An IAD interlude.
After getting soaked, we entered the bus shelters that are the A gates and after a little comfort break it was off to the fun that is… the Dulles Moonbuggies over to C concourse. Yes, it’s a fun way of getting from concourse to concourse but really… isn’t it time to put these things out to pasture completely and replace them with something modern… (and I’m including the C/D Concourse of IAD in that)
After raiding duty free (again) and the most patriotic shop in West Virgina
, it was off to the C7 RCC.
Patriotic!
C7 Red Carpet Lounge
I was greeted with a semi scowl as I fished for my BD*G card, which was presented, and swiped… without drink chits.
Oh dear. Not a wise move. As most of us who use RCC’s know, at a Trans-Oceanic Gateway you get your chits! I then got the line “Only United First/Business” get them… to which the term “Load the rules up was said”.
I was granted my “one time exception” and 3 chits were handed over. Kevincm 1, RCC Dragon, 0
But as soon as I got the drinks from those "wonderfully efficient" bar-people at C7, the gate was called. Rather than waste a drink, both vodkas were drunk in "due time" (i.e. on my schedule not United's),
Sigh. Comfort. For a few minutes at least.
After smiling nicely at the dragon as I left the lounge, the gate lounge had mostly cleared, so it was a matter of handing over the BP and the green bit of card that says I've left the USA, and it was off down the jetway.
United Airlines UA920, 30/05/09
Boeing 767-300 New International Configuration, Seat 27K - Upsold to E+ ($69)
3667 miles flown, 3667 earned.
Channel 9: Not Enabled
Your map
http://gc.kls2.com
The Pictures
As opposed to being welcomed, I made first contact, and then wheeled down the isle to the last row of E+.
Yup. It was still chucking it down.
As the plane was still loading, there was some overhead space available, which was taken advantage of. Pretty soon another full load was ready to travel to London. A short taxi, and it was back up into the cloud.
See you later USA!
However, it did take time but eventually, we punched through the cloud and into the blue sky.
Grey...
Blue!
A drinks service began to be carried out - however, I had my jobs to do...
Yup. It's back. On the PiePhone - Weebl and Bob do "Portal" I'm making note here. "Huge Success" (but is the Cake a lie?)
and after a smile from my friend...
They're both back again
Pretty soon, dinner came around. Chicken or Pasta... with the chicken being chicken curry. How could UA mess this up I wondered? Plenty is the answer!
Dinner. Ooooh Dear.
The rice was soggy AND burnt (
) the carrots... umm... mush. The Chicken - edible when you could find it. At least the salad was fresh, the projectile was soft and the brownie thing... was something I had a few of at the ORD RCC a few days earlier. I hate to bang on about food - but catering out of the USA has GOT to improve - it's getting unfunny now.
After food was cleared down, the duty free cart came around, and the lights were switched off until breakfast time.
Sunset
2 rounds of water were done, with me leading to a discover on a 767 - the water fountains at the back of the plane... How long have they been hiding there?
The last daylight - the cloud had finally cleared
Eventually, light turned to dark.... and then light came again.
Dawn in the sky - why I pay for a window seat
Breakfast was not served until an hour or so out from LHR... which was.. umm. Yeah. I'll let the picture talk.
A Danish and a Yogurt.
Oh well... at least the coffee was hot this time as opposed to tepid.
Clear down was done quickly, and the cabin was prepared for landing. After going through the cloud levels, land was visible, with Reading Train station visible, indicating an approach over Windsor -soon enough Windsor Castle was visible.
Shortly the wheels touched down on one of LHR's runways, before a short taxi to the back end of beyond of T1 - Gate 55 (the furtherst possible gate from Immigration).
The bird at LHR
Disembarkation occurred quickly, and we arrived at the border. IRIS was of course.. shut, so it was another quick shuffle to immigration - and welcomed back into the United Kingdom.
A slow shuffle down to luggage claim, and already, luggage was having a fun trip around the carousel. My friends turned up. And I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Eventually, I got bored and checked that delivery had been complete - and it dawned on me that my luggage didn't make it.
A quick bit of research indicated it was last scanned in PHL, and therefore it was lost in the maze that was IAD. After checking it wasn't on the next flight, I signed off the customs form and the other pile of paperwork - and I was on my way to the Heathrow Connect, the Bakerloo line to Marylebone and a number 82 to the flat on a wet Saturday Morning.
One day and a half days later, a delivery turned up - and my luggage had finally joined me at home. At least everything made it back.
Eventually.