Heather the Jetsetter
Chapter 1: A Series of Unfortunate Events
If you have not done so, you might want to read the previous post before reading this one.
I have always been a huge proponent of spending at least a week abroad when planning international travels. However, with only 2.5 remaining vacation days until July 1, I found myself booking a "long weekend" to London for the "Final Flat Party."
It all started off relatively smoothly -- Dan picked me up at the house to drive me to the airport and we had a fun car ride up to Dulles. As soon as I stepped up to the Air Canada desk, however, a series of unfortunate events unfolded.
1) I couldn't check in because of a change in my electronic itinerary. Thankfully someone was able to press a few buttons to fix the problem about 15 minutes later.
2) Three people attempted to jump the queue to board the plane to Montreal...obviously these people weren't heading to England on holiday, but they should know better anyway.
Fortunate moment: The flight attendants from Dulles to Montreal were fantastically funny!
3) After boarding the plane in Montreal bound for Heathrow, we sat there for 45 minutes waiting for a "minor technical part and documentation" to arrive. How minor could it have been?!
4) We never made up the delayed time in the air, and we got stuck in a holding pattern for 20+ minutes once at Heathrow.
5) For the first time, I had to stand in line for more than 15-20 minutes for Immigration at Heathrow. They apparently boosted security procedures since last May and I waited for at least a solid hour. Not abnormal for immigration in general, but definitely not what I was expecting based on my previous two experiences. At this point I started to have a really bad feeling...
6) I arrived at "baggage reclaim" only to find that my bag wasn't there...and wasn't 10 minutes later...and still not after 20. When I talked to the nice man at the help desk, he informed me that my bag had been sent to Vancouver. I called Dave to get his address for the lost-baggage-delivery-form, holding back tears from exhaustion and frustration, and walked through "Nothing to Declare" with only my backpack and the clothes on my back.
Fortunate moment: Not only was Dave there to greet me as planned, but Andi and Kev were there too as a total surprise! The guys lept into action, treating me to coffee, Andi calling Amy to ask if she could bring some clothes for me to try on, giving lots of hugs and encouragement, and putting money on my Oyster travel card when the machine didn't like my credit card.
From that moment on, the rest of the day was actually quite nice, with the knowledge of having a lost bag being the only damper to my happy mood -- well, that and not having slept in over 24 hours. But happy moments and the remainder of my Friday are for the next chapter.
Cheers ♥
Chapter 1: A Series of Unfortunate Events
If you have not done so, you might want to read the previous post before reading this one.
I have always been a huge proponent of spending at least a week abroad when planning international travels. However, with only 2.5 remaining vacation days until July 1, I found myself booking a "long weekend" to London for the "Final Flat Party."
It all started off relatively smoothly -- Dan picked me up at the house to drive me to the airport and we had a fun car ride up to Dulles. As soon as I stepped up to the Air Canada desk, however, a series of unfortunate events unfolded.
1) I couldn't check in because of a change in my electronic itinerary. Thankfully someone was able to press a few buttons to fix the problem about 15 minutes later.
2) Three people attempted to jump the queue to board the plane to Montreal...obviously these people weren't heading to England on holiday, but they should know better anyway.
Fortunate moment: The flight attendants from Dulles to Montreal were fantastically funny!
3) After boarding the plane in Montreal bound for Heathrow, we sat there for 45 minutes waiting for a "minor technical part and documentation" to arrive. How minor could it have been?!
4) We never made up the delayed time in the air, and we got stuck in a holding pattern for 20+ minutes once at Heathrow.
5) For the first time, I had to stand in line for more than 15-20 minutes for Immigration at Heathrow. They apparently boosted security procedures since last May and I waited for at least a solid hour. Not abnormal for immigration in general, but definitely not what I was expecting based on my previous two experiences. At this point I started to have a really bad feeling...
6) I arrived at "baggage reclaim" only to find that my bag wasn't there...and wasn't 10 minutes later...and still not after 20. When I talked to the nice man at the help desk, he informed me that my bag had been sent to Vancouver. I called Dave to get his address for the lost-baggage-delivery-form, holding back tears from exhaustion and frustration, and walked through "Nothing to Declare" with only my backpack and the clothes on my back.
Fortunate moment: Not only was Dave there to greet me as planned, but Andi and Kev were there too as a total surprise! The guys lept into action, treating me to coffee, Andi calling Amy to ask if she could bring some clothes for me to try on, giving lots of hugs and encouragement, and putting money on my Oyster travel card when the machine didn't like my credit card.
From that moment on, the rest of the day was actually quite nice, with the knowledge of having a lost bag being the only damper to my happy mood -- well, that and not having slept in over 24 hours. But happy moments and the remainder of my Friday are for the next chapter.
Cheers ♥
2 Comments:
"minor technical part and documentation" sounds like publicaddressspeak for "something that will make them think that this major problem is minor"...
By
math jedi, at 11:26 PM
I'm likin' the story telling :)
By
@binarybrewery, at 1:15 AM
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