Two Weddings and a pandemic.

[Pushka]

 

[Pushka]

We are currently at Inverness airport waiting to check in to fly to London. Of course the weather as we leave is bright and sunny. Sigh. The road to the airport showed gorgeous countryside.

Staying in London for two nights. A days shopping in London. Hmmm. Pink comes to mind.

 

[Pushka]

Just asked for our Qantas WP cards at the lounge here. Hmmm. Luckily they accepted the app.

 

[Lynda2475]

Just asked for our Qantas WP cards at the lounge here. Hmmm. Luckily they accepted the app.

QR lounge or QF?

 

[Pushka]

QR lounge or QF?

I’m not sure. It’s a BA flight out of Inverness. Looks like Aspire but attendant in BA uniform. Then she checked a list and we were on there. On the QR flight they knew we were Emerald without us having to show anything.

 

[Pushka]

Stage 1 of returning to Oz. It didn’t get cancelled by BA.

 

[SYD]

Just asked for our Qantas WP cards at the lounge here. Hmmm. Luckily they accepted the app.

BA usually has it on your BP. Scan -> green GO, red Bugger Off.

 

[OATEK]

We did get to Holyrood Palace. Mostly. A swift exit was needed though.
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While the Queen uses some of these rooms it’s such a depressing dark place with massive plots of intrigue behind the scenes. I hope her personal quarters are better.

Luckily when my daughter was part of the official party for the "Scottish Court" she got to stay in a nearby hotel. But her office in Holyrood was under the room where Rizzio was killed, and said you could feel a distinct sense of the tragedies that were part of Mary's reign.

 

[Pushka]

Luckily when my daughter was part of the official party for the "Scottish Court" she got to stay in a nearby hotel. But her office in Holyrood was under the room where Rizzio was killed, and said you could feel a distinct sense of the tragedies that were part of Mary's reign.

Funny you should say that. I was on those windy stairs where he was dragged down and had to get out pronto. I wasn’t unwell. Just had to get out.

BA usually has it on your BP. Scan -> green GO, red Bugger Off.

I’ll check and bbl. Nope. Nothing.

 

[Pushka]

Super windy ramp to board yesterday. Captain announces that as everyone had boarded we were about to depart five minutes early (basically within a minute). Umm,. Look behind you Captain. People were still stuck on the 'airbridge' because people were still pfaffing around in their lockers. We ended up departing much later. No drama.



Arrived back into T5 and waited an hour for luggage. Five or so cases would come out then belt would stop. Rinse and repeat. I was checking on the air tags to see when the cases were on the move. Finally they indicated they were very close by. They work!

Then had to make our way to T4 where Qatar had moved just this Tuesday after 2 years of Covid. It was deserted. But by end of July it might be back to normalish.


Used the free train to get from T5 to T4 via T2. We pretty much have Heathrow systems down pat now. It's the new Elizabeth line recently 'opened' pre Jubilee and is massively late and massively over budget. We saw a fascinating documentary about it the other night.

 

[Pushka]

Waiting for flight to Doha. In refurbished and lovely recently reopened T4 premium lounge. They have also opened a lounge for status Y flyers next door to it.








Gorgeous dining section with chef.



Not premium but ok.




Mrs Shouty has just been walking around the lounge telling everyone where she is. Everyone else has cracked up laughing.

Qatar is the only airlines flying from T4 now and the only lounge.

 

[SYD]

Mrs Shouty has just been walking around the lounge telling everyone where she is. Everyone else has cracked up laughing.

Did she mumble “DYKWIA”?

 

[Pushka]

Bleh. Likely will miss Adelaide connection. Been sitting on tarmac in Heathrow for 90 minutes now. We only had 1.25 connection anyway when Qatar changed our flights. Supposed security issue at Heathrow. Sigh.

 

[love_the_life]

Bleh. Likely will miss Adelaide connection. Been sitting on tarmac in Heathrow for 90 minutes now. We only had 1.25 connection anyway when Qatar changed our flights. Supposed security issue at Heathrow. Sigh.

And the one time you really need to get home...always the way.

 

[Pushka]

So I need to finish this up. Well, the last day in Edinburgh turned into a hot mess. MrP tested positive for Covid and it hit just as we were in Holyrood Palace right near Mary Queen of Scots chambers. He had to beat a quick exit. A RAT an hour later confirmed it. He was unwell but described it as a mild flu. Sweaty, cough and fatigue. We were due to drive to Inverness the next day and leaving and staying in an Airbnb so no human interaction. Our steak restaurant was cancelled. There are no restrictions placed in UK just common sense and avoid people. So we did that. Managed the drive to Inverness slowly and in several breaks. I'd already tested negative was able to buy food etc but cooking in an Airbnb on an overseas trip was not what I'd planned. We then cancelled our bookings for various tours. Skye cancelled. Fly fishing cancelled. Outlander trip cancelled. And the weather was bitterly cold to boot while south of Scotland was having a heat wave. As mentioned we did manage to go to Culloden fields but Mr avoided the crowds but it was five days post by then. Not much walking happening for him. Too fatigued. After a few quiet days we we able to fly back to London in prep for flight home. I'm still testing negative. A week later we board The flight on QR to Adelaide via Doha. Boarded late then sat on the Tarmac for over 2 hours. We had a 90 minutes connection in Doha and only 3 flights a week to Adelaide.

Eventually we were told people had gone to the wrong terminal. It had changed that week post covid. The thing is, by waiting for numpties, this meant that everyone else on the plane had completely disrupted their journeys from Doha. The attendants knew nothing. So for 6 hours we spent an unpleasant flight (and not much i liked on the menu either) wondering the impact.

When we disembarked there were Qatar people everywhere holding up signs for all the connections and people were basically running in all directions. It was a full 380. We heard many people angry they'd missed their connections. The Adelaide flight had been held back for us now 60 minutes late. There were about 20 of us running to the gate late. I was huffing and puffing from running and clearly upset but the security guy decided that I had to be the one getting the full once over (even though I'd just got off a flight) which meant unpacking everything and had one man telling me not to touch anything in the bag and the woman next to him telling me to take everything out. Against all logic I said, so what do you want me to do? The woman then took my boarding card then turned her back to me then looked as though she was writing something on it then handed it back. Then this was examined by the check in crew. When I looked at it there was nothing written. We were the last to board.

Anyways it was an excellent flight home and was so tired I slept for 6 hours. Never done that. Disembarked quickly and Apple tags told us our luggage had also arrived and that came out quickly. Straight through immigration. Taxi home.

There was no mention at all of needing to take a covid test anywhere at the airport. But I knew we had to so did so. Positive. Sigh. There goes another seven days. And then reached into my bag and realised I'd left my iPad in the seat on the plane. 'Find My' told me it was still at the airport when the Qatar flight left.

Now, a week later and iso done by midnight and my iPad is about to be returned. By four days out I was testing negative. No symptoms at all. Well, there was one which was tiny nose bleeds which links in with nieces experiences of Covid whacking out her INR on blood thinners. I'm on different ones but clearly covid messes with coagulation.

Wish I'd caught it in UK while we were isolating anyway but whatever. I was taking steps to avoid getting it like isolating from hubby because he seemed rather keen for me not to get it. We had two bedrooms and two bathrooms at the Airbnb. Thanks @Denali for that tip because double beds are the norm there it seems.

The first three weeks were great, the last two - not so much. But I guess we achieved the Title of this thread hey?

 

[RooFlyer]

Not a great finish, but as you say - main objective achieved. Well done and thanks for the very interesting (and post-covid educational) TR. Good to know QR holds flights too. I think that was my experience a few years ago.

And then reached into my bag and realised I'd left my iPad in the seat on the plane. 'Find My' told me it was still at the airport when the Qatar flight left.

Doesn't it give you an alert as you walk away from it? Mine does, but only after 50+m or so walking / 5 mins driving away so wouldn't help in your situation.

 

[Pushka]

Not a great finish, but as you say - main objective achieved. Well done and thanks for the very interesting (and post-covid educational) TR. Good to know QR holds flights too. I think that was my experience a few years ago.



Doesn't it give you an alert as you walk away from it? Mine does, but only after 50+m or so walking / 5 mins driving away so wouldn't help in your situation.

I turned off alerts. I like to control technology not let it control me.

 

[VPS]

Oh dear. Not a great ending at all but at least you got to the wedding. Have you had a cuddle of the new grandchild yet?

Thanks for the TR

 

[Pushka]

Oh dear. Not a great ending at all but at least you got to the wedding. Have you had a cuddle of the new grandchild yet?

Thanks for the TR

No. I've been Covid banned. Worst part. . Parents arrive from UK tonight on same flight so well, I'm on the back list now. Sunday week is when I'll get that chance. Sigh.

 

[OATEK]

You had a similar journey to us in Mar/Apr, except that we caught covid mid-journey and managed to recover in time for a family trip to Ireland, which meant we left on a high rather than a low. Wishing you well for the recovery - lots of grandparenting awaits!