Flying Through the LEAST VISITED Country in Europe

[@lesliefranklin1870]

An airline losing or delaying luggage on the trip home is generally much less of a problem than when you are starting on a trip. American Airlines delayed my luggage on a trip to Brazil for a week in 2001. Being without a change of clothes in a tropical area is impossible. I had to buy some clothes. I filed a complaint with AA, but I don't think I'll hear anything as it's been 20 years.

[@DutchSteamboat]

A very good point - especially if you are doing a multi-destination trip.

[@Canleaf08]

Delta also sent one of our bags to Alaska once in the 90s. Luckily, not clothing, but a cosmetic bag ... They gave us a huge amenity kit and returned the bag the next day. I am traveling now for over 32 years. Seen a lot.

[@shaungordon9737]

20 years later.... they're still investigating the issue

[@lesliefranklin1870]

@@shaungordon9737 LOL!

[@hb1338]

I am a veteran (victim ?) of nearly 1000 commercial flights and have never had a bag go astray. Twenty years ago, about 1 bag in 1000 was mis-shipped; I believe that rate is now down to about 1 in 10,000 amongst the airlines that have proper tracking and tracing systems. I always put a few essentials in my carry-on luggage - a couple of changes of underwear and socks, a clean shirt, washbag, small towel and electric shaver, and I'm sure their presence has scared away the bag fairies !

[@TriciaBute]

I visited Chisnau two years ago, was doing a mini tour of Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, even visited Transnistria. The people in Chisnau are so friendly and I would love to go back there sometime soon. Thanks for your vlogs x

[@Gothic55]

Good to see Moldova again, I was last there 10 years ago when I worked for DFID - on air Moldova 🇲🇩 in a Yak - business class was a couple of old Pan Am seats bolted at the front of the plane. Service was great 👍 - when I asked for a brandy - I was given a whole full bottle of Moldova’ best.

[@TXnine7nine]

9:50 That is an impressive sized bottle of water. Usually airlines just give you those tiny little bottles and that's it.

[@atomic32205489]

Noel, have you thought about doing a video naming all the countries, cities, airlines and aeroplane types you have flown? Some type of an update as to where you are in your quest for world dominance. LOL

[@1ThreeSeven]

Either he’ll lose his voice with such an extensive list or do a short where he just says “All of them. Every single one.”

[@chrisg1933]

I work as a CSA and I can tell you everybody is fed up with all the documents needed to fly nowadays. You are right, airlines and countries should work together and figure something out quickly because traveling is getting complicated.

[@hb1338]

The problem is that managing Covid procedures has got into the hands of the politicians, which makes complications and difficulties absolutely certain. Unfortunately there is nothing that any airline or aviation organisation can do about it. It's not helped by the fact that UK ministers have taken to flying around in Boris' RAF aircraft so it is not possible to impose on them the difficulties they have visited upon us.

[@Sashathespaceguy-x6w]

I’m half Moldovan. Thank you for coming to moldova. Even though we dont have much tourists. We have big hearts 🥰.

[@alexmnblyth]

so airtags are clearly a good investment, it adds a whole extra level of tension to the video 😂

[@siddharthgopinath4460]

@@SamsRussianAdventures To be honest, I am a lover of Noel's videos and have been watching him for some years now. So, I click on his videos and enjoy them regardless of where he goes. All the best and I hope you get more views. Cheers from SYD

[@alexmnblyth]

@@SamsRussianAdventures originally it was because of airline reviews, however this more niche content has really got me hooked. his challenge videos were the best (like the 80 hours around the world episode). small drôle jokes and interesting facts keep things fresh and on its feet, and he just has a talent i haven’t seen anywhere else.

[@hb1338]

The problem with AirTags are the false alerts they generate. How often do your phone and your AirTag try to contact each other ? How far can your bag move in that time ? I don't know the answer to either question. Consider the following. All Airbus planes are containerised, so your bag will have been put into an aluminium container in a baggage make-up area fairly close to where you checked in. Getting radio signals into and out of metal boxes is notoriously difficult, so once the bag is in the container, it may be unreachable until that container is opened at Kishinev. If your phone and bag have not been able to contact each other, your app may think the bag is in Moscow when it is actually on board the aircraft. Exactly the same situation applies in Kishinev - your bag may spend only a few seconds between being removed from the original container and placed into the onward container, so it could easily make it onto your aircraft without being noticed by your app. Bags can and often do make transfer connections in the last few seconds before the flight closes, so a) the location stated for your bag may be hopelessly wrong b) you have almost no opportunity to do anything about a bag which may not actually be missing. All such a system does is add worry whilst giving you almost no opportunity to resolve whatever problems may or may not exist. Save yourself the grief - don't bother trying to track your bag in real time, the airlines do it much better than Apple will ever be able to. Most modern airlines use the SITA missing bags database, so if your bag misses any of its flights/connections, it should be detected, scanned and entered onto that database within a few minutes of the relevant flight departing. The really efficient ground handlers send a message ahead to your final destination so that you can either be greeted at the door of the aircraft, summoned to the baggage claim desk to be told of the problem, or find out when you enquire after the bag fails to arrive. Airlines that operate such systems properly typically detect more than 95 per cent of mis-shipped bags within 15 minutes of the mis-shipment. I don't know whether or not Air Moldova use the SITA missing bags service, but it's very cheap and extremely effective.

[@295g295]

> 17:20

[@andrzejostrowski5579]

I think that technically it is illegal to have an airtag inside a checked luggage.

[@natebaxley8464]

I flew on air Moldova from Istanbul to Chisinau back in 2015 when I was 12. I remember how beautiful flying over the Black Sea was. Good memories.

[@captaindobie1720]

Ha ha, love at the end when Noel exits the aircraft and the man recognises him. For sure, for a moment Noel thought he was in bother, and was going to get marched off by the authorities!

[@teiljorgensen4008]

Always love your air adventures!!! Your music is always spot on, too. You definitely ARE brave to keep up your adventures with this current health crises. Have you ever considered doing visits to the many great air museums? I so enjoyed my visits to Duxford, Sinsheim, The Museum of Flight, The National Air and Space Museum, et al. Keep up the GREAT work, please!!! Thank you!

[@andreworiez8920]

As the son of a US Navy veteran I appreciated the "Top Gun" shirt. My father was stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar (Home of the Fighter weapons School) in the 1990s. Top Gun is now located at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada, and Miramar is now a Marine Corps base.

[@tbotond7830]

As a big fan of yours and ex ground handling staff, please do not blame that issue at check-in on the airline itself. The employees that were confused were not Air Moldova staff but the ground handling staff in Moscow Airporr. They do the ground handling for many airlines probably not only on this one so they have to know a lot of information about current admission policy plus airline policy whether your documents are fine or not. The transfer conditions may also differ probably they were wondering if you were allowed to transfer via KIV. Nowadays because of Covid-19 all countries have different rules, they have to be extra careful because if it turns out you are not allowed to take the flight because of inadequate documentations the ground handling company would be charged for thousands of Euros. That is why it took them a bit of time until they finally could see that you are fine to board. Doing check-in is a way harder job than it seems for passengers. It's not only about putting the bagtag on your luggage. Next time give them a break :) Sorry for my English it is not my first language.

[@rais1953]

English is my first language and your comment was faultless. Congratulations.

[@noelphilips]

Thank you for the detailed explanation. I apologise if I was grumpy after that conversation - I think I was so excited to be coming home and then to feel like it may not happen was a big worry! Thanks again for all you do.

[@tbotond7830]

@@noelphilips Thank you for your reply! Additional information: Back in the days I remember the most expensive violation fines were issued by UK immigration. We handled a lot of flights to the UK so whenever we got a task to manage some overbooked A321 Wizz flight to LTN we always freaked out, lots of passports and visas from all around the world like Vanuatu, Bangladesh, Burundi and so on. I remember many times we were so afraid and checked our company email address constantly if any feedback came from the UK regarding this topic. Usually it was 3000 pounds if you missed something so if you caused that you were not promoted for the employee of the month :D

[@PaulB-17]

Really enjoyed this Russian series thanks Noel. Have been Subbed to your travels for a couple of years now and am surprised your channel hasn't blown up big yet. Keep up the graft I'm sure it will! 🍻 Perth Oz.

[@johnwayne8494]

How the fuck is Moldova supposed to be Russian? They don't even speak a Slavic language.

[@PaulB-17]

@@johnwayne8494 who said Moldova was in Russia?????

[@lovesnorway5845]

that feeling when you travel the hole world and the crew on the airport is on you first name. then you know you travel alot :-)

[@lovesnorway5845]

I just like all good and bad info about airplains and companys. And the dream about travel all the world, that i dont have the cash to do now

[@simondlatham5939]

I was in Chisinau in 2018. Aesthetically it's a bit rough around the edges, but it cost me £4 for a taxi from the airport to my hotel, and if you learn a few polite phrases in Russian or Moldovan then they love you. The Milesti Michi wine cellar is a great tour. On my flight in economy I got a cheese & ham sandwich plus a paper cup of wine included in my fare

[@TriciaBute]

I loved Chisnau, we visited the Cricova winery, was a great tour and the wine was divine (and cheap)

[@Asptuber]

It must have been 2018 for me too (the pandemic makes it seem like it was just a year ago). Chisinau is lovely, even without a wine tour. Very small, somewhat slow. But wonderful food. In no other old fashioned (ie not modern refrigeration) meat market have I felt tempted to buy a chicken or some cutlets and just start cooking in a typical airbnb small kitchen. The locally popular chain restaurants are insanely good value too (La Placinte is very good to get a feel for local cuisine). Wine, as everyone mentions, is of course very good, but coffee is also decent (but not like Lviv or Kiev). Very nice opera house, too. I hope they haven't destroyed the fabulous 50ies/60ies style interior when they renovated it.

[@hb1338]

@@Asptuber The Moldovan National Opera company used to visit the UK quite frequently - very high standards for such a small country.

[@georgenicolas2297]

There's no Moldovan language it is a Stalin's invention. The language is Romanian with some little local specific .

[@simondlatham5939]

@@georgenicolas2297 That may be true, but the locals call it Moldovan, and that's its official name, so I'll use it too

[@davidwolfhudson]

Thanks for another great video, Noel. I lived in Moldova 2011-2012 and you should feel thankful that they were operating their own fleet on your flights. That summer of 2012, they were facing a capacity crunch and wet-leased one (or more) aircraft from a now-defunct Romanian charter carrier called Jetran Air. It was an MD-82, YR-OTN, first delivered to Pacific Southwest(!) in 1982(!!) It was quite well-worn, inside and out, and REEKED of cigarette smoke. It felt like the whole plane was held together with Poundland tape. I've taken Air Moldova (with their own plane/crew) several times and it was "fine," but I usually preferred Lufthansa when departing Chisinau. The airport was constructed courtesy of a multi-million euro loan from the European Development Bank in the 2000s, IIRC. Nit-picky PS: As of 2014, less than 15% of Moldovans are native Russian speakers. The majority use the Romanian/Moldovan/limbă de stat pronunciation of the city's name "Key-shin-ow" or "Key-shin-oh" rather than the Soviet Кишинёв.

[@SloopADoopy]

The baggage tag is a neat feature. Especially useful at baggage claim since 99.9% of bags all look the same these days.

[@bandvitromania9642]

Yup and i remember when i almost took someones else bag by accident

[@Mar-fl7cx]

Noel, please do a video summing up all the airports you’ve visited 🙏

[@onlineamiga]

Have you ever thought of doing a video series where you visit all the UK Overseas territories? Be fun to fly around the world and yet remain in the UK the whole time :D Plus you visit some of the greats, like Gibraltar (say hi to me there) and St Helena :) (also you should get to Gibraltar sooner rather than later as the runway crossing will become a thing of the past as theyre finally almost done with the tunnel!)

[@laurabaker81]

Great idea! I'm fascinated by Gibraltar. Never been but planning to at some point. 👍

[@onlineamiga]

@@laurabaker81 its a bizzare little place, and obviously an interesting one for aviation enthusiasts with the main road from Spain into town intersecting the runaway. Road has to be closed when there are aircraft movements. Get some great view from the top of the rock too... and apes up the rock too! Loads of historic sites, red telephone boxes and uk high street shops too :)

[@hb1338]

Stewart McPherson did a television series on BBC4 called 'Britain's Treasure Islands' in which he visited all 14 UK overseas territories. He is a naturalist and so focussed mainly on the flora and fauna, but there was a fair amount about his journeys to reach those places. My wife and I did St Helena the hard-core way - flight with the RAF to Ascension Island and then 3 days on the ship to Jamestown - flying in from South Africa is for wimps. It's a very interesting place and the people are wonderful.

[@hb1338]

@@onlineamiga The approach to Gibraltar airport is challenging (massive British understatement). Due to Spanish intransigence, you have to make an irregular approach at right angles to the runway, turn sharp left or right at 250 feet onto extremely short finals, only to be greeted by violent vortices , wind shear and all sorts of eddies created by the rock. Hit the throttles, point the nose at the end of the runway and then as soon as you are down, slam on the brakes and and hope you don't fall off the other side of the peninsula; during this sequence there is no time for prayer. It's even more fun in a GA aircraft as they are much less able to withstand the wind conditions. My experience in Gibraltar was that the local people are delighted to see anyone from the UK and make them feel very welcome - it's quite lonely having the Spanish perpetually rattling their sabres from the other side of the border.

[@hb1338]

@@armchaircritic5605 Surely the jewel in the crown is Pitcairn, by virtue of the fact that it is so bl**dy difficult to get there and once you arrive, the state of sea and wind may prevent you from landing.

[@leahy1993]

The airlines have access to a system called timatic that gives them the rules of every country with every passport, been around for years before Covid and is very useful with unusual passports with visa requirements etc as well as now Covid requirements

[@hb1338]

They have access to it, but there are plenty of small airlines that choose not to subscribe to the service in order to save a small amount of money. SITA also supply an app/ service called (IIRC) TravelPass which has bang up to date Covid-19 regulations for very nearly every territory on the planet. Instead of faffing about, the check-in agents in Moscow should have asked one of the airlines using SITA terminal sets to check on their behalf.

[@lucascalma605]

Welcome home Noel! This is quite an intriguing episode as you've been one of those to set foot on Moldovan soil at least in its airport, and, we hope to see you uploading one of your future trips to Moldova when things from COVID-19 have settled down!

[@rlfunnybunny]

I work for Air Canada and we have a article with the entry requirements for a lot of countries but some aren’t on there and then it changes so often to make it more difficult. And then we have to make sure you meet the requirements for your destination country and then the transiting country as well. It makes it so stressful

[@darrendowns]

I am a bit surprised perhaps that Noel's comments make it seem he is not aware of Timatic or the important iatatravelcentre website. I read both of those every day - for all countries that I am travelling to and I bring a printout of the rules on the day of flight in case somethings starts to go wrong . . But - I am not normal!!!! I have 100% sympathy for the workers who do have to deal with a daily change - and the multitude of test types - and the various rules. Some countries take this extremely seriously (Canada) and if you get it wrong - it is expensive for everyone . . compared to Switzerland - where I live - where I have never been asked to show any proof of test on arrival from anywhere . . ever.

[@Canleaf08]

@@darrendowns Canada has more or less closed the border for most passengers. Only those with confirmed Permanent Residence and Work Permits can enter right now. Until at least the 7th of September... Then technically, everyone can enter, if the conditions permit. Everyone has to use the ArriveCan app to be permitted entry to Canada. Take me: I traveled to Sweden just recently by air. No problem. Actually, it is simple in Europe: If you had your EU approved jabs, you can almost enter every country in the EU or Schengen Area. You are even exempted from Testing and Quarantine. It largely depends, but most countries do that. I am speculating to get tested when I want to travel to Canada next time, despite being vaccinated. Or getting another jab. Or something else. Not to travel during Canada day (July 1st) and other important holidays, because planes and airports are full, meaning traveling side season is now a better idea.

[@mickpeterson3722]

​@@Canleaf08getting that jab was a dumb thing to do

[@tommarchant950]

I like the amount of alcohol you bought Rach. I found that humerus. Looking forward to your videos from the states coming up.

[@christopherrobin7984]

I find this comment femursing

[@lesliefranklin1870]

I think that is one of the problems he had with Air Egypt. They are a "dry" airline. Cheers!

[@pauljordan4452]

@@christopherrobin7984 I'll maintain a 10km radius from that comment.

[@infectdiseaseepidemiology2599]

Humerus? That’s an armful

[@johnketterman5700]

Nice in flight movie, Clarkson’s farm is always a good watch.

[@TheSheiban]

I drove to Moldova from Romania in 2010 and stayed in Chisinau for a few days. Nice city, the country is lovely, Transnistria is also nice, but there's not a whole lot to do as a tourist there. It's cheap though...

[@whatever8282828]

I'm also impressed the little airport did such a good job. It doesn't bear much discussion for the airline itself since it is defunct. (yes I'm watching this about 2 years later)

[@airfoxtrot2006]

Great video Noel, i also enjoy the music you select for each video.

[@Welsh_Girl_UK]

Haha, not gonna lie but I felt quite tense waiting to see if your bag made it or not, was tempted to skip to the end to find out but I didn't. So glad you both made it back safely. Thanks again for another great video Noel.

[@dforrest4503]

@@SamsRussianAdventures stop writing the same unrelated comment everywhere!

[@Welsh_Girl_UK]

@@SamsRussianAdventures I personally enjoy Noel's videos due to him being honest, funny and very interesting. A true gent and family man. Also I have watched him for many years and look forward to each weekly video. I get to travel through him which is something I will never be able to do myself.. Hope that helps, good luck with your channel.

[@hb1338]

The bag tracking systems used by the airlines work a great deal better than Apple's cheap and distinctly unreliable tag

[@chrismecklin1710]

I wonder if they had ever encountered a passenger before flying from Moscow to London connecting via Chisinau.

[@mukker1993]

Yup, done it myself around 4 years ago.

[@hb1338]

Yes, it's the standard cheap route between London and Moscow, even cheaper than Lufthansa via Frankfurt or Munich. It's nice to be able to out some money into Moldovan pockets too, otherwise we have to wait for the National Opera company to return to these shores.

[@clarkmadrosen1780]

I agree with you about all the covid confusions. 🛫. I lost my luggage when i flew from Milan to Tunis, Tunisia. I got it about 4 days later, back at Tunis airport .Glad you got your bags. Excellent video. Keep them coming. Thanks. 🛫🛬

[@cynthiaconnors183]

Awwwe! Bringing a nice treat for your wife to enjoy. That's soooo sweet!

[@kathrinschulze3530]

That was a damn smooth landing

[@nataliesmith303]

It’s the clapping they do 🤣🤣🤣 I would have been shitting myself about my bag😬

[@chris_flies_business]

am i the only one who randomly starts humming the soundtrack after hearing it in so many videos now

[@valentinchiriac9117]

I liked very much that the moment the plane touch down you changed the music from russian to western.

[@kinai01]

I think it's worth mentioning that the staff at domodedovo airport in Moscow weren't actually Air Moldova staff, they're contracted either somebody at the airport in Domodedovo or a different company that works there locally

[@markstedman4592]

Another great video Noel. Love a dose of Noel Philips every weekend to cheer me up and remind me about the big bad world still out there. Keep up the good work. Look forward to the next one 🙂

[@BrightStar0917]

The KIV terminal was expanded about 6 years ago. When I visited in 2015, it was still under construction. I'm originally from Chișinău. In the 80s, you could buy plane tickets right at the airport.

[@johnodonohoe7602]

Like to see Noel in Kiev now perhaps as a volunteer ? His unease with his fellow humans is palpable

[@brentford2]

Great video as always - thank you

[@53v3n_L1v3z]

I like the background knowledge of the plane history.👍

[@sijones501]

I am UK resident who is often in Ukraine for work Noel. I would recommend a trip over to Dnipro whilst there. The morning and night flights are on a ATR 72-600 with Windrose Airlines. I can show you round Dnipro as well. Lovely city that is off the beaten track.

[@donhoneycutt3856]

LOL watching Clarksons Farm

[@davidtoups4684]

I noticed that too. Great show!

[@eeeger]

I have loved your videos from this region so much!

[@lvthud]

Yes Noel, thank you for the whole air tag thing, I got to experience my baggage sitting at gate A22 at DFW and somehow not making it onto the plane also sitting at A22 even though the plane and luggage sat next to each other for 5 hours thanks to the crew going MIA. You can imagine my shock when getting to PVR and seeing my suitcase still sitting at gate A22.......American Airlines at it's best....Though to be fair, that's probably the 100th flight in the last year and it's been the only one that went pear shaped.

[@hb1338]

Airlines (even American) are much better at finding and shipping missing bags than a cheap apple device which is prone to false alerts.

[@donaldparlettjr3295]

Now that the way to be welcomed back to "Old Blighty"

[@295g295]

> 22:04

[@Evertubo]

Wow man you should partner up with Bald and bankrupt channel. You two would smash it and produce great content !! Hehe two bold funny british guys wondering the world. Keep it up !

[@noelphilips]

Maybe one day!

[@flyingluftwaffe9617]

That USSR anthem at the start of the video was *G O L D* As always, another great video!

[@woah455]

It's the current Russian anthem also with the lyrics changed.

[@RUSLexplorer2020]

Enjoyed the tour with you !

[@jw0stephens]

During a job I had where I traveled space available, when the airline folks greeted you by name, it was usually not great news, unless you had your ticket in at the podium and they called you for a space on a crowded flight.. I lucked out and never had to overnight, just rebooked thru some other route, but was pulled off a couple of flights. Great to see when people know Noel though.

[@abidemimustapha4515]

Wow! 👏👏👏 Gradually & Finally things will get back to life. Great video 👍

[@HR-wd6cw]

Being only 5ft 5 inches myself, I always find it funny we people comment about legroom on flights as its never an issue for me, and allows me to get the cheapest seats possible (although I do try to find the "cheapest" seats closest to the front that aren't premium economy or business though. Which oddly enough I've found on some flights people would rather sit next to a window in the back of the plane than in an aisle row closer to the front). I suppose if its a longer flight (say 4 hours or more) then it may make sense but I am more for getting off the plane as fast as possible without spending extra for extra legroom which I don't need.

[@EMTevjorgensen]

It would have been nice to see Rach picking you. You've been gone awhile and I know you two must have missed each other. Got to bring more love on your channel Noel. I really like the traveling with Rach videos as I used to travel lots with my Mom who had MS and we did many plane trips together where I had to carry her up stairs and put her into and take out of her airline seat and many other things. Plus the vids with the kids are great, I've got 5 and the oldest is 33 and the youngest almost 23 so it's fun to reminisce on traveling with young children. You should take the fam on the trip you just took since you scouted it out and can navigate it with your Russian and travel knowledge. And maybe next time you'll get a seat in front of the wing on a Yak-40. And maybe point out a Soviet Mosaic please. ( ;-)~

[@stevejones6174]

Love your videos Noel! The highlight of my day is seeing a new video pop up from you! We do however, need to get you some new music for your vids lol. It’s the same music over and over in all of them. Keep up the great work, cheers!

[@scotty11782]

Thanks Noel

[@billycox475]

The gate sections at most airports are bland and soul crushing. That one in Moldova looked pretty nice. I like Detroit too. Are there any other auto airports, particularly in the US, where the interior architecture is interesting and stimulating?

[@amc3]

3 big bottles for Rachel, jeezee, your gona need another baby sitter haha! On a serious note, Bald and Bankrupt survived it, so did you Noel. Done Ukraine and Albania, Moldova is next on my list, loved this.

[@imanuelcaushi4711]

If you've been to Albania then you would know the rep it gets is 100% different to its reality. Nothing about it feels eastern European the way it does in Ukraine or Moldova. It resembles Italy and Greece more than anything

[@amc3]

@@imanuelcaushi4711 Who mentioned Eastern European? Albania is in the Balkan`s, on the Adriatic, also, Ukraine and Moldova are former Soviet nations, not Eastern European. Indeed I visited Albania in 2017, beautiful country, nice people, great food and VERY European. Visited Montenegro in 2018, another stunningly beautiful country, in fact, the mountains and lakes reminded me of my own country Scotland, several videos from them on my channel.

[@imanuelcaushi4711]

@@amc3 My comment was not meant to be a form of criticism, quite on the contrary actually. I just wanted to point out a general misconception people have about Albania, often thinking its an ex-soviet country or a country very resemblant of eastern Europe, due to lack of knowledge on it.

[@amc3]

@@imanuelcaushi4711 Indeed Imanuel, there is a massive misconception about modern Albania, While its smaller than Madrid, Rome, Paris or London, Tirana offers a diverse range of fascinating experiences, the newly designed Skanderbeg Square, the University and Pyramid, not to mention the Bunker museums and vibrant café culture. Durres has a well preserved Roman Amphitheatre and Baths as well as miles of beaches. Berat is simply stunning, head south to Sarande and its a Mediterranean paradise. When I was there in 2017 Mother Theresa Airport had about 4 international airlines using the airport, today there are over 30 including, Easyjet, Wizzair, British Airways, Ukrainian, Austrian, Lufthansa, Eurowings, TUI, LOT Polish Airlines, Aegean Airlines, Alitalia and Fly Dubai !! Albania has literally taken off, its great for the people of Albania as well as its economy. Kind of glad I experienced it before the rush started. I think we share similar views Imanuel, your an educated man in a prominent position, respect to you sir.

[@bobarmstrong3166]

Another great video. Just gotta say Noel, your background music is fantastic..

[@noelphilips]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@FelipeColby]

Oh my, a Clarkson's Farm catch on the mobile device! An idea...flying where we live, TGU. It is a great, albeit now only intranational airport, but there are some cool flights to get on coming in there, I could share more, but it is a great experience for avgeeks.

[@heathertruskinger6214]

Wow...a chauffeur home ! I always brings it interesting that there are some parts of the world where passengers clap on a successful touchdown ! If it's been a flight with air turbulence, bad weather or a plane with mechanical problems, I can understand. Maybe it's just a way of voicing thanks to the pilots and crew ?

[@295g295]

> 24:06

[@samharte703]

Will you be doing more sleeper train videos? They are really enjoyable

[@imanuelcaushi4711]

I love Noel clapping along when the plane lands 😂

[@numeristatech]

Seems to be a Moldovan thing where everyone claps on landing - even on a good quiet and calm flight !

[@hb1338]

@@numeristatech Please forgive the snobbery, but I always associated it with passengers on a cheap charter to the Costa del Booze.

[@SeanMidlandstransporthub]

Good to see you back as always!

[@eaubert1]

I felt relieved for you when I saw your bag at London Stansted. It's too bad that the airtag added to your anxiety, when it's intended to do the opposite!

[@joespada4443]

Hey just an FYI while the historical name is Kishinev, Moldovans call it by its Romanian name of Chisinau (kee-shin-ow).

[@amaanthejamal]

The background music sounds familiar....

[@stanleovart]

Technically, you was not in Moldova, as airtransit passengers particularly here (not always I need to note) in Chisinau - they do the connection flight walking always in a clean airport area. You didnt go outside. So you have to visit Moldova again and exit to city. :):)

[@COPPETsan]

I had a beautiful experience with Heathrow Airport when I was transiting through the UK from a red listed country. When I arrived at Terminal 3, they said I had to go to Terminal 4 to pass customs and collect my luggage (despite my connecting flight being from Terminal 5). They took so long through customs that I missed my flight by the time I reached the border agents, once I reached them I technically had no flight out of the UK so they gave me an exception to the quarantine... about 10 meters later another border agent said I couldn't have an exception and took it off me. That meant I was trapped in the airport. I wasn't allowed to leave a specific waiting area as I didn't have a flight out of the country, but I couldn't book a flight out of the country as I was trapped in a waiting area not allowed to leave. Finally, through a lot of phone calls with my parents and other friends I managed to book tickets... but then the G4S goons didn't want to let me leave, look for my baggage or let me go back to the border agents to talk to them. After physically pushing a few out of the way I managed to get back to the border security and talk to the agents there who gave me an exemption to leave the terminal so I can get my NEW connecting flight. My luggage was lost, wasn't in terminal 4 and I wasn't allowed nor had time to go to Terminal 3 or 5 to look for the other potential locations it could be. In total, my journey was 30 hours long and I didn't have my baggage for 3 days once I finally arrived. This is all thanks to Heathrow and their world class management. TL:DR I was given a connecting flight that was impossible for me to catch. Nobody, not the border agents nor the airline knew about this whole terminal 4 redirecting deal. I had to book a flight or pay £2000+ for quarantine, but couldn't book a flight as I couldn't go anywhere. After I booked a flight, they still didn't let me leave. They also lied about my luggage being in Terminal 4 so I ended up losing it for several days. Just saying this as a warning to let you all know, the people at Heathrow have no clue what is going on so don't be afraid to argue with them and follow your instinct and what YOU think is right. Just because someone is wearing a uniform doesn't mean they know what they are doing.

[@jusalii]

12:01 Noel wanted to join in 😂😂😂

[@Bad_Karma1968]

Noel another great vlog! I hate it when the luggage moves slowly to Noel I am seriously considering strictly going carry on Noel queues coming into canada during the day are 4 hrs long

[@hb1338]

Who says the luggage is moving slowly ? It is much more likely that the app does not operate reliably in real time. The evidence is in front of you - Noel's bag made it safely to London, but the app did not think it had done so until his bag was on the belt.

[@yaronsteinbuch3956]

I liked your “top of descent” pilot lingo!

[@phillipsiviter2024]

Welcome back, glad your luggage made it back as well.

[@limak859]

It was nice following you in the Russ trip. I am looking forward for the next one.

[@v52gc]

My wife had issues leaving Poland to UK with Ryanair as they didn’t know about landside transit and were insisting she had to quarantine. Almost stopped her boarding! One other traveller wasn’t able to board.

[@NW787-9]

awesome content! flew home into stansted last night on a B38M of Ryanair!

[@NW787-9]

@@SamsRussianAdventures not really sure tbh! I stumbled across the channel early 2020 and found his videos entertaining and informative - manages to do both simultaneously! also find that the wide range of trips (such as russia) an important factor for success! have been watching all content since!

[@MichaelSmith-lx2dt]

I love your music on this video ❤️😂

[@redcomusic]

This flight's great! Something to put on my to-do list as well. Thanks, Noel! - Red

[@tonychan8558]

The UK media only reports the worst of the worst! I flew from Dubai to Heathrow last month. Heard about the 3 hour queues at LHR, rat-infested hotels used for quarantine, but experienced none of that. Off plane and into bus within an hour. Hotel quarantine was above average, pretty comfortable, no complaints. It's almost as if the media is not telling the public the entire truth!...... Anyway, keep up the good work, Noel.

[@M158-o3x]

that's a wonderful flight tracker you use.. will you publish the details and how you get the jep charts? pleeeeeaasssse...

[@generalanthonie7364]

Haha Noel we have the same alarm clock ringtone and I heard it I thought I forgot to turn off mine.😂

[@samitp1817]

Noel, which app do you use for the real-time flight tracking? (Especially on-board)

[@Canleaf08]

I think it is Foreflight....

[@infectdiseaseepidemiology2599]

I amend my comment. That was indeed Foreflight on his iphone in descent.

[@leobetts2148]

Another great video Noel, Keep it up

[@sijones501]

I’ve been to Chisanau. Stayed at a hotel called Browns. They picked me up in a Bentley! Bizarre place!

[@jakejacobs7584]

It's not like the regulations don't change on a weekly basis. Come on guys.

[@georgeharrison9012]

Your former Soviet Union excursion was very interesting and eye-opening. Thanks as always for great adventures.

[@BorisDenkov]

Fly to Sofia, Bulgaria! You can try flying Bulgaria air- the national airline. They were prettyb good like 2 years ago. I have no idea as of now, but it would make a great video visiting Bulgaria as this is one of the countries you havent really filmed in. Well you have a video from Varna, but not Sofia.

[@lesliefranklin1870]

The flight attendants seem to be wearing similar uniforms to those worn by Aeroflot attendants. No wonder they seem similar. Perhaps a part of Aeroflot was split off to create Air Moldova when the USSR split up?

[@michaelreid8857]

You would think after 40 years, they would have changed them?

[@louisthetravelspotter]

great vlog noel

[@WBTravels]

Talk about air Maldovas. Pilots my god was that a smooth landing on that a319 wow less than 40FPM I would guess!!

[@WBTravels]

The first landing is the one I'm talking about btw

[@yilmanbabilonia]

The music is on point 🥳🥳

[@luinpuin4152]

Noel now I know for sure, after watching many of your great video’s. Did you sing all the Petshop boys songs behind the scènes? Your voice is the same if you ask me. Go West than ?

[@pickled625]

The mile high club with some of them flight attendants would be worth an effort! 😂

[@csongorvarga]

Next time get a Geiger counter, you were pretty much flying over Chernobil.

[@David-The-YorkshireMan]

So sad watching this and talking about Kyiv now

[@mastrum19]

I love how the music at the 8 minute mark can be used for fire water burn. The roof The roof The roof The roof The roof is on fire

[@steelknight2000]

Surprised Noel wasn't doing his best Sunstroke Project sax man impression

[@noelphilips]

😂😂

[@1boredcanadian]

Tonight, on Landing Gear... ...Noel's in the back seat of a Mercedes... ...An A319 gets disguised as a different A319... ...And luggage teleports from one airport to another...

[@TransistorBased]

You almost lost your luggage going across Europe. American lost my suitcase going from _Chicago to St Louis_ That's barely a 1 hour flight and not only was the bag a few days old I had a couple shirts in there that are going to be nearly impossible to replace. So yeah, my first experience with them wasn't great!

[@Ichigoyeager.exe1]

The bgm in the first part of the video song reminds me of our comrades