Back from Canary Islands

[Lisa-72]

Arrived home last night after a week away.

Just a small insight of traveling there and back.
Meet and Greet at Manchester was a smooth process, quick bus ride to terminal 2.
Massive queue’s at jet2 desk in the terminal.
First queue was to have your documents checked, lots of people faffing with phones and paper. We had everything on our phone and printed copies and we knew where we had stored said documents.
Second queue was to weigh and tag your own luggage.
Third queue was to actually hand the cases over at the check in desks.
Took approximately 45 minutes to an hour for this.

Next we headed for security and thank goodness we’d paid the extra for fast pass, however DH and are were sent to separate desks and while I was packing everything back in my bag I lost sight of him. We were reunited shortly and off we went through to departure lounge.
The new part of the terminal has plenty of seating and places to charge your devices. A real improvement but a distinct lack of choice for food and drinks for us and no Boots. Hubby wanted some magazines from WHSmith and found very little choice.
However it did feel very relaxing in there and not long we were off to the boarding gate which was a long track back into the old part of terminal 2.

Boarding was very smooth and was done in sections, we were the last group to board.
The flight was smooth and with no issues and landing in the canaries was smooth too even with winds of 40mph plus.
We disembarked the aircraft by row by row, being row 5 we were off quite quickly and bused to the terminal.
Passport control was another long wait but was moving quickly, passports stamped and then on to PLF check again this was a minimal amount of time. Baggage collection was the usual one case very quickly and the second sometime later.
Next was the queue for a taxi, we declined the complementary coach transfer and waited about 30 minutes for a taxi, quick check in at the hotel and off to our room. We then discovered that DH iPad was missing, he clearly remembers putting in a separate tray with his belt as his camera bag took a whole tray up. In the rush of others pushing along he picked up his belt and camera stuff and thought he had picked his iPad up too. He’s devastated as all his photos are in it but hopefully with iCloud he’ll get them all on his new iPad.

Return journey, hmmm where do I start with this? After spending an hour the night before trying to do the UK locator form I nearly gave up.
Coach transport was leaving the hotel between 1235 and 1255 and as checkout time was 12pm we decided to avoid the rush and leave around 11am. Quickly checked out and a short taxi drive and we arrived at the airport way ahead of time and quickly ascertained that check in for our flight was to be in approximately an hour as they were doing a Bristol flight first, sat patiently and just after 12 they opened the other desks and we were first in the queue and after showing the UK PLF and vaccination proof we moved to security. Simple enough but still there are some who complicate things.
Onto departure areas and passports stamped to show leaving the country.
The usual massive queue for the ladies but needs must. Boarding was then called in ticket groups and a relatively smooth process and disembarkation at Manchester was the same row by row.
Every time I land at Manchester we seem to be the furthest gate away from passport control. This did move quickly and scanning your own passport was ok, baggage reclaim was relatively short.
Never had our UK forms checked other than in the canaries.
We obviously didn’t take note of where the bus dropped us as we spent ages walking up and down trying to find where we were to be picked up from, the opposite end from where we stood!
Picking the car up was ok, the furthest away again lol and DH did his usual trick of the wrong exit at the roundabout.
PCR tests are arriving today so hopefully get these posted later.

I struggled wearing a face covering for the best part of 8 hours each way as my breathing was quite erratic at times and certainly wouldn’t consider long haul flights having to wear one.
In resort we wore one in the restaurant’s and bars and did everyone else.
Bar staff refused to serve those who forgot theirs or wore them under the chin.
We even witnessed a shop keeper remove 4 men without any masks.

In hindsight I didn’t expect the queues to be long, maybe I was being naive?
We enjoyed our week away and are looking forward to going back.

[lovinit]

Thanks for the update. We are heading to Tenerife in a couple of weeks, flying from Liverpool.
Hoping things will be a lot quieter than Manchester.

[Taffy1959]

Glad you had a good time.
Have you thought about contacting lost and found at Manchester airport to see if your husbands iPad is there?
Our son left his iPad in the seat pocket of the plane flying out to Rhodes 3 years ago and we were flying out a few days later for his wedding so I contacted lost and found at Manchester and it was there.
I had to tell them what the picture was on the iPad and I might be wrong but I think I had to give them the code to unlock it.
There was also a £10 charge to pick it up it’s definitely worth asking.

[Lisa-72]

Originally Posted by Taffy1959

Glad you had a good time.
Have you thought about contacting lost and found at Manchester airport to see if your husbands iPad is there?
Our son left his iPad in the seat pocket of the plane flying out to Rhodes 3 years ago and we were flying out a few days later for his wedding so I contacted lost and found at Manchester and it was there.
I had to tell them what the picture was on the iPad and I might be wrong but I think I had to give them the code to unlock it.
There was also a £10 charge to pick it up it’s definitely worth asking.

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Yes we did as soon as we realised it was missing and they couldn’t find it.

[Moorlandman]

Manchester’s new terminal 2 is disappointing. Poor food options, no Boots and massive queues despite minimal amount of passengers. I can’t imagine what Christmas and New Year will be like

[Floridadreams]

Thanks for this Lisa-72. We’re heading to Fuerteventura for New Year from Dublin, so our experience will be a little different as we’re still in EU. But still it’s good to know what it’s like coming back and your feedback on the masks is really helpful.
What island did you go to? And how did you find it there - busy? Many places open/closed/reduced hours? Glad to hear you enjoyed it

[Lisa-72]

Originally Posted by Floridadreams

Thanks for this Lisa-72. We’re heading to Fuerteventura for New Year from Dublin, so our experience will be a little different as we’re still in EU. But still it’s good to know what it’s like coming back and your feedback on the masks is really helpful.
What island did you go to? And how did you find it there - busy? Many places open/closed/reduced hours? Glad to hear you enjoyed it

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We went to Caleta de Fuste in Fuerteventura, we had a fabulous time, most places open and relatively quiet. Not sure if moving back to level 2 will have any impact, we were AI so didn’t need to eat or drink of the hotel.

[Floridadreams]

Originally Posted by Lisa-72

We went to Caleta de Fuste in Fuerteventura, we had a fabulous time, most places open and relatively quiet. Not sure if moving back to level 2 will have any impact, we were AI so didn’t need to eat or drink of the hotel.

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Thanks, we’re in Corralejo. Are they moving back to level 2? Cases are incredibly low there

[lovinit]

On entry, do you have to do anything other than show proof of vaccination? I'm staying at hard rock hotel Tenerife for a few nights and on their site it mentions also needing proof of a negative test...

[Floridadreams]

Originally Posted by lovinit

On entry, do you have to do anything other than show proof of vaccination? I'm staying at hard rock hotel Tenerife for a few nights and on their site it mentions also needing proof of a negative test...

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That might be hotel policy as I did read somewhere that some hotels are asking for this. Maybe drop them an email and ask them what type of test/proof they need and if that’s just hotel policy