Let me tell you about my day.
So I was supposed to be flying to my home and native land today from Glasgow to Heathrow at 8:30am and then from Heathrow to Calgary at 12:30pm. Little did I know when I woke up at 4:00am after going to bed at 1:00am, I was about to be slapped in the face by British Airways and Heathrow Airport.
Now picture this.
Justine arrives at Glasgow airport with her ginormous bag in tow and checks it at the desk and hauls the backpack resembling a protective shell and designer purse through security. Everything is looking good (I wasn't, but my day was). I was enroute to my home and should be arriving at ~2:30pm Calgary time. When I checked my bag, I was informed that my flight to Heathrow had been delayed by 3hrs thus making me miss my connection but they would not reschedule said connection until I actually missed it. Whatever, moving on.
So I wander about, doing my thang and decide breakfast is a good idea and obviously a large latte to kick start my morning. Little did I know, this was my undoing. 9:15am I finish my breakfast, run to the toilet and then hurry off to find a nook to study in for the next couple of hours. Quick check of the Departures board and flight is still scheduled to leave in 2 hours. Check the board again 15 minutes later once settled and few pages into my book, flight has departed. WHAT THE...?!
Exactly... where did this come from. So I go stomp my Canadian butt over to the British Airways (BA) desk and was all "you just changed it? you didn't page me? what you doing willis?". They claim they paged me. Not sure if I had cotton in my ears (for the record- I didn't) but apparently I missed all 6, yes SIX, pages. Whatever BA. I can't understand your speedy Scottish accents anyways.
So, now I am having a hissy fit at 9:30 in the morning and have to go reclaim my bag, stand in a ridiculous line (which I would learn in a few short hours was not ridiculous) to reschedule my 2, yes TWO, missed flights (because of missing the flight to Heathrow and the connection). Lovely ladies at BA rebooked me to 11:30am to Heathrow and 2:20pm to Calgary. Great, only 2ish hours behind schedule.
Now, proactively, I go and sit by the congregation of BA gates and find out that this flight has now been delayed by 3 hours. "Why are all these flights delayed?" you might be asking at this point. This is why:
Anywho, this flight ends up not being delayed by 3 hours (surprise? No. Did they change it on the board? No). Anyways, we get on the flight, fly to Heathrow and land at 1:30pm but because of the chaos, there were no gates to park at, no arm things to connect the aircraft doors and the terminal, no tugs to pull the plane in place so we just hung out on the tarmac for another 1.5 hours. Cool beans.
Finally we get settled but they still don't have the arm to reach the plane so we have to take stairs from the back of the plane and since myself and 2 fellow vet students were seated at the front, we were some of the last to get off the plane. At this point, I have now missed flight 3, connecting to Calgary, and have to rebook the rebook at BA. Turns out EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG needs to rebook. 5.5 hours, that is FIVE AND A HALF HOURS later, we reach the ladies with bags under their eyes who reschedule us.
Fun fact- when you get off the plane last and everyone needs to rebook, flights for the same day disappear rapidly and basically people need hotels. Turns out hotels near your airport of choice are few and far between. So when Laura, my fellow 18 year old Canadian vet friend, and I make it to the desk, there is only hotels left at Gatwick.
(sub)Fun Fact- Gatwick is ~70 minute drive from Heathrow.
So now, dead on my feet, I am told I have been rebooked until the following day (*sigh*) and have to stay in Gatwick. Putting my persistent pants on I say I want to stay at Heathrow and will pay the difference for a room on site. But then the magic happens. Laura, who is booking with baggy eyed lady #2, tells her we are friends and since Laura is 18 years old and I look like a child on the best of days, our BA ladies concocted a plan. The remaining rooms at Heathrow are reserved for those with limited mobility and first class. Baggy eyed lady #2 calls the hotel, Sofitel London Heathrow, and says she has a 17 and 18 year old at the desk, both friends who cannot be put into a Gatwick hotel and she refuses to let us stay unattended in the terminal so they have to make room for us. Result- the best news of the day! Staying on site at the Sofitel, in the squishiest bed I have seen in 4 months.
So what did we learn today?
-Sit by your gate if it has been delayed because sometimes they just make up their plans as they go
-Fly with someone who looks like they need to have someone hold their hand OR be the person who needs someone to hold their hand (I was the latter today)
-leave more than 2 hours when connecting at Heathrow
Fun fact: I missed 3 flights, rebooked twice (I rebooked a rebook... awkward), traveled by plane for 1.5 hours in a 12 hour span and I am officially the world's most unlucky traveller. I would dare you all to prove me wrong, but it isn't fun.
So I am signing off so that I can enjoy a bubble bath and then snuggle in pristine white sheets, a comfy duvet and an XXL t-shirt, all courtesy of BA.
Oh man! That sucks my dear!
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of when my flight from Joburg got cancelled.
Basically I had booked on points and would be flying JNB-LHR-OHR-YYZ with Star Alliance (South African Airways & United). I flew from Cape Town to Joburg on a Mango flight, get my bags, line up in a HUUUUUGE line at the SAA check-in. After waiting AGES, I get to the desk, the guy tells me my flight is cancelled. I think he's joking. He insists he isnt. I have breakdown #1 and start crying and asking how I'm supposed to get home. He says for me to go to the bookings desk. I go to the bookings desk, they tell me to try being put on standby, they direct me to another line. I go to that line. The woman tells me there are already 150 people on standby. Cue breakdown #2. I go back to the bookings desk (wait ages), I ask if they can just get me anywhere close to Toronto or JFK, they tell me they can't just switch my itinerary since it was purchased on points. Cue breakdown #3. I ask if I can BUY a new flight - that's how desperate I was to leave. They tell me everything is booked.
I march over to the BA desk and the day at the small price tag of $1400. AND I left Joburg 2 hrs later, and got to Toronto an hour earlier.
Needless to say, after 3 months in Africa, I just wanted to get home and nobody was going to stand in my way.
Ugh, that sounds awful. I wish these problems on no one, especially after the amount of time we spent away from home, all you want is a big hug from your loved ones and these issues keep that from happening in a timely manner.
DeleteI'm glad you got home in one piece and I am hoping you unleashed a little evil Canadian on the airlines so you were reimbursed, even just a little bit.