The flight wasn't too bad in most respects. The seat did indeed go flat and I could lie on my left as instructed. The food was okay. There could've been plenty of wine if I wanted it. Not that I was particularly interested in the entertainment on this flight but the aircraft was still using looped tapes rather than touch screen media servers, even in business class.
Once I got off the plane I had to negotiate T5. Not the best thought out terminal I thought. The shuttle trains were quick but they only had two escalators to deal wih all the passengers. Major log jam at the bottom. One girl got jostled or something and just wouldn't let it lie. She was still going on about it to her boyfriend when I got to the e-passport booths. Thought about turning around and just telling her to get a life rather than going on and on and on.
Took bloody ages (in electronic terms) to get through the booths. I don't think they're automatic at all in the UK. I think the camera is just to give the operator a picture. It went up and down a few times. No facial reconigiton software as they seemed to have in Portugal. You never see more than one green light at a time with it.
Once through passport it was off to the baggage carousels. Again I wasn't too impressed here either. There were at least 12 large belt systems all in a line, not in a cirlce or square as I would've expected. You enter the hall at one end and you might have to walk all the way to the other end for ya bag. Only saw one display with flight numbers on it and I headed over to the one for the Dubai flight.
On the belt were three large cardboard tubes one of which got jammed in an opening and caused the bags behind to pile up and fall on the floor. A passing worker hit the emergency button and cleared it up. I did think they'd cause more trouble if they weren't removed.
I was waiting and waiting as bags went round but no sign of my bags. Suddenly no bags at all were going past and when I looked round there was another log jam caused by another bloody tube. More than one passenger was just staring at it getting worse. Duh! I hit the button.
It took a little while for the guys from behind the scenes to come front of house and clear it up. They didn't do a very good job though cause thirty seconds after a restart I was pushing the button again. The bags they'd lifted on to the belt were catching the ones still on the floor. Duh!
After this third restart I still couldn't see anything of my bags. I checked the bag tags and found I was at the wrong carousel. I was at the BA flight from Dubai whereas I should've been at the BA flight from Abu Dhabi. Oops! Seems a bit confusing to me. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are not that far apart. Anyhoo my excuse is that it was early morning and I had other things on my mind.
After collecting my bags I then thought of ways not to carry them any great distance as this was banned apparently. Haven't quite understood the connection between lifting stuff and me eyes but there you go. Messages and calls with Kn anr Anne came up with a number of possibilities. Even enquired at the left luggage to see how much shipping them would cost. £80 was quoted for my kit bag and roller. Decided to use trollies as much as possible even if it meant leaving pound coins scattered all over the place. Thankfully the Heathrow Express goes direct from T5 to Paddington without having to change at Heathrow Central.
Ken had given me sound information and I caught the 0906 pasty express direct to Plymouth.
Bummer that the seats on the train even in first class don't lie flat. Still it is First Great Western and the free refreshments are most welcome, especially from the trolley.
Managed to blag an appointment for this afternoon at 1400hrs instead of 0930hrs tomorrow. Hopefully this'll mean the operation will be one day earlier as well. Jane has agreed to spend some of her lunch break picking my bags up so I don't have to carry them around. She will meet me on the platform and will probably be very strict about it.
This was sent from my mobile phone.
www.zippys.f2s.com
www.bunglesmate.blogspot.com
www.zippyssolar.blogspot.com
Once I got off the plane I had to negotiate T5. Not the best thought out terminal I thought. The shuttle trains were quick but they only had two escalators to deal wih all the passengers. Major log jam at the bottom. One girl got jostled or something and just wouldn't let it lie. She was still going on about it to her boyfriend when I got to the e-passport booths. Thought about turning around and just telling her to get a life rather than going on and on and on.
Took bloody ages (in electronic terms) to get through the booths. I don't think they're automatic at all in the UK. I think the camera is just to give the operator a picture. It went up and down a few times. No facial reconigiton software as they seemed to have in Portugal. You never see more than one green light at a time with it.
Once through passport it was off to the baggage carousels. Again I wasn't too impressed here either. There were at least 12 large belt systems all in a line, not in a cirlce or square as I would've expected. You enter the hall at one end and you might have to walk all the way to the other end for ya bag. Only saw one display with flight numbers on it and I headed over to the one for the Dubai flight.
On the belt were three large cardboard tubes one of which got jammed in an opening and caused the bags behind to pile up and fall on the floor. A passing worker hit the emergency button and cleared it up. I did think they'd cause more trouble if they weren't removed.
I was waiting and waiting as bags went round but no sign of my bags. Suddenly no bags at all were going past and when I looked round there was another log jam caused by another bloody tube. More than one passenger was just staring at it getting worse. Duh! I hit the button.
It took a little while for the guys from behind the scenes to come front of house and clear it up. They didn't do a very good job though cause thirty seconds after a restart I was pushing the button again. The bags they'd lifted on to the belt were catching the ones still on the floor. Duh!
After this third restart I still couldn't see anything of my bags. I checked the bag tags and found I was at the wrong carousel. I was at the BA flight from Dubai whereas I should've been at the BA flight from Abu Dhabi. Oops! Seems a bit confusing to me. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are not that far apart. Anyhoo my excuse is that it was early morning and I had other things on my mind.
After collecting my bags I then thought of ways not to carry them any great distance as this was banned apparently. Haven't quite understood the connection between lifting stuff and me eyes but there you go. Messages and calls with Kn anr Anne came up with a number of possibilities. Even enquired at the left luggage to see how much shipping them would cost. £80 was quoted for my kit bag and roller. Decided to use trollies as much as possible even if it meant leaving pound coins scattered all over the place. Thankfully the Heathrow Express goes direct from T5 to Paddington without having to change at Heathrow Central.
Ken had given me sound information and I caught the 0906 pasty express direct to Plymouth.
Bummer that the seats on the train even in first class don't lie flat. Still it is First Great Western and the free refreshments are most welcome, especially from the trolley.
Managed to blag an appointment for this afternoon at 1400hrs instead of 0930hrs tomorrow. Hopefully this'll mean the operation will be one day earlier as well. Jane has agreed to spend some of her lunch break picking my bags up so I don't have to carry them around. She will meet me on the platform and will probably be very strict about it.
This was sent from my mobile phone.
www.zippys.f2s.com
www.bunglesmate.blogspot.com
www.zippyssolar.blogspot.com
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