When is a delay not a delay?
Good question!
When it is a cancellation!
Hi everyone as you know I was flying back to the UK on Sunday night and yes I am safely back in Britain but after an interesting few hours....
I was at the airport in plenty of time for the 01;30 take off time.
KIX or Kansai International is a brand new airport on an artificial island nearly a kilometre off the mainland.
It is an amasing building and I usually enjoy going there....
This time we all got on board and then we slowly moved around the airport in the plane but never took off....I thought we might be driving back to Britain for a change!
Instead we stopped and were served some sandwiches.
Then at about 3:30 we were told that the plane could not take off due to 'maintenance' problems.
Well I prefer to be careful rather than not when it comes to flying so I wasn't too disappointed.
Next the staff told us that the local hotels were full so that we would have to sleep in the airport terminal near the gate.
This being Japan there weren't too many groans, but I'm sure Thai air's reputation has suffered.
So by the time we are as comfortable as you can be in an airport terminal it was about 4.
By 6 the sirport staff were arriving and cleaning for the new day and by 7 there were lots of new passengers arriving too!
PLUS there was a terrible combination of music not just one type of music but two! So it was IMPOSSIBLE to ignore them both especially as they were completely different kinds of music traditional jazz and traditional Japanese!
So while the seats were quite comfortable the noise was not helpful for getting any sleep. BUT do you ever sleep on a plane anyway?
I was due to fly from Kansai and arrive in Bangkok at about 5, then wait for 6 hours before flying on to London arriving at 18:00.
But as luck would have it the Thai staff put me on the 10:00 JAL direct flight to London which arrived at......14:00 so saving FOUR hours!!!
So you can see that the answer to the question in the title is when you fly Internationally you might arrive at your destination BEFORE you thought so, not later than you thought!
Now that IS a funny thing!
The Thai air staff were very good and as helpful as they could be in the circumstances, I wonder if they can put me on the direct flight back to Japan?
OK I have to go to sleep now but I will blog again with a little of what it is like to be back in Britain.
Bye for now
Best Wishes
Simon
Comments
Congratulations, there is no better thing that to be in home again. For some adverts that I've watched Thai seems a five star company. This friday I take off too and I don't want close this blog without to say good bye and thanks for your unvaluable lessons. See you soon.
Hello Simon :) All's well that ends well, and in your case that ended even better: four hours ahead of schedule sounds amazingly well. As for the two kinds music, I can't see anything special in it. I have to listen to such a combination quite often. One sort of music from one of my neighbours and one from another one. After all I have two ears. I hope you'll enjoy your stay in England. Bye for now.
Welcome home..you might hear a stone fell down from my heart, ha ha! Those ´music´ would kill me I am sure. Now here is my atempt to translate the japanese saying that was on a czech TV programme for deaf people yesterday: ..with one hand you don´t clap you don´t take off on one wing.. Take care!
Oh Simon! I'm glad to hear that you are sound & safe. Enjoy your stay in England and your lovely company. Say hello to Sophie too. Have a nice day. Cris
Hi Simon - your journey was like a modern odyssey, but finally you have jointed your Penelope, haven't you? I've found your blog very interesting and funny, thank you. Ciao
Hello, Simon! I'm happy for you that you had finally got home after such an uneasy flying. Well, fortunately, at least this circuitous flying gave you some ideas as a, say, present to compose an interesting post on your blog. It is an adventage, isn't it?
Hi Simon, Rosalba is right, your journey looks like a nightmare. It really is similar to being in a labyrinth. Enjoy your hoilday at home. Take Care, H.
Congratulations Simon! to be amid such a mess, and don't lose one's temper! VOW
Thank you for your blogging with us Simon. It was a great oportunity to get to know you and your Wife Sandy. You are a great couple, I think it is difficult to live seprarately, for me it is impossible(I think it depend on charakter). I read all your and Sandy blogs almost every day, but I glossed it only a few times. I wish you all the best. Mariusz
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