Springtime Transatlantic Aventures
Luggage Trolley Drifting through Terminal 3 to the Coach Home
In this Adventure
- So, 80 more Tier Points. Always demanding more, British Airways…
- To the joy of Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 with FlixBus
- British Airways Galleries South Lounge and T5B Lounge
- British Airways BA295 London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare in World Traveller Plus
- Into the USA and the avid Hotel, Des Plaines
- The Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Airplane Art Extra from the Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- A Simple Burger Night at Chilli’s
- Deep Dish Pizza Special at Pequods
- A Monday Morning Adventure around Chicago
- Back to O’Hare, The American Airlines Flagship Lounge
- AA90 Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow in Main Cabin Extra
- Luggage Trolley Drifting through Terminal 3 to the Coach Home
- Was it worth it?
With the American Airlines Boeing 787-9 parked at Gate 301 (Or Terminal 3, Gate 1), there would be a fair hike to Immigration. Thankfully, it’s a route I’ve taken before, so I powered through some of the walkways as well as stopping to take pictures.
Terminal 3. A little different to normal.
The resting aircraft
A Virgin Atlantic A350-1000
I had a stopwatch running too, for entertainment purposes.
You see, whilst the plane had made the gate at 9:55, there was a chance I could catch an earlier coach back to Birmingham at 10:30 (as opposed to waiting an extra two hours until 12:30).
Another American Airlines aircraft – they don’t normally use this side of the terminal…
There was one thing I needed to do before I faced UK immigration, though – and that was get comfortable. Thankfully, there’s a facility for that on the way through.
With my body feeling a little better, I continued the walk to where the “arms” of Terminal 3 start to consolidate, and towards the UK Immigration Hall.
Towards immigration
Choose your adventure
More Choices.
The main immigration hall.
I headed through the lines for the eGates and exited them to the manual clearance lanes. From here, I was processed back into the UK and welcomed home.
Back in the United Kingdom.
With that, I checked my watch again, with time was starting to run down to meet the 10:30 coach from Heathrow to Birmingham.
Could I physically make it… or will the coach pull out the moment I get out of the secure area?
As the clock ran down, I headed onward to baggage claim. Sadly, priority luggage continues to be a fantasy at Terminal 3, with my bags popping out around 25 minutes after I landed.
Not great, but considering the performances I have had in Terminal 5 in the past, this is a stellar performance.
To the exit. And step on it.
With less than 10 minutes to go, I cleared the UK Customs and headed out. It was at this point, I found out my trolley had a mind of its own.
Put it like this, I was drifting around corners. Initial D fans would eat their hearts out, whilst Densha de D fans would cry… multi-track drifting?!?!?!?
We’re inclusive in our anime and parody comics.
Descending through the bowels of Heathrow Airport, I built speed and momentum as I crossed underneath the roads of Heathrow to the Central Bus Station and the lifts to the departure level.
Checking the watch, I had 2 minutes to go before the coach “went”. This was getting unpleasantly tight, to the point where I was pondering which size bucket of coffee to order from the coffee shop in the waiting area.
Popping out of the lift into the bus terminal, I didn’t bother looking around at the departure boards – rather, I headed straight out to the bus stands.
As I walked into the cool air, a Green FlixBus Number 920 chose this as the perfect time to arrive, as it parked in a bay.
Part two of the cunning three-stage plan is complete. Even Wheatly would approve.
Now, to the charm part and hopefully I could get on this coach. I waited for the majority of the passengers to board, then asked if there was capacity, explaining I was on the later coach. The driver explained that the coach was half full, so there was plenty of room for them to accept me aboard.
My ticket was scanned, and both bags were accepted for travel to Birmingham.
From exiting the aircraft to being on a coach out of Heathrow in 35 minutes flat. I could handle that.
With most of the coach ignoring their seating assignments, I took the infinite legroom at Row 5 (where the wheelchairs would go) and sat down.
That’s what you call legroom.
The driver announced that our next stop would be Birmingham; however, due to a major accident in the Oxford Area, we would be going around the Oxford Ring Road. In addition, if we took the M1, we would be trapped in further roadworks and queuing traffic.
Around Oxford it was.
Reversing out
Pulling out of the Central Bus Station
Oh well. I could try and fall asleep again. That worked well with the two hours I got on the flight back to London.
Off we go.
As anticipated, the motorway was shut at Oxford, requiring the diversion around the ring road, with the driver taking an “indirect” but faster route through the traffic.
The only time I managed to doze off was when the coach hit the local motorways to Birmingham. Sigh….
With the coach taking the M42/M6 and Aston Expressway back to the city, I idly considered wheeling the luggage home. I then idly thought against it.
The old fire station
Looking up into Snow Hill
The coach crossed the various Queensway, peeling off at Great Charles Street Queensway for the loop heading out to the city, then turning back for the exit to the city, and the bus stop where this had all started a few days ago.
The stop was busy, as another bus pulled in behind us, and this pavement wasn’t designed for that many people.
The luggage bunfight.
Unloading at Great Charles Street – Council house on the left, with The Paradise complexion in the middle, and two coaches.
After retrieving both of the bags, I hailed an Uber for the ride back to the flat. While I could have walked it, with the bed head and exhaustion, I didn’t feel like dragging the luggage back to the flat.
Soon enough, I was at the front door at the end of another adventure.
Finally:
Was it worth it? Considering I had a fight when I got home with a certain British Airline…
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