My two week vacation began with my flight into London Heathrow. One of the great things about Heathrow is how well connected it is to various public transportation options that will get you to the city center (Underground, taxi cab, or Heathrow Express). Knowing that I would arrive at 9:30 at night, I opted for a scheduled shuttle ride to my hotel. The advantage of the shared shuttle van was that I wouldn’t have to wield my large suitcase through trains and I wouldn’t be fumbling about in the dark looking for my hotel. The shuttle is also less expensive than a cab. (Depending on luggage and number of passengers, this may vary for you. There are some great sites that will let you do price comparisons for the different options.) The shuttle company will give you a timeframe, in which your driver will wait for you at arrivals. Sounds like the perfect plan, right? So, naturally, things did not go according to plan.
The first hiccup occurred with my flight leaving the US, which experienced mechanical issues before we were able to push back from the gate. Once the issue was sorted out, our actual departure time was about 45 minutes later than our scheduled time. In the air, we made up some of the time, arriving only 20 minutes behind schedule. But, once we landed at LHR, we were informed that there was a plane experiencing technical difficulties in our arrival gate. So, we waited on the ground an extra 15 minutes before they could find us another gate. So much for the time we made up en route. I finally disembarked and made my way to the “non-EU” citizen immigration line and I’m met with a line that appears to have no end. (Rivaling some of the nightmare lines I’ve stood in at LAX). Abandon all hope, ye with timelines. Shuffling along down the line, I’m feverishly reading through my shuttle confirmation paperwork. Luckily, the confirmation stated that the driver wait timeline would start when the flight ACTUALLY arrives, not when it is scheduled to arrive, phew! I had 90 minutes, the max allowed wait time, to clear immigration, retrieve my bag, and meet my driver.
It still took about an hour and 15 minutes to get through immigration… By the time I got to baggage claim, the airline employees had already pulled my bag off the conveyor and had it grouped with other unclaimed bags they were preparing to move to the airline’s baggage hold. I motion to my bag and one of the employees allowed me rescue my bag from being shipped off to the island of misfit toys. Bag in tow, I frantically set out to find my driver, somewhere in the sea of other drivers, holding an 8×10 with my name on it. Not the easiest of tasks…there is something truly awkward about walking up to someone to read a sign in their hands and then turning to walk away. But with five minutes to spare, and the beacon that is my name shining out, I’ve managed to find my driver. Relieved and feeling more than a little accomplished, I start to relax and remind myself that I’m on vacation. Then my driver says, “I was going to leave you. I told myself I would wait 5 more minutes. You got lucky.” Inward sigh, Great…
Moral of the story: Always carry your confirmation letter or email with you, along with a contact number for your service provider. You never know when life decides to get real.