Arik Air: more legit than the average Nigerian e-mail

I will admit that I wasn’t sure what to think about the prospect of taking domestic flights on a Nigerian airline. However, Arik is surprisingly nice – they gave me a breakfast box, which is more than most U.S. carriers will do. The captain was, by his voice, obviously American. The plane was an older B737, but had gotten a few upgrades and facelifts along the way.

Somehow I'm guessing that it wasn't the people who gave him the nickname "People's Governor."

The airport, however, is another matter. I found the airport check-in humorous because, if I could have seen everything in black and white, I would have thought I was on the set of a 1940s movie involving a small-town airport. The “Terminal 2” sign hangs on a small tin-roof structure. I’ll have to take a picture sometime because I can’t do it justice. The sign saying “do not put valuables in your checked luggage” wasn’t reassuring – the equivalent of saying “we admit that our employees are highly likely to steal your stuff if given the opportunity.”

Benin has a tiny airport with a very efficient luggage system.  They toss your bag on those baggage carts just  like a regular airport, but then they haul the carts directly into the terminal and you grab your bag.  (I didn't check any luggage.)