs!
osina

 
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