Like a scene from the movie, getting home proved to be harder than it should, due to a bit of snow that despite our cold climate, early notification of the arrival, weather warnings and preparation, always manages to close the UK for weeks!
Flying back to the UK from Barcelona, we received texts to advise that due to heavy snowfall in Manchester our connecting flight had been cancelled and we were booked on a flight 28 hours later and would need to collect our luggage (which was actually on the same plane as us this time), then speak to someone about hotels.
Off the plane and away we go to collect our luggage, along with every other flight destined for Manchester, some people had been waiting 3 hours at the carousel. After an hour of watching our air tagged bags move around all parts of T5 we went to speak to someone, who helpfully advised “they are in transit” to Manchester you need to request them, which we did and they still didn’t arrive. Having Learnt from Dubai that “in transit luggage” means give up and log a lost luggage claim and hope you’ll see them sometime. Off then for the hotel, food and drink and rest.
Duly rested (as much as you can be in a transit hotel with no change of clothes) we set off back to the airport for our bumped flight, all checked in, luggage, not a clue. And then yup flight cancelled due to “snow in Manchester” again.
The choices then another 24 hours in a transit hotel or a coach trip from Heathrow to Manchester. The last coach ride I did was in 1998 to Disneyland Paris which took 16 hours and was HELL on wheels. Oh well how bad could it be? Well it would help if anyone could advise the right bus stop in the first case and no signs on any bus (stop 16, 21 or 20, who knows or cares). At this point the airline has discharged its responsibility and is no longer liable for delay payments.
Four and a half hours later after listening to one guy snore loudly all the way and a little woman watching her favourite Indian soap opera on her phone without headphones we arrived back at Manchester in the early hours, to then have to get to the car, scrape the 4 days of snow off it and eventually drive home, bushed.
The luggage has now made its way to Manchester where it is sitting awaiting a courier again. and yet again the total inefficiency here, looks like the airline are arranging 2 couriers on two dates to collect and deliver the luggage (one piece to be delivered yesterday before it arrived and one for tomorrow).
Still, it all adds to the fun of life and the fact that the entire flights to and from Barcelona cost £4 each, it has cost BA at least 200 times that in hotels, couriers and compensation.
Stay tuned for the next exciting trip we have planned, this time we are going to put on every item of clothing we intend to take, so they don’t get lost?