Having waited two months to be ready for my return to Seattle and Bainbridge Island I find I have been required to wait just a little bit more.  Thursday brought the “delights” of a missed flight due to Manchester airport being closed for a few hours due inclement weather.  As I approached Manchester there was a couple of inches of snow, and it brought the airport to a standstill.  What I did not know at that time was how much the “stand still” comment would actually explain my day. I checked in at 10.30am for my Noon flight, but with the chances of it flying being questionable, so I had to retain my luggage and sit and wait.

It took almost 2 hours before it was announced that this flight would not be taking place, and the knock on result was I would miss my connection at London Heathrow, and the plan to take me to Seattle was scuppered.  What now ensued could be placed in the annals of farce.  I stood in a line of around 30 people waiting to be served and re-booked on to a best available alternative. I waited. I waited. From 10.30am when I first arrived I stood at the British Airways check in desks until 5.30pm moving inches at a time. Those inches were the only thing that kept me sane and hopeful.  There isn’t any explanation for how dozens and dozens of people managed to circumvent my position in the queue to be re-booked.  At the whim of the BA airline staff there seemed no rhyme or reason how the re-book lottery worked.  Certainly fairness was not on the menu at Manchester.

My recent travels this past month took me to Scandinavia, and frankly they would be laughing at the turmoil a few inches of snow have caused.  Of course safety is the critical piece to any operating airport, but it does seem remarkable that some nations just can’t deal with weather challenges in any sort of efficient way.  As this photo shows a bit of snow doesn’t stop Stockholm. Anyway, back to the escapades of the day.  My cancelled noon flight was replaced with a 7.45pm flight from Manchester to London Heathrow. There were two Heathrow bound flights taking off before this, but they were filled with all the loads of people who managed to leap ahead of me in the queue.  I had to wait to fly. Eventually – flight set off. landed, luggage and then guess what … long queue to re-book the next leg to Seattle.  Of course the wise old one will ask ‘why was this not done in Manchester’ … that cannot be answered in anything like reasonable English.  Just a mere 50 people in this line, but at least it was a moving line.  In fact in comparison to Manchester it was almost lightning fast.  To the overnight hotel, and a queue of 20 people.  At least the lines were getting shorter I said to myself as I forced a wry smile.  It was painful.

Flying to Seattle 24 hours late on Friday.  Thursday was not a good travel experience, waiting to fly.