Would you look at that, finally getting this out and posted. Part of the reason this post took so long is because it really has very little to do with going around a city or sight-seeing and everything to do with my overall flying experience - which is really quite boring when you think about it. Or, it would have been boring and I would have avoided even writing about it if not for one slight little mishap that occurred in LHR.
But without further ado.
Here it is - the final post to my short, but sweet (and mildly exhausting) trip in Europe with the family to end off 2014 (and hello to 2015).
A little tidbit from the night before - for whatever reason I was unable to check-in online to my flight and this becomes and important piece of information.
So the flight-plan for us was that we would fly from Berlin to LHR and then I would split with my parents and fly back to Montreal, while they continued off to Vancouver. Nice, easy, we've done this before, no big deal. Our first flight out of Berlin was at around ... 1PM or thereabouts... and as is the usual for my parents we arrived ridiculously early. My parent seemed to have forgotten then flying around the EU pretty much counted as a domestic flight in Canada and continued to abide by the "arrive 2-3hrs early" rule... which meant we arrived way too early.
Also the airport we were at (TXL) was incredibly small, so going through baggage check and what-not was like... it was a very puny and small line that was really just a wall that separated the check-in counters from the actual terminal. You just walked through the wall, went through baggage check and boom - in the terminal, breezy walk in the park.
Before then though, I should mention that because I wasn't able to check-in online, I had to check-in at the counter, and at the counter the lady told me something that I didn't really take note off: I can't get you a seat on your flight to Montreal - you'll have to get that at LHR. Okay, no big deal - I didn't think much of it. To be honest, whenever I hear that I don't have a seat from now on, it's going to immediately send red flags up in to my mind due to what happened after.
So the flight to London was short, about 2 hours (we arrived at 3, my next flight was at 4:30). Another note: due to the fact that we arrived at the airport at around 12 and thus had about... 2 hours of waiting time in the terminal, I had spend the whole time reading books on my phone (so it was running out of batteries). But anyway - so we get on to the plane, I spend the whole flight reading and then we land in LHR and I go to the counter to ask for a seat to my next flight to Montreal. This is where the fun begins!
The conversation went something like this:
Me: I don't have a seat yet for my flight to Montreal
*Lady at the desk types something in to the computer*
Lady: Now, I don't want to scare you or make you worried, but the flight you're on is very busy and has been over-booked, where you aware of this or informed of this before hand?
Me: *feeling a sinking feeling in my stomach* No...
*Lady phones someone*
and I could hear this phone conversation and at the time, possibly just due to the whole situation it was a bit hilarious because the conversation went something like this:
Lady: Hello, happy new years!
Lady: I have a girl here who doesn't have a seat for her next flight to Montreal... I know but it's New Years and I don't want to be the bringer of bad news here!
Lady: Oh how could you do that! On New Years Day? How could you do that to someone?
Lady: I don't want to have to do that, come on
and this kind of continues until the lady finally hangs up - and at this point I'm switching between thinking "oh fuck" and wanting to laugh a bit (possibly a bit hysterically?) - and she turns to me and says again, that she can't get a seat for me, but to go to the BA (British Airways) desk up in the departure hall and they'll figure something out. I nod, head back and tell my parents the news and they are like "....well shit?"
But alas - I line up to go through the connections desk and have my passport checked and all that, and the whole time my dad is telling me to go through fasttrack when my flight is still AN HOUR away so I'm like, nah, the line-up is moving, I'm all good. I go up to the man at the passport counter, he checks and again, he informs me: You don't have a seat. I can't get you a seat. And he also tells me more information - I have no seat because they had to switch to a smaller aircraft and thus a good 60-70 people lost their seats (me being one of them). I ask him what happens if I don't get a seat and he informs me the airline will find a hotel and pay for my accomodations for a night because the next flight is THE NEXT DAY 24HOURS FROM NOW. This is when I actually start panicking and feeling super worried (possibly delayed reaction maybe?).
Before I move on, he tells me to go to gate A10 and check-in at the BA counter there and that I won't be informed about my lack of seat until 15minutes BEFORE the gate closes. So until then, go to the gate, ask for a seat, and then just wait there until I hear the verdict. Well then. I go on, wait for my parents, tell them the news and the whole time all I am really thinking is: I AM GOING TO BE SO BORED I CAN'T CHARGE ANY OF MY THINGS.
Yes. Priorities. My dad gave me some pounds though, and my brother offered to give me the adapter if I did get stuck in LHR - but ideally, I was just hoping this would not be the case. Another 24 hours meant I'd need to find dinner, breakfast and lunch for myself and ugh. Nope. Nope. Nope.
So I head to gate A10, and there is a customer service counter and I see people lining up.. and the line up is taking ages (and the clock is also ticking because by this point my flight is about to leave in 20min or so?) and then finally, I am called up.
Me: I don't have a seat for my next flight *hands lady behind the desk my old ticket*
She types something in to her computer, takes my ticket, rips it up, and just immediately hands me a new one. No words. Nothing. Well, except for "here you go". And honestly at this point I was like, are you kidding me it was that easy? Then I look at my gate and realize I have to take the train to another area and it's actually boarding soon and so we rush off - although the tension has left my shoulders and I can tell even my parents are a lot more relaxed now. That brief 1 hour of nervous anxiety though was really quite taxing.
The rest of my adventure after that was nice and smooth though. Boarded the plane, got my seat (aisle, close to bathrooms, yes!) and I pretty much stayed awake the whole flight because I knew I would be arriving in Montreal at night at around 7PM, and then I arrived - YUL, and here we are.
Montreal. Ice. Snow. Freezing temperature. Why the hell am I back here?
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