Today my plan B came in handy. As if the re-paving of San Francisco airport runways wasn’t bad enough, British Airlines union went on strike. Of course I’m booked to fly direct from SFO to London on British Airlines. My flight got canceled when I was almost to the airport.
But I had a plan B. When I heard that lots of flights were getting canceled at SFO I started looking for another flight. I found one with 2 stops that will still have me in London on the 11th and it leaves from Oakland. So I book it as my backup plan.
Sure enough I’m on the freeway on my way to the airport when my flight gets canceled. So I have my mom take the next exit, turn around and go to Oakland instead. My last minute change has me traveling from Oakland to Copenhagen to Brussels to London.
My first flight was ok. I had an isle seat one row up from the restrooms. I asked for a window but the girl at the ticketing counter was new and she didn’t get that or get my known traveler number in so instead of breezing through security I had to wait in line, rearrange my stuff, take all my electronics out of my bag, take off my shoes. It was quite inconvenient.
So I make it through that flight and land in Copenhagen. While the airport isn’t that big it has the largest section of duty free shops I have ever seen in my life. It took me 36 minutes to walk from one end of the shopping to the other. I stopped to grab a pre-made sandwich but I couldn’t read and if the labels and the sandwiches were packaged in brown paper so I couldn’t even look at them and see what they were. So I skipped the sandwich. I wasn’t hungry enough to paint airport prices for a mystery meal.
When I finally get to my gate I end up having to check my carry on bag. I absolutely hate checking bags. Apparently after 1st class and business class boarded the bins were all full so the rest of us were only allowed one personal item and everything else had to be checked. Lots of cranky people there who didn’t want to check their bags at the gate…including me. They check it all the way through to London. I get in late and did not want to wait for my bag when I get there but I don’t have a choice now. I almost made it through the baggage Natzi but the lady in front of me dropped her phone and I got caught when she turned her head to see the commotion. When I got on the plane I saw 2 spots I could have stashed my bag.
I’m finally on my last flight to London. My flight says it leaves at 9:25 and lands at 9:35 but the flight time is 1 hour and 10 minutes. I figure it’s an error and send a message to the Airbnb I’m staying at and tell her I’ll be in later than expected. Then just before take off I hear the ladies next to me talking about getting in at 9:35. Duh, London is 1 hour behind brussels in time. OMG I need sleep!
Well, the rest went smooth. The taxi to my room cost me a lot. But I got there fine. I got to bed around midnight.
Travel day #1…done
Working Mom - Travel Dreams 