Transatlantic Travel Trouble

So on Monday we left the house at 7:30am and headed to Glasgow airport to get our first of three flights to get to Ohio. We checked our bags, saw Celtic as we went through security (Tony Watt is hot in person) and made it to the gate with plenty of time. Then we heard about the fog. Apparently there was some crazy, thick fog at Heathrow which meant our flight would be delayed as they'd restricted the air space. Great.

We were then told they were boarding our flight anyway just in case we could get an earlier time for traffic control. So we sat on the plane for two hours and then took off. We had the tiniest, dullest glimmer that we still might make our flight to Chicago. We ran with Blondie Boy to catch the shuttle from T5 to T3 and literally as the bus pulled into T3 we saw our plane pushing back from the airbridge. FLUCK.

We got through to a massive queue at the American Airlines desk and NBH stood in line as BB and I sat off to the side. At this point it was really hot and his eczema had flared up and he was not a happy camper. We stood in line for about an hour and about 45 minutes in BB fell asleep. The agent told us we could fly stand-by on the next Chicago flight BUT there would not be any connecting flights to Cincinnati. The same was true for any flights into the east coast. So we chose to get on the first flight out the next day and stay over night at Heathrow since the last time we got stuck at O'Hare overnight they refused to put up in a hotel.

So we booked a hotel that was 5 minutes on the shuttle and off we went. We got up to the room and I realized I'd left Blondie Boy's Cars2 backpack (with toys for the flight) on the hook of the luggage trolley at the shuttle stop. FLUCK. I tweeted Heathrow Airport for help and went straight back to the airport.

First stop was lost property (which is crazy far away in the depths of the basement by the Tube station randomly) who told me they couldn't help me until the item had been missing at least 24 hours. They suggested I try Excess Baggage. Stop 2, Excess Baggage were very friendly but told me no one had turned in a Cars2 backpack but why not try asking someone in a purple jacket at the information point. Stop 3, I met a lovely woman at Information who said why don't we try the trolley collectors. She and I walked around until we saw a trolley tractor and I dashed off to chase them down. Stop 4, Trolley Collector Marchin who phoned over to the other side who said they hadn't collected anything. I said thank you for his help and went to look by the shuttles again.

I turned around and Marhcin was still behind me and he said he wanted to try and help me. So he went to try and find the cleaners who might know while I checked around the corner. Stop 5 came when Marchin told me he found a cleaning lady but he couldn't understand her because she only spoke Spanish. ¡AY DIOS MIOS! (OMG!) I speak really shitty Spanish but my comprehension is actually mediocre. I managed to tell her "niños" "azul" "bolcheta pequeño" and she said something I didn't understand and then "juguetones" which is toys so I knew she'd seen the bag since I hand't mentioned toys. She said that George had it so another lovely BAA employee Gideon took me to see George.

Stop 6 we met George who didn't have Blondie Boy's backpack but did have all of his Cars toys that were in the bag in a plastic bag. SUCCESS! It took two hours and a lot of persistence and optimism but I hugged him I was so happy. Blondie Boy LOVES his Cars so it was amazing to see them all there.

When I went back to get the shuttle back to the hotel I saw the cleaning lady again and went over to tell her "muchas gracias" and she then told me in Spanish that she'd seen a woman with his backpack who DUMPED THE ENTIRE CONTENTS INTO THE TRASH and then walked away with the bag! WHO STEALS A CHILD'S BACKPACK!?!?!?!?!?!? I'm so grateful to have his toys back but WHAT THE FLUCK.

So we have the toys back (and washed eww they were in the trash) and we leave the hotel at 5:30am the next morning. I feel like shite. As we are waiting to check in I have to sit down because I swear I'm going to puke. We get to the gate and I still feel rough. NBH is convinced I'm just really tired and I'll feel better once I sleep some. He and BB fall asleep and literally 15 minutes after take off I get up to go to the bathroom because I feel rotten. 

Of course both bathrooms are occupied and whoever is inside isn't shifting. I have to sit down and when I do I fill an entire barf bag. I go to the back of the plane to dispose of said bag and the sides start to split but luckily a flight attendant gets me a plastic bag and tells the other people waiting in line to let me cut in front of them.  I won't go into more details but lets just say food poisoning at 40,000 feet SUCKS.

Again I'm grateful to amazing staff, in this case the super thoughtful American Airlines flight attendant Heidi who kept checking on me and brought my cold towels and ginger ale and crackers from first class. I dozed on and off and was so wiped and weak she ordered me a wheelchair at O'Hare. Normally I would have said no but I was so exhausted and I knew there is a lot of walking between terminals.

It actually worked out for the best because since I had the extra assistance we went through separate, quicker customs and security lines. Although the guy at customs was super rude about Blondie Boy having two passports and told me he can only hold one blah blah. I let him know the embassy informed otherwise and he'd been flying on two since he was 5 months old but I'd look into it. Anyway we made it to our gate 5 minutes before the flight boarded so I was very grateful.

We arrived in Cincinnati and low and behold NBH's bag does not. Again the last time his bag didn't show up on an American flight O'Hare to Cincinnati it NEVER was seen again so it was a bit worrying. Luckily this time it arrived at my Dad's house 7 hours after we landed.

So while it was not the easiest crossing we've all made in in one piece and the weather is amazingly beautiful in Cincinnati but I don't have a What I Wore Wednesday post. I'm pretty sure none of y'all wanted to see me in two-day old clothes, post pukeage. So you get this long and rambling story instead. I promise to have actual clothes next week!

I hate O'Hare

So we left the flat at 52o am popped off to Glasgow airport and made our flight to Manchester fairly uneventfully. We landed in Chicago and went to get our luggage to clear customs and NBH's bag never came. His bag, which has his kilt in it (you can't hang a kilt) is missing. So we report it and I go and re-check my bags and then I learn our flight is cancelled. Yes a flight from Chicago to Cincinnati was cancelled because of a hurricane in Texas. Why? I guess because of incoming aircraft but whatever.

The first guy we speak to is a complete assclown. He said you can leave tomorrow at 11:15am; no food, no hotel-- NOTHING. We ask to see a supervisor and he too refuses us any help. NBH's Dad flashes his BMI Gold Card and I show how I'm schlepping around my wedding dress and they don't care. At one point I said "Thanks for ruining my wedding" (I was super tired, ok!) and the guy said "You are very welcome." NBH almost punched him.

So we are cursing United and I'm trying to figure out how much it would be to rent a car and drive and NBH's Dad decides to try another agent. Oh I should mention at this point I (and James and Laura) are told that as we've re-checked our bags, even though the agents shouldn't have, we can't get them back. This new agent without us asking gives NBH and I flights for 7:50 on Delta and the other 8 of our group $15 in food vouchers, a free hotel room and flights the next morning.

So NBH and I change terminals and wait and wait and wait in line at Delta where we are told that they will not accept what United has given us and we need a "Fim" and/or a new paper ticket. So we change terminals again (f-ck the trams, seriously) and wait and wait and wait and wait to get new paperwork from United.

United tells me well this was ticketed by BMI we can't give you new paperwork, I can put you on tomorrow morning's flight, but no free hotel. You can talk to the supervisor. So we go to talk to the supervisor and he says okay I will help you but give me 5 minutes. So when he comes back I said "I'd really like to be in Cincinnati tonight, but if not I want a hotel room, please." I should mention that all around us people are complaining and getting denied hotels, complaining about long waits and one guy had lost his 83 year old aunt (I'm still not sure why this guy didn't use the PA or tell the airport cops). Anyway this guy says here you go, good luck with your wedding and gives us boarding passes for a 9:50 flight. Yes, we will be in Cincinnati tonight.

So NBH and I go and get a bagel and have some dinner as we are feeling really tired and out of it. We schlep over to F7B and then the thunderstorm starts, great! But we have time so hopefully it will blow over. Then over the PA "Ladies and Gentlemen, please move away from the windows there is a tornado warning." Ugggh I tell NBH a warning means a tornado has been spotted. Then again "A tornado is within a 10-12 mile radius, please move to the tunnels beneath baggage claim."

I'm low on sleep, stressed and I flip out. We go to a random windowless hallway, but then see staff evacuating and saying "What are we supposed to do get all these people to move?" Well no they just leave. So we start to move, too. A security guard says to go to T1 because they will most likely close T3. So we start to go to T1 and all the time I'm looking out the window because I know if the pouring rain stops, that we are screwed. Well we get to T1 and it is all glass. I don't know if you had elementary school tornado drills, but first thing you do is get away from glass.

So we decide to run back to the random tunnel we were in before. If you care I pretty much had cried several time and had some minor panic attacks and was generally freaking out. Yes I grew up in a place where tornado warnings were a fairly regular occurrence, but when you are on you way to your wedding with your fiance and in a giant glass building and haven't slept, you freak. Anyway, back to the random hall and NBH nips to the bathroom (the other place I wanted to go if the tornado came). He comes back and says they are letting people sit by the windows again so we are okay.

9:50 comes and goes as our plane is at the gate, but our crew is circling overhead because they can't land because of lightening. We didn't board until 1am Chicago time and after another hour on the tarmac we arrive in Cincinnati. My luggage, Laura's/James' luggage arrives and NBH's does not. We grab all the suitcases and NBH and I hop in a cab and we arrive at the hotel at 4am Cincinnati time. They tell me they know nothing about us having a suite reserved, but I say I will sort it in the morning I just want a bed.

NBH's family and our friends made it in today at 2pm and NBH's bag is still missing. We are in our suite and so far everything else is okay. We are going to try and bypass Chicago SAS and call Manchester baggage systems tomorrow.

That is a long ass post, but it was drama. The forecast looks okay for Friday, but I don't want to jinx it...if you fancy checking weather.com be my guest :)