- OGG-LAX 5hrs sleep
- LAX-BOS 5.5hrs awake
- BOS-LHR 6.5hrs sleep
- LHR-DUB 1.5hrs awake
- DUB-LHR 1.5hrs awake
Lets see how I do with this little plan
OGG
Kahului airport is a complete zoo, people everywhere pushing, shoving, sweating, every other person has oversized luggage - surfboards, windsurf gear, scuba gear and there is me with my little suitcase trying frantically to check in . I dont remember Honolulu being this much chaos.
There are a few airports that havent had a refit since the 80's DUB and OGG are prime examples, they have old wooden kiosks for passport checks etc, stairs everywhere and carpet on the floor.
Before the advent of checked luggage charges, 4 wheeled suitcases and laptops people just checked the luggage they brought and took a small bag onto the plane, now there are all sorts of precious things that you dont want to leave to the mercy of the baggage handlers, more to stuff into your carry one case so you dont have to check it in and carry on cases to be wheeled to the gate- which is where the carpet and stairs are so inconvenient!
see
Yes, its just a shack
Waiting at the gate, a woman is complaining loudly and grumpily about not being able to get a cup of hot water to make her special tea, she tried Starbucks (hello-its a coffee chain) and they couldnt because they didnt know what to charge her, by the sounds of it , her whole holiday has been ruined by it!
I settled down on the plane with my big Airline pillow , my cushion and a quilt and the same woman has now caused an argument with her 2 huge cases and nearly having some womans head off as she swung them to get them in the overhead
Then I realised Tea woman is sat next to me... she got her blanket out, put her feet up the bulkhead infront (frowned on) and starts to huff and puff "would you like some help?" I enquired, she cheered up a little, ran through the tea saga with me , not knowing I had already heard it. Nothing for it but to hit the Jack Daniels and hope I sleep. The head Flight attendant was lovely and I am a polite person and gradually tea woman calmed down. By the time I woke up 5 hours later, she was pleasant and cheerful and I had done my good turn for the rest of the passengers sanity.
Mindful that the next flight has to be an "awake" one I went to the lounge to get some coffee, very nice too, a key card to get into the flagship lounge and a better spread than most AA lounges, I settled down to eat some fruit and drink the coffee. Even though there was 45 mins before the plane left, I headed for the gate and found it empty, I asked the gate agent and mysteriously she knew my name, as did the boarding agent when it was yelled over to her..........The pilot had decided to leave early and the whole plane was boarded except for me so I had to do the "walk of shame" so that everyone could see the person that made them wait, luckily the walk of shame to 3A isnt a very long one.
Awake meant drinking coffee: AA coffee tastes a little strange, almost like they have used goats milk - its definitely the coffee not the milk because the stronger the coffee, the stronger the taste is, you can taste it in BA coffee but not as strong, maybe thats how coffee tastes on an Airbus.
Some photos and watching BBC iplayer to keep me awake for the flight
The famous autumn colours of New England from above
Arriving in Boston and it was evening again, flying against the time means that the day was only 18 hours long, 14 if you count the flight to London
Another one of those dark flights!
Only one glass of champagne consumed on the upper deck of the 747 to london and I was out like a light. Yes sometimes I do fly without drinking anything, I dont really drink on the ground and I am not paying for the drinks so why not indulge. It did occur to me that I hadnt got onto a plane without drinking in the lounge for a fair few flights so I stopped drinking in the lounges, I'm a bit of a lightweight with alcohol anyway and the movement of a plane disguises it so I have to be careful not to overdo it or I wake up with a headache.
Nothing, it seems would have woken me up on that flight, the Cabin crew lady had already touched my ankle a couple of times before she shook my wrist to wake me up for landing, at least I know I couldnt have overdone the drink because I wasnt awake long enough.
Next was DUB and then back to LHR, as you know flying out of an EU country cuts the price down dramatically and the little bounce at the start and end of the trip is the price you have to pay for it, that and re checking my case to London again, only there was no case to re check, I eventually found out who to complain to- Swissport, not my favourite people but they were very good, found the case In LONDON and said they would put it on the next flight, I managed to persuade them to keep it at LHR for me to collect and happily hopped back on a plane home.
Have you ever seen these?
markings on the tarmac so that the ground staff know exactly where to position the plane depending on what type it is
heres a chap showing how its done
Well, I always liked sitting looking out of the windows at Terminal 4 before Terminal 5 was built, all the plane types were marked and there was even a mark on each one for Concord, I wonder if they left them when they re fitted the terminal a reminder of times, and planes, gone by
Back in LHR, no case again, I went to the counter in the baggage hall and they tracked it down to DUBLIN . I filled in the paperwork for the second time and went home at last!
The case arrived on Thursday night by man-in-a-van I was pleased to see it because it contained this gem which was Al's present
As for Leela, she is not letting the case out of her sight again!
