One of those days…
Wake up at 6:50am. Realise I have slept through my alarm and the taxi I’d booked is long gone. Plane left ten minutes ago. Call a taxi, freshen up, gather my things, get to the airport at 7:15am.
Look at the departures board to see what my options are; notice that my plane hasn’t gone yet — delayed due to fog in Melbourne. Will miss my connection, but there’s a seat on the 11:50 to Perth. Manage to have my luggage put on board, arrive at the gate just in time for the final boarding call.
Arrive in Melbourne with a couple of hours to kill. Have a bite to eat, read the papers (Canberra Times, The Age, SMH), flip through a picture book (Herald Sun), solve a couple of Sudoku puzzles. Time to go, but no boarding call.
Announcement that they’re waiting for an engineer, fifteen minute delay. Twenty minutes later, announcement that they’re waiting for approval from Sydney, an hour delay. Finally on board: captain explains that some gravel scratched a wing, needed approval from the regulator in Sydney and Boeing in America before take-off.
Flight is pretty good. On an exit row, so there’s plenty of leg room, and there’s only two of us in the row of three seats. Food’s okay, and I get some sleep. Arrive in Perth behind schedule, but no big deal. Wander down to the luggage carousel, find a good spot to watch the bags. An announcement: “Would the following passengers please make their way to the Baggage Services counter.” My name.
My suitcase is in Sydney.
Ouch. Good luck sorting that out.
Cheers, Nic. It was pretty simple, really — they sent my bags home by courier when they arrived on the next flight from Sydney.
Sure there wasn’t a fat package of cocaine in it courtesy of the baggage handlers?
Unfortunately, not — but I wonder whether they were wearing my clothes while driving around the tarmac.
Can empathise mate. It’s a Qantas thing. Last time I went to Sydney my bag went to Perth LOL!
Oh and after missing my first redeye some years back, I find I barely sleep now when I have an early morning flight for fear of missing the plane again. Bwahahahahaha! That’s why they call them them red eyes I’m sure.
Sheeeat.
Happened to me once when I went to Croatia a couple of years back.
Oh No! Now you have to pay your boss back for the new flight to Perth!!
That would be true, Amanda, except that fog in Melbourne meant the plane was as late as I was! So I made it okay in the end. I guess it was my lucky morning.
Oh - sorry I misread it. You are very lucky indeed!
Yes, you can imagine how much I panicked when I woke up and saw the time! Especially after Sue had shown us the increase in airfares recently!
Ours were left on the tarmac on Perth and there I was on a deserted country road 350km from Melbourne at 1am in the morning waiting for a courier. “Happens all the time mate” . Bastards . A well spent $20 shouting mouthfuls of abuse down the phone to the person who assured me with honeyed words we’d have them by 7pm. Qantas can get stuffed.