Looking at the above itinerary do note that to get from West Africa to East Africa the fastest and most reliable way is, through Europe or via South Africa!
But monsieur you arrived on a Air Fraaaaance flight and now you will fly on British Aiiirways.
We do not -ave any shuttle for fast transit when you change airlines… why don’t you buy a full air fraaaance ticket all the way, monsieur.
Not going into the details of Paris airport but it is the most confusing airport I have seen. It took me almost 1 hour to get from my arrival gate to the gate I am leaving at. I could not see any transit centres so I went to the gate as time was short.
At the gate they tell me – sorry Monsieur but you can not board as we are closing the gate in 5 minutes and you have to go to transfer desk first…. !!! I am here. I have my ticket. I have no luggage.. I am in business class…. nothing worked.
I look over and see that in 20 minutes there is another flight but to Heathrow…. aha. with my business class tickets I should be able to get on that one and then get between the airports in London within an hour.. It used to be 45 minutes transit…I remembered.
I run down to the transit desk they so kindly pointed out to me.. Well it is a 5 minute run on conveyor belts made of…. rubber…
I inform the lady behind the counter that I need to be on the flight BA 234 leaving in 15 minutes! she looks in the computer and says but the manifest is closed… I less kindly inform her that Airfrance do not want to take action and I was in time for a BA flight and they refuse me to board and I will not have any more of that….
Eventually the lady against all the rules manages to get me on the manifest with some kind of fake booking but with a boarding pass with a handwritten seat number on. She tell me to run to the flight which I did and on arrival the ladies at the check in is already complaining before I can even show my boarding card. Well monsieur but of course you can not board as we have no food on board for you as you are too late. I repeat the story of how I have been treated by Air France and BA in various periods on the flight and am finally allowed on board.
We take off and I sit in my business class seat and had… breakfast…..
On arrival at Heathrow I run out of the plane and grab the first BA person I can find on the ground to get me a boarding pass on the Gatwick flight 😉
The answer was of course. – there is two hours left to the flight we will not confirm your seat and by the way there is a jam on the roads due to construction so you will not make it.
No one can tell me I wont make the flight, I think to myself, while running through another airport. I had only hand luggage (mind you it weigh about 10 -12 kilos. Exhausted as I was, I found the shuttle bus terminal. I just saw a buss pulling away so it would be 15 minutes to the next one, I was told.
No worries, the taxi stand was just 2 more minutes away and luckily no cue there so I got into one of the standard London taxis.
The driver with his wide Scottish accent kindly informed me that there is a bit of a traffic jam so he thought it would take a while to reach there. I informed him that I only have one hour to spare and even then I would be cutting it close. With the enticement of a bonus 🙂 he agreed to try avoid the worst jams and we were on our way.
I then turn to organizing my papers to get ready for the arrival at Gatwick only to find that I had lost my national passport. Hmm… now were did that happen. Well nothing to do as I would most likely not find it back even if returning to the airport so did not worry the driver with that fact…
(Tracing my steps back it was clear to me that I had forgotten it at the bus terminal as I was tying my shoelaces while they guy was informing me of the time for the next bus ..)
Looking a the situation I tried to remember if they actually check passports when you leave UK. I knew I had been stamped in to the country. Since I had my UN passport I should be able to get out of a country but there might be some explaining to do as they don’t necessarily like UN passports in countries close to home, for some mysterious reasons.
With 45 minutes to spare before planned takeoff I arrived at Gatwick and ran to the check in desk.
– What flight are you on, Sir.
– Entebbe in 42 minute I said I hope I can still make it.
– Well Sir you know you should be here at least 2 hours before.
– Yes Sir I am aware but it seems that there was a slight delay on my BA ticket and no support to get me between the airports, I countered.
– Oh what a pity but let me see. Oh yes it is still possible to check you in if you have no luggage and if you can run to the gate.
– Sure no problem… Running.. that is the only way I have seen airports so far today.
I got my boarding pass and ran to immigration, expecting another battle, but to my surprise there was actually no passport control to exit the country?!
I get to the gate and am the last person to board, drowning in sweat by this time as running with 10 kilos of hand luggage through crowds at three airport kind of does that to you.
Got into my seat and they close the door. Yeah I made it!! I think to my self. The crew is busy getting ready for takeoff and then the pilot comes on the loudspeaker.
” Welcome on board. This flight bound for Entebbe has a technical problem. Not to worry as it is just a small technical problem with one of the lights in the console and the spare part is on the way. Once we get the replacement we should be ready for takeoff. It will though take 30 minutes before we get the piece. Meanwhile sit back and relax and enjoy the in flight entertainment.”
Haven’t we heard that phrase a few times to many …
After 1 hour!! the Pilot then announces.
” Dear Passengers. We have now switched the light on the console and everything is in order so we can continue with the flight.”
The engine starts reving up on one side of the plane. Then instead of hearing the engines on the other side rev up the initial one is turned off…?!
Once again the captain comes on the loudspeaker with an entirely different voice.
” Dear Passengers. It seems that the indicator light has once more come on as soon as we started the engine. This unfortunately means that the flight will be cancelled. The good news is that we will re-instate this same flight in 24 hours and we will arrange accommodation for you. For those who need to be re-routed sooner please contact the transfer desk. Everyone else please remain in the plane until our shuttle buses has arrived.”
Hmmm… What to do I am thinking. I have come this far , lost my passport, paid heavy on the taxi, run through 3 airports only to be waiting 24 hours…. No way was the answer- I am going to Entebbe.
I get out of the plane and in rapid pace, head over to the transit desk and explain to the lady that I have to reach Entebbe in shortest possible time.
Ok we have the following option we can offer, she says.
You take the next plane from Gatwick to Amsterdam which is in 35 minutes then you will have to wait there 1 hour before the flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi. And finally wait another hour for the last leg between Nairobi to Entebbe. I asked if it was the fastest way and she confirmed.
Great now we are rolling, I thought. I would still arrive in the night even though 8 hours later than originally planned.
The flight between Gatwick and Amsterdam was uneventful and for a change, on time!
I get on the flight to Nairobi noting that business class in this plane is not really the same as BA but if it is on time at least there is one plus 🙂
The arrival into Nairobi was uneventful even though with a 30 minute delay due to headwind. As we were quite a large number of passengers continuing to Entebbe they announced that the Kenya Airways flight would await our arrival even if we were a bit late.
Once out of the plane the scramble for the Entebbe gate starts only to find that the plane has already left (despite what we had been told)
It is now 0230 in the morning and KLM inform us that they would take us all to a hotel and then return us well in time for the flight at 0900 in the morning.
As luck has it of course they could not arrange transport for so many people and we actually did not arrive at the hotel until 0330, check in took another 30 minutes. Thus fall into bed a 0400 only to wake up again at 0630 as we had to be at the airport at 0700 even if the had all our papers… Thus sitting waiting 2 hours while still being in zombie mode.
The final leg…………….don’t remember anything from the flight but at 1000 I arrive in Entebbe completely exhausted.
The BA plane from Gatwick landed 2 hours after I had arrived in Entebbe, sighhhh.
The lesson learned… When things start going wrong.. don’t fight it … go with the flow and see were it takes you 🙂 You might get more sleep 🙂