Scrap_Vamp
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2006
- Messages
- 1,429
Well, today has been a long old day!
We arrived at Heathrow at 9.30am and thought we were too early to check in, so went and got a hot drink and a snack. Joined the Air Canada check in queue at 10.50am (for 3pm flight) and got to the front at 11.30am. Check in lady couldn't find us on the system, so she went and queued at ticketing. Half an hour later and there is no record of us on the flight! Thomas Cook had taken our £1500 but not actually managed to pass all our details through. Originally was a United flight, then became codeshare with Air Canada.
Nathan from Air Canada, who was the most wonderful guy I've ever encountered in customer services, was really helpful and got our retturn flights booked, then our Toronto to Orlando flights, and eventually we were on standby for the Heathrow-Toronto portion. Came back at 2pm (by this point we knew our flight was delayed until 4.30pm) to find out that our flight had now been cancelled.
Cue the two of us setting up camp on the floor at Heathrow, having at least found a power outlet and free wifi. We will not be here until 5.30 when we go and join the queue at Air Canada ticketing in the hopes that the planes will have arrived from Paris, and we can get on the first flight tomorrow. Only downside is that tomorrow's Toronto-Orlando flights are full, so we will be on standby again!
Really hoping the next 14 hours passes quickly...
P.S our travel insurance isn't interested regarding the cancellation, despite us having one of their top annual policies and additional airspace closure cover, and we haven't been able to speak to Thomas Cook re the initial mess up - have emailed and got the standard "we will reply within one working day..."!
We arrived at Heathrow at 9.30am and thought we were too early to check in, so went and got a hot drink and a snack. Joined the Air Canada check in queue at 10.50am (for 3pm flight) and got to the front at 11.30am. Check in lady couldn't find us on the system, so she went and queued at ticketing. Half an hour later and there is no record of us on the flight! Thomas Cook had taken our £1500 but not actually managed to pass all our details through. Originally was a United flight, then became codeshare with Air Canada.
Nathan from Air Canada, who was the most wonderful guy I've ever encountered in customer services, was really helpful and got our retturn flights booked, then our Toronto to Orlando flights, and eventually we were on standby for the Heathrow-Toronto portion. Came back at 2pm (by this point we knew our flight was delayed until 4.30pm) to find out that our flight had now been cancelled.
Cue the two of us setting up camp on the floor at Heathrow, having at least found a power outlet and free wifi. We will not be here until 5.30 when we go and join the queue at Air Canada ticketing in the hopes that the planes will have arrived from Paris, and we can get on the first flight tomorrow. Only downside is that tomorrow's Toronto-Orlando flights are full, so we will be on standby again!
Really hoping the next 14 hours passes quickly...
P.S our travel insurance isn't interested regarding the cancellation, despite us having one of their top annual policies and additional airspace closure cover, and we haven't been able to speak to Thomas Cook re the initial mess up - have emailed and got the standard "we will reply within one working day..."!
It's hard to beggars belief that Thomas Cook could make such a mess of your original booking and then to have the current weather situation over and above. 
Still you seem to have the right attitude and are doing your best to not let it get you down. We got stuck with the volcanic ash at Easter, but at least we got stuck in Florida in the sunshine and not Heathrow in the snow. 
sending PD your way
