Spoilers: We made it to our flight
Dec. 27th, 2024 04:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrewduckerTo begin the trek home from my parents we got a Megabus from Exeter to Bristol airport. A trip of 90 minutes. That, at the midway point was over 70 minutes late.
And while we had contingency, that was really taking it close to the wire. I spent the entire trip looking at the red road sections on Google Maps and hoping that the next jam would clear up before we hit it.
The coach got us there just about in time, giving us 15 minutes to drop off luggage and then ten more minutes to get through security and to our gate.
Except that when we got to security a large sign said "36 minutes transit time". At which point we had choice but to pay £10 each for the 4 of us to go through fast track. We weren't the only people stuck doing that - multiple other families arrived at the same, presumably held up by the same traffic, and had to pay the same extortionate amount. £40 seems like a lot to pay because the airport can't get their queues moving efficiently.
Security, even with ridiculously expensive fast track was still really slow compared to Edinburgh - the conveyor belts were completely full and people at the back were having issues getting their bags moved forward at all, as people kept shoving their trays in.
Jane and the kids abandoned me while I fought to get our baggage trays to the front of the queue. She had both kids and both backpacks, while I got stuck at the scanner. Both of the backpacks ended up being taken for extra scans (because the scanners didn't like there to be cases on the phones and trackers).
In the end we burst out of security, ran/walked the complete length of departures until we got to gate 31 and reached our gate only three minutes theoretically late.
Everyone is now slowly decompressing on the plane. Sophia is asleep on my arm, Jane and Gideon are watching downloaded TV and I'm writing this as my method of dealing with the stress.
Next time round we'll have to sort out how we travel without almost missing planes - either we have to be at the airport even more stupidly early or we have to fly to Exeter, which is substantially more expensive.
And while we had contingency, that was really taking it close to the wire. I spent the entire trip looking at the red road sections on Google Maps and hoping that the next jam would clear up before we hit it.
The coach got us there just about in time, giving us 15 minutes to drop off luggage and then ten more minutes to get through security and to our gate.
Except that when we got to security a large sign said "36 minutes transit time". At which point we had choice but to pay £10 each for the 4 of us to go through fast track. We weren't the only people stuck doing that - multiple other families arrived at the same, presumably held up by the same traffic, and had to pay the same extortionate amount. £40 seems like a lot to pay because the airport can't get their queues moving efficiently.
Security, even with ridiculously expensive fast track was still really slow compared to Edinburgh - the conveyor belts were completely full and people at the back were having issues getting their bags moved forward at all, as people kept shoving their trays in.
Jane and the kids abandoned me while I fought to get our baggage trays to the front of the queue. She had both kids and both backpacks, while I got stuck at the scanner. Both of the backpacks ended up being taken for extra scans (because the scanners didn't like there to be cases on the phones and trackers).
In the end we burst out of security, ran/walked the complete length of departures until we got to gate 31 and reached our gate only three minutes theoretically late.
Everyone is now slowly decompressing on the plane. Sophia is asleep on my arm, Jane and Gideon are watching downloaded TV and I'm writing this as my method of dealing with the stress.
Next time round we'll have to sort out how we travel without almost missing planes - either we have to be at the airport even more stupidly early or we have to fly to Exeter, which is substantially more expensive.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 06:18 pm (UTC)I am glad I live where I live and that I drive most places and the the traffic here in the north has been almost always really fine. (One icy and snowy Xmas put an extra 1.5hrs on a 3hr drive, but otherwise totally fine). Even going to Denmark and back.
I recall the English traffic so well, though, so I can well believe how nervous you were getting!
Berlin airport is rubbish too, the new terminal was under capacity from the start and is poorly run or designed or whatever. I haven't flown since 2019! I would love to visit my folks but I can't stand the idea of 3 hrs drive and 2.5 hours faff for a 2 hour flight and they don't go to Glasgow any more, just Edinburgh. Once a day. Grrr.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 06:30 pm (UTC)I'm glad you made it.
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Date: 2024-12-27 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 06:53 pm (UTC)So much traveling stress :( I was wondering why you were flying, because I guess I kept thinking the whole "US is measured in miles and Europe in centuries" or something, and thought the UK was not as large as it is (like I thought maybe it was a 4 hour ride by vehicle, which can be annoying, but doable) but 7-8 hours is a long drive/ride. Especially when you have 2 kids in tow.
I guess the old phrase distorted my perception and now Europe is bigger than I thought LOL.
Safe journeys home if you're not there yet.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 07:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 08:21 pm (UTC)Wow, how aggravating! And the airport charging for their own failures is the cherry on top. Nothing like perverse incentives, eh?
no subject
Date: 2024-12-28 12:48 am (UTC)Airport facilities are amongst the things that you don't pay for on a cheap flight.
Date: 2024-12-28 01:46 pm (UTC)I only hope that Exeter haven't expanded passenger numbers faster than their facilities.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-30 07:46 pm (UTC)