Sleeping at Heathrow...

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..."!
 
How awful for you! :scared1: 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. :confused3 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.

Hope everything works out tomorrow (even sooner would be better) and you're soon in Orlando enjoying your holiday.

Good luck :thumbsup2


Mrs TT
 
Thanks Mrs TT :)

We've emailed the hotel and phoned the car hire to amend the booking - hoping that Nathan is on the desk again tomorrow to help us out, although he thinks he might have to sleep here himself as his route home is blocked!
 
OmG Nightmare. I really hope you get out of heathrow today and are enjoying youre holiday by this time tommorow.
Hopefully this will become a distant memory really soon x
 

Hope you manage to get on the flight tomorrow. Makes you wonder why you take out the extras in your insurance.
 
Oh my goodness - nightmare. Do hope you get away OK tomorrow. I'm starting to worry about us getting to the airport Wednesday now - what is it with all this snow?!!!
 
Than you everyone :goodvibes

They had Eclipse on DVD in WHSmith - extremely overpriced but bought it so we could watch it and kill a couple of horus!
 
oh no!!!! how completely awful!! i cannot believe they messed you up like that...and with the weather on top of that!! I am so sorry that you're going through all this..
i imagine the airport must be packed with people...

i hope you manage to get on the plane tomorrow...
i'm glad to hear AC has been taking care of you...
terrible about Thomas Cook....i'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you and sending you some pixie dust!!
 
oh no!!!! how completely awful!! i cannot believe they messed you up like that...and with the weather on top of that!! I am so sorry that you're going through all this..
i imagine the airport must be packed with people...

i hope you manage to get on the plane tomorrow...
i'm glad to hear AC has been taking care of you...
terrible about Thomas Cook....i'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you and sending you some pixie dust!!

Thanks Beth - I posted a photo on Facebook showing the check in hall, which is completely packed.

Luckily we have been really impressed with Air Canada - will fly with them again as their service has been so good.
 
I hope you manage to fly tomorrow, what a nightmare, sleeping on the floor in the airport is no fun - we did it in January overnight at Newark.

:wizard: sending PD your way
Gems
 
Most we have spent is about 6 hours in an airport, that was bad enough. Waiting to hear good news from you now.
 
Not even half way through this winter and I'm sick of it. What a nightmare. I'm really sorry your trip got cancelled.
 
Sorry to hear about your cancellation. Hope you get sorted. We're going via Gatwick on Thursday hopefully!
 












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