Things got off to a less than ideal start when we tried to use the self-checkin kiosks at SeaTac, hoping to just print our luggage tags so we could drop our bags at the bag drop. The first machine wouldn’t scan Mervin’s passport. The second machine we tried scanned Mervin’s passport but then wouldn’t scan mine. At that point we decided it would be easier to just go to the Delta agent desk. The staff member at the start of the queue gave us an “are you sure about that?” look when we said we wanted to check in with an agent but let us pass.
As soon as we turned the corner we realized our mistake. The queue wasn’t horribly long, but there were only six agents and it quickly became clear that the rest of the people in the queue were having complicated to downright bad airport days. Oversized luggage, several dogs, missed connections, missed checkin times – there were few straightforward fixes. It took half an hour to get our bags checked in, not a problem since we had ample time but more stress than needed.
Moral of this story is that if you are flying internationally with Delta, they have a way to scan your passport with the app during check in. Do it. Or if you use the kiosks and struggling, keep trying different machines. We could have tried every machine in the time it took to clear the line.
Ironically after all the worries about security lines the past few weeks, that wasn’t a problem at all. The wait at general screening was 3 minutes. We walked downstairs to the new TSA precheck line, and honestly it would have probably been faster to go through the regular line.
Despite that rough start, our experience with the Delta flight was a pleasant surprise. It was a 2 seat 4 seat 2 seat layout which is our favorite since we can sit together with no middle seat. The seats were as comfortable as one can expect in Economy, my knees didn’t touch the seat in front. Service was excellent throughout. The food was middle-of-the road, not amazing but not bad either.
Our transfer in Amsterdam was 1 hour 45 minutes. Although a little tighter than we like it seemed reasonable when booking. What we forgot was that passport control was in Amsterdam, not Rome. Coming into the international-to-domestic transfer zone, we were immediately confronted with a long snaking line. There were two rows of electronic machines for the EU’s new Entry/Exit System lined up on either side of the line – all covered and not yet working. Instead they had a row of desks doing manual passport control for everyone. Maybe it was for the better given our luck so far with passport scanning. Despite the lengths of the line, the Dutch were very efficient and it moved along. Getting through took about 20 minutes and we still had enough time to walk comfortably to our next flight all the way at a gate labeled D74 – it was not a short walk!
The good thing about passport control in Amsterdam was that we didn’t need to do it in Rome. Our bags came up in the carousel quickly and we found ourselves an hour ahead of schedule in catching a taxi for the Air BnB.
We chose to take the taxi for the faster trip. There was a bit of drama when the taxi driver told us the address was outside the flat fee zone – by one block. We argued a bit but finally gave in to turning on the meter as he said it would only be 1-2 euros more. It turned out fine though since traffic was lighter than usual due to the Easter holiday, and we saved 4 euros compared to the official rate.
Our Air BnB is in the Prati district, just north of the Vatican. It’s more residential and quieter than the main part of Rome. We’re close to a subway station so we can easily get to the main part of the city, and conveniently located to arrive early for our Vatican day. The apartment belonged to the hosts’ grandparents and her mother grew up here. It’s an old building with character and the apartment has a charming mix of history and modern updates. It will be a lovely place to come back to at the end of a long day.
