Springing back to Iceland to see it in the green! COMPLETED 6/29 - Page 9 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Sounds like you're experiencing a bit of what we find when Mike uses his wheelchair - oblivious, and sometimes rude people. We ended up not using special assistance at Heathrow because the area they sent us had the staff yelling at each other, it was disorganized, and after waiting 20 minutes to even try talking to someone, we gave up. Which was too bad, since we didn't have a wheelchair with us last summer.
Oh my goodness, sadly this sounds like our experience on the way back yesterday! Thankfully things were smoother today (I flew out of Heathrow for work up to our office in the north east of the country) and I'm hoping it will be better tomorrow, but frankly, I'm not holding my breath... we'll see....
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Too bad with the wakeup call as if you can do an automated one from your room phone, they always seem to work, but not always an option! Not a good experience at the airport from some rude staff and just finding where you needed to go! At least it was worth the wait to find breakfast as you and Mark had a really good one!
The looks of your teaser as the hint of continued trip woes and you have yet to arrive in Iceland!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
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I've given up on hotel wake up calls and just use my phone now. It's so much easier. I even taught my DH how to change his phone alarm from an obnoxious tone to a much gentler one to wake up to.
Too bad with the wakeup call as if you can do an automated one from your room phone, they always seem to work, but not always an option!
Sadly that's not always true, as we've used that function before and it hasn't worked. That's why we always have at least one cell phone as a back-up.... ironically I didn't need a wake-up call today. The hotel I'm staying at in Newcastle had its own wake-up call at 5:30am... the garbage truck outside. Ugh!
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Not a good experience at the airport from some rude staff and just finding where you needed to go! At least it was worth the wait to find breakfast as you and Mark had a really good one!
The looks of your teaser as the hint of continued trip woes and you have yet to arrive in Iceland!
Well, there was definitely more drama before we even left the country... more on that in a moment....
I've given up on hotel wake up calls and just use my phone now. It's so much easier. I even taught my DH how to change his phone alarm from an obnoxious tone to a much gentler one to wake up to.
Friday 28 April – part two: “Your flight is leaving at 7:55am, and it’s not 7:20am, and you’re going from B44?”
Finally, we got to special assistance, and I must admit seemed to be right at the end of the terminal – not vey sensible. When we showed our boarding passes to the woman, the next words she said struck fear into both of us. “Your flight is leaving at 7:55am, and it’s not 7:20am, and you’re going from B44?” I knew from the tone of her voice that we were apparently cutting it fine, so we explained that perhaps if the airport would like to put some better signage in, we wouldn’t have this problem. She seemed to be one of those who didn’t really care, and said in a slightly exasperated voice that she’d radio the gate. Please do that – this is not our fault.
There was a call for another couple who were heading to Rio from B gates as well, and we were told to climb on the buggy. My goodness, it was really tight, trying to get everything in there, and we were crammed to say the least.
We set off, with us both now worrying that we’d be delaying the plane. All I can say is I’m so glad we were on the buggy, as otherwise, if we’d made our own way, I don’t think we’d ever have made it on time. We started to remember the one and only time we’d flown into terminal 5 before (I want to say it was perhaps our Easter trip to Germany a couple of years ago ) and we’d taken a train back to the main building. Oh boy, this was going to be a trek.
We ended up going through a network of corridors, and into various elevators…
… and then, we assumed, underneath where the trains run. T was a fascinating glimpse at a part of the airport that people don’t normally get to see, so that was cool, but we were still both worrying. It was clear this route could be used by people, as there was signage here (great here… but none for special assistance anywhere – do not get me started! ), and we did see one guy walking. I guess you have the option if you want, but presumably most people don’t want to.
We headed into another elevator and emerged by gate B45, so ours was the next one along. Mark was hurrying me along, but the guy who’d brought us over just kept telling me not to worry, and to take my time, which I really appreciated. As I was half panicking by now, I needed that reassurance.
The guy at the gate who checked our passports and boarding passes asked what had happened, and we explained, and he said he was going to report it, as this wasn’t how things should be done. You are not joking about that!
I was asked whether I felt I could walk down to the plane, and it looked further than it was, but equally I was exhausted with my chronic fatigue with all the stress of thinking we’d be late for the flight. Ok, so we missed priority boarding, but we certainly weren’t the last ones on by any means. The whole journey had taken a little over 10 minutes, and I know walking would’ve taken a lot longer. :
As we boarded the plane, the stewardess asked if I needed any help, but confidently told her After all, it was only seven rows back. My heart fell when I saw how much luggage was already in the overhead lockers, but Mark managed to get his in above us, and mine opposite, so that was fine. I didn’t know what to do with the crutch. I knew it needed to go in the overhead bin, but I didn’t think it would fit, but Mark managed to work it out.
We took our seats, feeling very sorry for the American woman who was in the aisle seat of our row, as she’d had to wait some time for us to sort ourselves out, but she was so sweet about it. It turned out this was her first trip to Iceland, so we were soon chatting away, telling her about our first one, and asking her what she’d be doing over the week she was here. Conversation ceased though, when she moved over to the opposite row, as there was no-one in the two seats next to her daughter, who was also in an aisle seat. Now whether that was the mysterious two passengers who never showed up, I don’t know. We were told they had “elected not to fly”, which I took to mean they hadn’t made it to the gate on time, so their luggage needed to be removed. I thought this would be quite a painful process, but they did it very quickly, and before we knew it, we were on to the safety demonstration, and taxiing out.
However, in the few minutes we were waiting, I captured just some of the activity taking place. I counted at one point, and there were planes taking off every minute, which I just found mind blowing. I cannot ever work out how airports can get this big or this busy. Sure, I know we holiday a lot, but I can’t equate that with the activity you see at places like this, especially when I still know so many people who maybe only fly once or maybe twice a year, and some who don’t at all.
Removing the baggage from the couple who elected not to fly…
We taxied out, and that was weird, as I could spot other airlines, and knew which terminals we were passing. For example when we saw the Virgin Atlantic fleet, that was terminal 3. It seems as if the terminals are miles away when you’re at one of them (and they probably are), but when it comes to taxiing, suddenly they feel much closer together, if that makes sense?
Heathrow seems stupidly big to me at this point. When we landed there last summer, I am not kidding, it was over a mile from our gate to customs. I have no doubt that's what did Mike in, and caused him to nearly collapse en route to our hotel.
Glad you made the flight! And bonus to end up with a row to yourselves after your seatmate moved across the aisle.
Your day at work is about the roughest way to start a trip. Cripes!
And hmmmm, it doesn't seem to be getting any easier at the airport either! It just shouldn't be that difficult to find food. Or to find the way to your gate! Thank goodness for the buggy. I can't believe you couldn't get better answers for directions from anyone! That's just crazy.
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Sounds like once you were on the plane things calmed down. I love to have an empty seat in our row. Makes it easy to spread out a bit and not feel so cramped.
When we landed there last summer, I am not kidding, it was over a mile from our gate to customs. I have no doubt that's what did Mike in, and caused him to nearly collapse en route to our hotel.
I'm sure it was. Didn't you book special assistance? Trust me, it is the way to go and even in Reykjavik, it is a hike from where the UK and US flights come in to the main terminal. If you haven't already, then make sure you do.
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Thankfully things were smoother today (I flew out of Heathrow for work up to our office in the north east of the country) and I'm hoping it will be better tomorrow, but frankly, I'm not holding my breath... we'll see....
Not a good experience at the airport from some rude staff and just finding where you needed to go! 
) and we’d taken a train back to the main building. Oh boy, this was going to be a trek. 
), and we did see one guy walking. I guess you have the option if you want, but presumably most people don’t want to. 
. Makes it easy to spread out a bit and not feel so cramped.
Alaskan Mom aka Bonnie
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