Springing to Chicago – Delayed Arrivals and Homeward
- Here we go… again (in more ways than one)
- Off to Heathrow
- Terminal 3 Oneworld Lounges (Cathay Pacific and American Airlines)
- AA87 London Heathrow T3 to Chicago O’Hare International
- The joy of US immigration
- Intercontinental Chicago – Magnificent Mile
- Travel Tech: Life with a Canon 50mm f1.2 (yes, it’s another walk around Chicago)
- Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Travel Tech: SkullCandy Ink’d Wireless Headphones
- Airplane Art Special: From the Balcony of the Hyatt Regency O’Hare ** BONUS **
- Back to O’Hare, The British Airways Business Class lounge
- BA296 Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow
- Delayed Arrivals and Homeward
- Short and Sweet
With me off the plane, it was time to engage in the wonders of getting home. Least of all, by the time the plane had reached the gate at Heathrow – I had a grand total of 15 minutes to get off, clear immigration get my luggage, and race to the coach for the ride homeward.
That, my friends – isn’t going to happen.
Exiting at the B Gates, I followed the signs for the transporter to A Gate, and climbed aboard. A simple ride, but considering how awake I wasn’t – simple enough.
British Airways Boeing 777-200 sitting waiting for its next duty
Thataway.
Wait this time.
Heading up to UK immigration, I followed the signs for the ePassport lanes. With the usual 50/50 chance I have with the ePassport machines, I was expecting to be rejected.
Amazingly, they worked for once.
Miracles take a little longer as they say.
A quick look at the phone time, and the coach at this point – had gone. Oh well.
I headed down to luggage claim, where the luggage was being delivered from the plane. I had a short wait, but my two bags made it undamaged from the bag belt.
TravelPeep meeting bag friends.
With the final formality of dealing with UK Customs, I headed out of customs and past the last duty free shop, and back land-side.
It’s time to Run The Risk!
Once in the public area, there were two priorities – rebooking the coach ticket, and getting a mug of coffee (because as much as I like airline coffee, very few airlines can’t make coffee for nothing).
I went to the National Express state – who confirmed the coach had long gone. Thankfully, I brought an amendable ticket – which meant I could jump on the next coach.
For a £5 change fee and £3.25 fare difference.
I doubt they were happy with the fee changes too (and they were on the same coach for the same distance).
With a choice of that – or facing the trains, I swiped my credit card one more time. The new tickets unhappily spat out of the machine.
Although if you can read that.. you’re doing better than most of the world.
With that done, I headed off to Costa Coffee. Mainly because I was half asleep still. A mug of coffee in hand, and me sat down, I caught up with the world and the UK (and also… the office at the same time).
Wake me up please…
With coffee inside me, and my brain now beginning to function (as well as plan the next few days in the office), I kept an eye on the clock – mainly as I didn’t want to pay yet another change fee.
With the designated time coming, I headed out into the cold of the UK and to the coach stop, where the coach was pulling in. .
National Express Coach 212
Heathrow Terminal 5 to Birmingham Digbeth Coach station
With a slow journey today (with the coach going via Heathrow T4, Heathrow Central, Banbury, Coventry and Birmingham Airport), I settled in to watch some planes from the coach (since we were taking the long way round Heathrow.
Royal Brunei Boeing 787
British Airways birds and South African Airlines A330 at the maintenance pad
747’s aren’t hard to hide
Another sort of bus.
Travelpeep is not impressed with coaches it seems.
Hello and Goodbye Central Bus Station.
Once past the airport, I put the seat into recline to attempt to get a little more shut-eye. And failed mostly.
Got wood?
The drivers kept to time, making the stops on the way – and once off the motorway, it’s hard to doze off.
Coventry
Birmingham Airport
And even passing the airport, I can’t escape…
Qatar Airways Boeing 787-8 preparing to head back to Doha.
Eventually I was deposited at Birmingham Coach Stations – just over six days since I was here last.
Coach… done.
Rather than dealing with a Uber, I bailed into the nearest black cab for a ride homeward. Thankfully, black cabs can go through bus routes – so it was able to make a few short cuts for the ride back to the flat
By 5pm, I was once again at my front door – and another adventure over and done with.
Although I wish they repaired the lights in the communal corridor.
And yes – I was at my desk the next morning when I should had been in bed. The life of an IT Engineer is non-stop sometimes…
FINALLY: Short and Sweet
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