Thanks For the SMSs and helpful info. I’ve woken up to.

Clearly, bored and somewhat peeved I took to SMSing (quite restrained for my standards in content though ) – sorry to anyone I woke up! JFYI, a nice little saga: we pushed back on time and waited a long time on the taxiway before being told there was a hydraulic issue and we had to return to gate. Fine. Maintenance came and fixed it, signed-off and back we pushed again. Same problem. This time, they decided the pump needed replacing on the left engine which would take about 3hrs. So they served us booze and meals. By the time that was done, I was dozing. But part replaced, just need to change the filters and we’re off. Except now they’re finding metal in the filters! I’m no expert, but that don’t sound good to me They said it needed towing to the hangar and we’d have to get off, new ETD 12:00 today. Realizing that would get me in at midnight UK time I pointed out that was a bit useless and asked what my options where. Rebook on today’s scheduled normal JFK-STN was one, try to get on VS in economy was the other (not even confirmed due to their canx messing up their seating – they’d been calling MaxJet earlier asking if they had space, apparently…I pity the people rebooked from VS on our flight!). I took the former. They gave us all rooms at the Ramada Plaza JFK (nice. Not – a small cockroach in my room, honestly! But just the one. That aside, it looks OK ). I’ve had a little sleep but got woken up by a call and thought I’d check online to make sure I had indeed been rebooked as promised. I’m going back to bed!

I think making sense of what you all sent me info wise: yesterday’s flight may or may not go today at 12:00 but I care not either way. I’m on tonight’s but according to the MaxJet site, that’s at least 4hrs late leaving STN so who knows. Though right now, the turnaround they have at JFK is so long, the JFK-STN is still showing on-time provided the outbound leaves. If.

Flight booked (IIRC) on the bmi Platinum M/Card which offers [deleted expletive]? AmEx Plat no use except for 150 for food/hotel but MY have sorted the hotel. There’s no EU Rules play either as it’s a US airline operating to the UK – rules only cover non-EU airlines on the ex-EU parts. Not even sure AmEx PP would help if I’d used it.

On the plus side, we were never short of info and the crew(s) were great, as was the station manager lady here who was lovely and true to her word re re-booking (which the useless MaxJet phone line said no to).

Wish me luck…best case, I’m home 24hrs late at 8:30am Saturday. That I can live with. Fingers crossed it gets no worse!