Maybe the Universe 🪐

Here we go!

I wasn’t going to add any more to my trip blog but I decided that the last 40 hours has been part of the trip so it deserves its’ own place.…

I woke up to my alarm at 5 am yesterday morning in West Kensington, where I stayed the night in the very affordable and really fantastic W 14 Hotel. Highly recommended. Right between West Kensington Tube and Baron’s Court Tube. Probably the best value accommodation I have found in London in a long time. Only 15 minutes from the Leicester Square centre.

Anyway, on arrival at London Heathrow I had heard the stories but they did not compare to actually experiencing the complete and utter pandemonium from every single department! From check-in, security, to boarding it just was relentless! It was not pleasant l, it was not fun and it was not relaxing travel 🧳
I even saw one poor lady burst into tears because she was treated so appallingly at the security gate. The thing that makes me most sad is that it is clear that so many people have learnt nothing from the pandemic. I would’ve thought compassion and patience would have been in abundance but I am constantly disappointed that Covid has taught many people absolutely nothing. Fuck all! 😵

So, I finally got on the plane which was a beautiful new jet. Qatar is a wonderful airline ✈️ and I can say nothing against them throughout this entire process. They even extended my departure date at no extra cost last week. That just never happens. Exceptional customer service!

The only problem, this morning there was an hour hold-up on the Tarmac which had a knock on effect for the rest of the next 24 hours. When I arrived in Doha the plane I was scheduled to board had already taken off; leaving me and many others to be added to another flight. This was handled well by Qatar and we were on the next jet fairly quickly. One problem was that this jet went via Brisbane and not direct to Melbourne. That was disappointing but I have come to just accept this sort of stuff in travel now. Probably should not have to, but we must.

Fast forward 32 hours and we finally land in Brisbane. The passport control and quarantine checks in Australia have been top-notch! No problem at all! So, I glided (tiredly ) through that and went straight over to domestic terminal (on a bus 🚌 connection) after collecting my bag. Guess what? The flight to Melbourne had been cancelled! 😳🤦‍♂️🙅🏻‍♂️

The universe must have been helping me out because I was so exhausted 😴and the thought of getting back to Melbourne after midnight and navigating getting home just sent shivers down my spine. Virgin (partner airline) were fantastic! They gave us vouchers for taxis and accommodation at the Westin in central Brisbane. There were also $50 vouchers for the restaurant which was a really nice touch. Virgin get 10 points 👍🏻 for this wonderful service.

So, I am writing this sitting on a king size bed in a room of luxury, finally having a hot shower 🚿 after 40 hours and once this small hiccup fades the memory of what was probably my most wonderful holiday ever will be the prominent and beautiful memory in my mind. 🇬🇧🙏👍🏻✈️🥰

Thanks again for following with me and just remember to give yourself lots more time than you have in the past when travelling and you will find, hopefully, that things will be smooth sailing for you!

Time for bed 🛏 ZzzzzzzzRead more