On the return trip from skiing we flew from Lyon airport. They don’t have extending walkways to board the plane so you have to get on a bus which drives you out to it. I know you’ll think I’m making this up but it’s absolutely true: the bus drove in a straight line two bus lengths then stopped to let us out again.

Now,

  • It would have been much quicker to walk – in fact the girl at the check-in counter beat us to the plane even though she left after us
  • It would have required less staff – a single person to make sure passengers didn’t wander off was all that was needed
  • It would have required less equipment – those buses don’t look cheap and they seem to leave the engines running all the time
  • It would have allowed us to board much quicker as there would have been a constant flow of passengers boarding rather than two sudden influxes of them (the bus had to make two trips!)
  • It’s not required by some awkward EU regulation since in Corsica they let you use your feet – they don’t have any buses that i know of

It’s just sheer madness!