After a pretty good night at The Premier Inn North Terminal, we were ready to face the flight. Although I have clocked up hundreds of thousands of miles, I am not a fan of flying at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say I have an intense dislike for it. I have never understood how people can actually enjoy being crammed like sardines into a flying tin can
For the price, I don't think you can beat it on value. There is a good selection included in the breakfast buffet and you can opt for a hot breakfast or a continental breakfast (or both!)
After fuelling up we headed over to the terminal which is a short 2 minute walk. We had done twilight check in, so we literally walked straight through security. It never fails... one of us always sets off the security channel and one of us always ends up getting what we refer to as "the probe". This time it was DD who had sent the metal detector bleeping and the security woman turns to me with a look of terror slash horror on her face and says "I'm so sorry it's random, but I have to search her"...RANDOM???
So bear with me here while I rant a little... If you're just going to "randomly" select people why have all the flashing lights and bleeping? Surely it all means nothing if it is indeed random?
So, after a brush down and a good wanding, DD was free to leave only for me to turn around to see Kathy the burly security lady holding up my backpack.
Yay for me!
She proceeds to tell me that my bag looked "busy" and she had to swab and search it. "Go ahead" I tell her. 10 minutes later, she's still waffling on about how she loves the US and how she wishes she was going too and she drags everything out of my bag and swabs my "busy" belongings. Now... I don't mind you doing the search my dear, but a packet of pain killers, a camera, some random receipts and loose change and a folder of tickets does not busy make. Mores the point, you 10 minute chit chat actually holds me up from the real busy business of catching my damn flight!
Got through that ordeal and it was off into the terminal for a spot of shopping. Gotta make that bag busy right!?
Duty free for a bottle of my favourite tipple and some smokes for my sister, nail polish for DW and DD wanted a moose toy from Harrods... job done, gate was now up on the screen and it was over to board.
I never understand the people who hover around by the tunnel to get on the plane before they're called. What's the point? You're not going anywhere any faster and you just block up the way for people who actually have been called. They called Premium Economy at least 4 seconds before the rest of economy which kinda left me wondering why they say you get priority boarding with the P.E. product.
BA were OK. Definitely think the overall Premium Economy product with Virgin is better, but at least BA don't sit an autistic child in a different row from her two parents. Food was pretty good because it comes from Club World with BA. I had a glance at the slop they threw in front of cattle class and I was glad we were in P.E. Not really sure what one of the dishes in economy actually was (always a concern!) the other option was sausage and mash in economy.
Our food
I had the chicken, DW and DD had the filet steak. The chocolate orange moose thing was awesome, the main meals were good enough when you consider it is plane food.
The flight went by quite quickly. I rarely watch the movies, but I watched a couple this time. I made a bit of a show of myself watching The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy because I was laughing so much. You know that feeling when you realise everyone else is looking at you like you're crazy because you've forgotten you have noise cancelling headphones on and you're on a plane!
That movie is SUPER funny!
About an hour before we landed they dragged out the nasty "high tea" sandwich and the smallest KitKat you ever saw. Not good
We landed on time at 5.34pm and that was where the timely travel went boink. Immigration is usually the lengthy part of the process which we usually get to skip because we can go through the citizens line because DW is American. We were the first up and first through immigration but I think I grew a full zz top beard in the time it took for us to get our bags. By that time the line to get through customs was 200 people deep.
Dumped the bags to go on the monorail thingie to the main terminal and headed straight to Avis. I have come to the conclusion that if they had gone any slower, they would have seen themselves going backwards! I usually use Alamo but we got fly/drive on a good deal with BA but I will never use them again. We must have waited 45 minutes or so and there were on 3 people in line!
Arrived at SSR about 8.15pm and met up with some friends from OH who were leaving the next day. Picked up our Magic Bands and we were ready to roll!
Highs of Travel Day
Flight was on time
Driving through the Disney Entrance!
Lows of Travel Day
Baggage Claim & Customs delays
Avis staff on a go slow
thanks for following along!!!
