Any awesome adventure begins with having to do the "goodbyes" - I started around 3pm making the rounds - the bitter sweet part was saying goodbye to the family - wish all four of us were going back to North America!
Had a great shuttle trip with 5 other Bethelites to OR Tambo which helped make the annoying traffic and anxious "am I going to check-in on time" feeling fade into the background of the laughter and chatter.
The first thing that I realized when standing in the queue to check my luggage was, "wow it's going to be fun times watching people and traveling with ransoms!" And man has that been true.
I was very appreciative of KG, my buddie 'ol pal, who volunteered to be the shuttle driver and came to hangout with me before my flight - had a quick bite to eat together then I had to head through.
Security was fne except in the lovely Mzanzi-style there was only one checkpoint open for over 30 gates! Once through it was on to customs - the first and only time I would use my SA passport - yes it at least gets you out of the country but after that not really helpful - LOL! (sorry couldn't help myself)
My aisle-seat onboard SAA was 3rd row behind business which helped with the 'quicker' disembarking at LHR. Thought it was going to be a sweet flight with an open seat next to me and a French-Canadian women on the otherwise - I got the complete opposite!
The last person to board was a talkative (never shuts-up), irate 'Air France only' guy who swears he will never fly SAA again and hasn't for the past 14/15 years. Not only did I get to know that SAA didn't check his luggage onboard and that it's coming on next flight, but the whole plane did as he makes a very loud and self-obsorbed cellphone call to his brother. He contined to talk out loud, ranting and raving to whoever would hear - I of course gave him a listening ear and expressed sympathy but then I was fed up and politely told him I'm watching a move (aka leave me alone!)
The passengers in a 2-row radius were making jokes and and comments to him which I couldn't help but laugh at...then they put him in his place. Did that shut him up? No, he complained about the food, but then complimented SAA on their appointed stainless steal cutlery in Economy class. Went on to complain how he wanted more wine with dinner, "that is how the Italians do it" he mutters...the SAA staff handle him very well and strived to deliver excellent service.
Then he started to proceed to take pictures of the staff and threatening that the SAA CEO is going to get an email from him - he even noted down there names!
He then attempted to sleep after two bottles of wine, only to be woken up by the head member of the attendant staff which politely informed him that there would be zero tolerance for the harassment of staff! With my stick square in the middle of this ordeal I just agreed with "hmm"s - he was totally out of line and making the flight for all of us around him annoying! The end was that he was thrown out the emergency hatch offer the Siharra - kidding! He shut up for the rest of the flight....until an announcement was made that there would Air France personnel on the ground to help 'any passengers' that needed assistance -LOL. That sparked it again and he couldn't help himself but bring his whole ordeal up again to whoever was listening - fortunate I was half asleep and pretended it was a bad dream soon to end. The four guys in front of our row I think we're about to stuff him in the overhead compartment to drown out his annoying 'gay, whiny' voice.
I got my cure for sitting in a seat for 11hours when I landed in Heathrow and had to run to my connection. I should have put money on myself because the connections route is set up like a home race track - a complete circle. Long passages that lead to security and customs and then another long passage back above the same escalators just taken - was good to break a slight sweat and get the heart pumping. I didn't have a second to look at any shops or gadgets as my gate was another 20min walk from shopping area...sorry Dan.
I forgot how much I love airports though! Smells of foods, coffee, bright lights, flashy shops, people buzzing with excitement, direction signs all over the show, washrooms every couple meters lol....but more fun if you with people though - except if they slow you down.
AC869 was ready for boarding at Gate 43 when I arrived and I had a couple of minutes to kill so got some 'Facetime' with the fam and got some shots.
I might add that at this point, I'm yet again, quite impressed with SAAs hospitality despite the opposition by some passengers! AIr Cananda can learn a it from SAA I'm afraid to say.
At this point in writing we have about 1.5 hours to Toronto and I'm ready to stretch my legs! I'm hoping to catch an earlier standy-by flight to Vancouver but will see - next post will be from the West Coast!
