The Aerie
Well sorry about not blogging along the way, but the trip to England has been completed. Unfortunately I was too crazy-busy most of that time to blog.
The trip started off with Northwest Airlines failing to get me to Detroit on time to make my connecting flight, followed by the discovery that there is only one flight a day that leaves Detroit for Great Britain. Along with two others who were stranded in Detroit, I pounded on the glass as we watched our plane back away from the gate without us. We managed to get to London eventually, but by the time I reached my hotel I had been awake for 36 straight hours and had no change of clothes.
And my return trip began with the statement, "I'm sorry, but I have no record of your flight reservation."
What with all that business, plus the accompanying exhaustion, there was just very little opportunity to blog. Which is too bad, because it was all great material. I'll link to the details of the outbound fiasco in a little while, as soon as I can get home and upload the information.
However, there was fun involved with this trip. I managed to meet a fellow named Simon, whom I had only known from the Internet prior to this. I got to tour London on the 31st, including riding the giant Ferris wheel that someone decided to install beside the Thames. And I got to watch the Season 3 premiere of Doctor Who, which was kind of fun seeing as the experience of most Americans is that we get to see the Doctor Who episodes about a year after they air in Great Britain.
Nevertheless I have to say this was a terribly tiring trip. Last night I went home after work with the best intentions of transcribing some of my events, only to pass out after dinner. I slept for over twelve straight hours as my body attempted to recover from bidirectional jet lag and extended periods of stressful sleeplessness.
Hopefully now I am recovered from the stresses of travel and can set about the process of uploading my shamefully small collection of photographs and documenting the nightmare that was travel.
And then I can send some very pointed letters to both Northwest Airlines and British Air. Not that they will care.
Posted by Albatross at April 3, 2007 3:09 PM | TrackBackActually, do make sure to send a letter to NWA. We had a horrific experience in December (due to mechanical problems, dragged out for several hours as a "delay" because a part "might come" - it did, eventually, but our morning arrival was converted to a night arrival, and all this after running around between terminals to find alternatives). I complained, called to follow-up a couple weeks later when they did not meet their SLA for response, and low-n-behold I received 2 $100 vouchers and 7500 miles each from one rep, and 2 $35 vouchers and another 7500 each from a different rep. In miles, I now have enough for a round-trip ticket to Europe, plus I still have $170 in vouchers for other travel. Well worth the effort! As for British Air, I would only hope that they would be even more responsive than NWA.
Posted by: Ben at April 3, 2007 7:34 PM