JeffG's Blog Home: The Connecting Flight

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JeffG

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Joined: July 15, 2004
Posts: 410
Location: don't know ... don't care
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Posted: Jan 31, 2005 - 09:56 PM
Post subject: JeffG's Blog Home: The Connecting Flight

I first have to thank all of you for your kind replies to my previous blog, some MAY say you appear almost TOO happy that thus far I have not had to return to Shanghai unsuccessful in my journey hahaha. Very Happy

Well I am now in the BA lounge at Hong Kong, with a chilled and tasteless sandwitch and a chilled can of draft Guinness ... for an expat such as myself does life get any better than this Wink

The time is 9.40pm and I have just litterly got into the lounge ... so what has happened since my last blog at 3.20.

After two gate changes I finally boarded my flight at 4:40pm, 20 mins late, which to be honest is about typical of any airline. Things were going well, the serving lass had given me my preflight drink, the engines were gently humming in the background, and the connection between the plane and that extendable arm thingy you walk down had been removed and the arm backed away from the plane into its housing. And so it continued like that, for a whole bloody hour.

Not one inch, NOT ONE had we moved, now sometimes you have to ''take the good with the bad,' the bad in this situation is obviously the fact I had not moved ... the good however is that the serving lass kept bring me drinks ... and for me that's BLOODY GREAT SERVICE ... Hell they could of stopped the engines completed a full maintenance check and I would have been quite happy AS LONG AS THE BOOZE WAS FLOWING.

I digress, finally I take off ... now are airlines daft or what, about half way through the flight, just after the dinner plates had been cleared away I asked when we would be landing, to which the reply from the serving lass was "well, um ... due to wind we will be taking longer than normal.'

Now were they not expecting wind, you have a 200 foot plus metal object ripping through the upper atmosphere, um guys what the hell were you expecting ... cotton wool clouds !!!!!

We land and I run from the airplane at 8:15pm ... three and a half hours after I took off .. AMAZING.

Now as I mentioned in my previous blog, there are two flights tonight from Hong Kong to Heathrow, both within 20 mins of each other. Now I get to the only BA connecting flights desk and simply stare, there is a confussion'of Brazilians (I think a group of Brazilians are called a confision, but this may be the Mexicans ... I can never remember.)

30mins later the poor BA lass finally gets the group off to their flight. Now I rush forward and hand her my passport, tickert etc. Now in Shanghai I established I was on flight BA 026, NOW I am told I am on flight BA 036 and I will need to go and collect my baggage from the hall and check back in.

Now you guys (and girls ... ya C I'm PC) know me and it was at this point I think you could say that I 'threw my dollies out of the pram.' There were raised voices, lots and lots of arm waving (its the italian in me) and phrases such as "you can tell BA is the tart of the airways as that Virgin seems to be doing bloody well."

Well it is now 9.55 and I am sitting in the louge having not touched my bags, and I have a firm promise and a handshake from the BA desk manager promising me my luggage will be there when I land ... Anyone give me some odds.

Well guys and girls, its half an hour before I have to board so I am about to go and smoke myself dead, otherwise I simply will not be able to survive the flight home.

The final Instalement will be sent out tomorrow once I have reach home. May ya all have a good evening.

JeffG: Blog corrispondant

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commando
Board Royalty

Joined: July 07, 2004
Posts: 7117

Posted: Feb 01, 2005 - 08:24 AM

JeffG.....pm me as soon as you get the chance, spoke to my brother and he is more than happy to meet with you, just don't be intimidated by his size when you meet him,(he's a bouncer) he can show you around Plymouth, take you to all the good pubs.
So PM me ok i'll give you his phone number.

lucar

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Joined: July 05, 2004
Posts: 6265

Status: Offline

Posted: Feb 01, 2005 - 12:50 PM

The HK lounge is adequate though... (Although the seating is all to low so I feel like a 13 months pregnant, 97 year old woman every time I try and get up out of the chairs or sofas.)