You guys, I’m finally home with my family.
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know already that I got stuck in London not for one night, not for two nights, but for 4 freakin’ nights. I really thought this was never going to be over.
I’ve become a quite experienced solo traveler in the last few years, due to our previous long distance relationship and regular cross-atlantic flights. I’ve had stopovers at many different airports with better and worse service, but London-Heathrow Airport was just pure madness these last few days. You’d think that one of the biggest airports in the world would have some kind of emergency plan for virtually any situation and one can’t really say that this was the first time in history that London ever had snow. So the reality of how the airport handled – or better, DIDN’T handle – the thousands of stranded passengers was a nightmarish surprise, to say the least.
The airlines provided handouts with a hotline number and asked the passengers to rebook their flights over the phone.
Reality: The hotline was completely overloaded (no surprise there!) and almost nobody was able to rebook their flights through that hotline. I had my sister call Lufthansa within Germany to get my flight rebooked, I heard that others did the same. There was nobody to talk to at the airport.
I spent two nights at a hotel close to the airport monitoring the situation via the Heathrow website. Sunday the airport was completely closed down, so I made my way to the airport on Monday, because my sister had been able to rebook me for a flight on Monday night. She told me to just make my way to the Check-in and have somebody print my boarding pass.
However, Heathrow was completely chaotic and overcrowded and there was no way to even get close to a check-in counter. I waited for 7 hours in a completely overcrowded area, just to find out that my flight was canceled. Yet again, there was no rebooking at the airport and by the time I got in touch with my family, they had already known for a couple of hours (!) about my canceled flight and had been lucky to be able to rebook me yet again for Wednesday.
While waiting in line, I talked to a lot of people. Everybody pretty much recounted the same experience: rebooking was only possible through the Lufthansa Service Centers in Germany, there was no getting through on the hotline number and chances of making it out of London any time before Christmas got slimmer by the hour.
People kept saying, “make the best of it and enjoy London! Do some sight-seeing!”
But to be honest, I didn’t have the peace of mind to go sight-seeing. If you’re in total limbo about when and how you’re going to get to travel on, and you’re constantly on the phone or online to get flights rebooked, accommodations taken care of, and the like, there really is not much motivation left to go sight-seeing.
I met two girls from Berlin while waiting at the airport on Monday and we decided to stick this out together. We ended up in the same hotel that evening (this time, Lufthansa pulled us out of the cue and asked if we wanted to go to a hotel, which they put us up in with free lodging and meals). We spent two nights trying to get train tickets, bus tickets or a car pool ride out of London, but no such luck! Everything was completely booked. It was insane! (You might have seen some of it on the news… the lines that they showed on the news were NO exaggeration!) The only thing was to hope for our flights to go out on Wednesday.
Since Heathrow asked passengers with no confirmed flights to stay away from the airport, we didn’t even go to the airport on Tuesday, but actually had a half day to do some sight-seeing in London. Since I had never been to London before, I really hated the thought that the airport disaster might be forever ingrained in my brain as a really bad first experience in London… because otherwise London seems to be such a pretty place! See for yourselves!
Tower Bridge
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Big Ben
London Eye
On Wednesday, our flights were on the list of flights that were scheduled to go out that day. We were ecstatic and made our way to the airport at around 11 a.m. This time everything was much more organized compared to Wednesday. People weren’t let into the Terminal without an actual confirmed flight and a pending departure. Since I was way too early for my evening flight, I had to wait in one of two tents that were put up in front of the terminal. They provided blankets, hot coffee and tea, soup, candy and phones (to make free national and international calls).
The two girls made it onto their flight to Berlin in the early afternoon. I had a few more hours to kill and kept checking the monitors within the tents to make sure that my flight was still “on”. I met some other nice people while waiting and I have to say that this made the whole ordeal so much more bearable: meeting all these nice people that were in the same boat as yourself.
Finally, at 5:15 p.m., my flight to Cologne was called. I hardly couldn’t believe my ears! I made my way to the Terminal and was checked-in and through security in less than 20 minutes. I had an hour and a half to stroll around the airport, have a cafe latte, and get myself to the gate. The plane departed on time at 7:35 p.m.
Now, imagine my absolutely shocked surprise when I found out that my plane was HALF EMPTY!
People had been told that hardly any seats were available for days. People, who were desperate to go anywhere in Germany, just to get out of London and off the island! Somewhere, where they could catch a train or bus to get home.
The guy two rows in front of me had actually purchased a business class ticket to make it on that flight. Imagine how pissed he must have been when he found out that half of the economy class seats were not taken!
I really don’t understand why – apparently – there was nobody, who was coordinating the flights and could have filled up those empty seats. I bet you that there were hundreds of people still stuck there in London, who would have loved to take that flight to Cologne. Absolutely insane!
I feel cheated out off 4,5 days of my very precious vacation time with my family and that is what I am most upset about, really. I had so many plans this week already that had to be canceled. However, the most important thing is that I made it home for Christmas!
Thanks to all of you who kept up with me via Email, Facebook and Twitter in the last few days. For all your kind words, your mental support in keeping up my good spirits and all your finger-crossing. Much, much love! ♥
I hope to catch up with all of you (and reverb10) in the next few days!
evi
December 24, 2010 at 1:32 amgreat photos :-) but where’s all the snow ?
enjoy your time with your family. merry christmas !
Antje
December 24, 2010 at 1:33 amMerry, merry Christmas to you and your family! You were on my mind all the time when you were stuck and I was just in disbelief about what was happening. The half empty flight is just the last i- tuepfelchen…. But you made it! So enjoy you holidays!
Ute
December 24, 2010 at 2:40 amglad you made it home in time for Christmas. sorry about all the trouble but I am sure you will make up for it now! Lots of hugs and enjoy your holidays! love ya!
Maribeth
December 24, 2010 at 5:20 amOh San, so glad you are finally in Germany! Merry Christmas to you and your entire family.
Emily Jane
December 24, 2010 at 6:24 amOMG I can’t believe it was so poorly coordinated, I would’ve been livid if I saw the plane was half empty! I’ve been hearing about lots of people being stranded over the last week – it’s terrible. I’m just so glad you made it there safe and sound, now you can focus on spending Christmas with your family :) Merry Christmas!!
.-= Emily Jane blogged this: 2010- Brilliance =-.
Manderz
December 24, 2010 at 10:33 amIt’s good to hear you (finally!) arrived safely. Merry Christmas!
Manderz
December 24, 2010 at 10:36 amIt’s good to hear you (finally!) arrived safely. Merry Christmas!
.-= Manderz blogged this: 11 Things =-.
Tanja
December 24, 2010 at 10:52 amI’m sooo glad to hear that you finally arrived in Germany. Merry Christmas to you and yours! Try to enjoy the next days even more! Have a safe trip home!!!
.-= Tanja blogged this: Frohe Weihnachten – Merry Christmas =-.
Suburban Sweetheart
December 24, 2010 at 10:54 amOh, this is just terrible. Reading it makes me angry FOR you! And the empty plane is the kicker. What an insult! So glad you’ve made it home to Germany. Enjoy the time with your family & try not to let this experience sully your views of London!
.-= Suburban Sweetheart blogged this: Its a Jungle Out Here! Pt II =-.
@stevenadamswv
December 24, 2010 at 10:59 amThere is nothing worse that airports. I’m convinced of this.
.-= @stevenadamswv blogged this: “We Put the X in Christmas” =-.
Stephany
December 24, 2010 at 12:06 pmI am so happy to hear you’re finally back with your family but wow, what an ordeal! I can’t believe you had to go through all that! And a half-empty airplane? GRR! At that point, you were probably just happy to be getting home, but still upsetting!
.-= Stephany blogged this: Letters To My Future Husband- On Christmas Eve =-.
Susanne
December 25, 2010 at 8:51 amGosh I am glad you are home. And I CANNOT believe the plane was half empty! This is just wrong.
Have a great time.
Lauren
December 25, 2010 at 10:38 amWow! How crazy, but I’m glad you’re at home now!!
.-= Lauren blogged this: We’ve Been Good- But We Can’t Last =-.
alicely
December 27, 2010 at 4:42 amI’m so glad you made it back home in time for Christmas! Being stuck in Heathrow for 4 days sucks – I can’t believe how disorganised they are!!
.-= alicely blogged this: Home =-.
terra
December 27, 2010 at 7:04 amI’m so glad you made it home in time for Christmas! Who would have thought leaving a week before Christmas would have you cutting in close to making it home on time!
.-= terra blogged this: reverb10 It’s true what they say =-.
steph anne
December 27, 2010 at 12:59 pmWow, I’m sorry you had to go through all that and miss some days with your family at home. But I’m truly glad you were able to get home in time for Christmas. Too bad J wasn’t with you the whole time so it could’ve been a little bit better! My cousin’s plane was delayed/cancelled at the same airport trying to get back to WA state for Christmas. She finally got home in time for Christmas dinner.
katelin
December 27, 2010 at 5:10 pmoh man i can’t even imagine being stuck for that long but so glad you finally made it! and love the pictures, and so happy you got to celebrate christmas with your family :)
.-= katelin blogged this: Merry Christmas! =-.
emmysuh
December 28, 2010 at 6:54 amI am SO glad you finally made it. My first instinct is I’d LOVE to be stuck in London but then I remember what you said about being in limbo, that part would suck, you couldn’t sit back and enjoy London without worrying. Glad you at least got to do some sight seeing and got home safely!
Kyla Roma
January 3, 2011 at 8:48 amSo glad you’re finally home! I can’t wait to hear all about how you made up for lost time :)
.-= Kyla Roma blogged this: Forget Resolutions- Let’s Talk Perspective =-.
lauryn
January 3, 2011 at 11:43 amWow, what a nightmare! I’m so sorry you had to miss out on time with your family, but I’m glad you’re there with them now. Hopefully your trip home will go much more smoothly!
.-= lauryn blogged this: Twenty eleven and some change =-.
Kat
January 3, 2011 at 11:47 amOh man, I was thinking of everyone who had to travel home for Christmas this year. I mean, there are problems every year but with the snow, it was just chaos. I was flying home on the 23rd so had anything gone wrong, I would have missed Christmas with my family for sure. I was lucky, though! ;) I’m sorry to hear that you had to wait 4 whole days! So ridiculous, I can’t even imagine! :/ — But the London photos look really cool, hehe. And I’m glad you got to spend Christmas in Germany! :)
Happy New Year, San! <3
Stefanie
January 3, 2011 at 4:13 pmI am super late… but… WHAT A JOURNEY! I am glad you made it to Germany but I can only imagine how hard it is to leave again after having so many days of your vacation taken from you.
.-= Stefanie blogged this: 2010- Moving- traveling and new milestones! =-.