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This takes some beating for coincidence and sheer bad luck.
A few years back I was another tight scheduled RTW ticket that brought me across the pond and into Canada. I got delayed going into Montreal from ORD due to weather and then the next day I was due to fly YUL-YYZ-SFO to connect next day on NZ and do SFO-AKL-BNE.
Well we landed at YYZ in a Thunderstorm and stopped on the tarmac 20 yards from the gate as the airport went into what they call 'red alert'. This is when the ground crew can't or won't work outside when there is bad weather. We sat there for 4 hours without moving and of course my ticket went striaght up the spout.
I was literally rescued from a complete mess and nightmare of rearranged and cancelled meetings by our Guardian Angel Ms M in the YVR office, who rebooked me to MEL (I had to abort BNE) via SIN and got me waived even though I went over my CRTWSTAR2 mileage limit. She even called SQ at SFO in the morning to make sure all was well. A true star.
So, I land at YYZ this afternoon from YUL and taxi an identical route to last time and out of the window I see these white flashing lights on all the buildings across the airfield. I think to myself ooh, I remember last time and they were red so it all went pear shaped. Then I suddenly thought, oh f*ck, no it isnt, thats another of those red alerts.
Oh yes, we sat on the tarmac in a virtually identical position to last time waiting for the storm to pass. Unbelieveable, I've only been here twice.
Anyway, a small stroke of luck saw it called off and we taxied in, then back on red alert for another 20 minutes so no jetway connected. (why they jetway can't be connected by a bloke under cover I don't know...). It went off again and movement. Then, just as he 'bumped' us with the jetway back on red alert....for crying out loud. Fortunately our man either didn't get notified or thought 'sod it' I'm almost there' I'll carry on. I don't know, but in a nutshell we're off. I shook his hand as we disembarked.
So, I am now in the AC MLL here and the storm has come back, with bells on. It's as good as those you get in S.E. Asia. I am fortunate I am off the a/c, as there are loads of birds sat just off gates not moving with what will be increasingly p*ssed off pax.
My flight to IAH says delayed 2 hours, but that's not going to happen as speaking to our crew at the gate the one waiting to come in is going to Cincinatti anyway and ours I don't think has landed.
So, my meeting tomorrow morning in Houston is under threat, but I have a bit of time to get to LAX for SQ11 on Saturday...subject to this storm buggering off, of course.
The joys of travel..... I'm certainly not transitting here again...
A few years back I was another tight scheduled RTW ticket that brought me across the pond and into Canada. I got delayed going into Montreal from ORD due to weather and then the next day I was due to fly YUL-YYZ-SFO to connect next day on NZ and do SFO-AKL-BNE.
Well we landed at YYZ in a Thunderstorm and stopped on the tarmac 20 yards from the gate as the airport went into what they call 'red alert'. This is when the ground crew can't or won't work outside when there is bad weather. We sat there for 4 hours without moving and of course my ticket went striaght up the spout.
I was literally rescued from a complete mess and nightmare of rearranged and cancelled meetings by our Guardian Angel Ms M in the YVR office, who rebooked me to MEL (I had to abort BNE) via SIN and got me waived even though I went over my CRTWSTAR2 mileage limit. She even called SQ at SFO in the morning to make sure all was well. A true star.
So, I land at YYZ this afternoon from YUL and taxi an identical route to last time and out of the window I see these white flashing lights on all the buildings across the airfield. I think to myself ooh, I remember last time and they were red so it all went pear shaped. Then I suddenly thought, oh f*ck, no it isnt, thats another of those red alerts.
Oh yes, we sat on the tarmac in a virtually identical position to last time waiting for the storm to pass. Unbelieveable, I've only been here twice.
Anyway, a small stroke of luck saw it called off and we taxied in, then back on red alert for another 20 minutes so no jetway connected. (why they jetway can't be connected by a bloke under cover I don't know...). It went off again and movement. Then, just as he 'bumped' us with the jetway back on red alert....for crying out loud. Fortunately our man either didn't get notified or thought 'sod it' I'm almost there' I'll carry on. I don't know, but in a nutshell we're off. I shook his hand as we disembarked.
So, I am now in the AC MLL here and the storm has come back, with bells on. It's as good as those you get in S.E. Asia. I am fortunate I am off the a/c, as there are loads of birds sat just off gates not moving with what will be increasingly p*ssed off pax.
My flight to IAH says delayed 2 hours, but that's not going to happen as speaking to our crew at the gate the one waiting to come in is going to Cincinatti anyway and ours I don't think has landed.
So, my meeting tomorrow morning in Houston is under threat, but I have a bit of time to get to LAX for SQ11 on Saturday...subject to this storm buggering off, of course.
The joys of travel..... I'm certainly not transitting here again...
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