New York, New York... (2.30 hours late)
Trip Start
Oct 20, 2008
1
2
20
Trip End
Dec 06, 2008
New york,
New York,
United States
Monday, October 20, 2008
You know it´s gonna be one of those days when the voice over the tanoy says ´to those passengers of flight VS25. This flight is being delayed half an hour because the flight VS16 has got a technical fault and passengers are being transferred to this flight´. Que the big gulp and the ´it´ll be ok, we still have 2 hours to transfer in New York´. 2 hours and one mini cheese and onion pretsel later and even if we did make it there in time we´d have um... 0.00 seconds to get through the terminal to the other gate (that´s all dependent on actually finding the gate first time in an alien airport).
So long story short, we missed our connection by a healthy 12 minutes, and as the 23.30 JFK to Lima fade into the night, we entered the que for the worlds most paranoid customs check point since check point charlie. (hope I got the historical reference correct). Understandable though since 9-11, but the starey eyed redneck behind the desk could have been a little more open to the idea that, yes, an Englishman is travelling through the United States to Lima for the purpose of tourism, and not just to steal the greatest state secret of the USA, that there are in fact no decent internet cafe within 4000 miles of any major airport in this funny little country, only these stupid Internet phones that are going to shaft you for a dollar for 3 minutes (and it will take you most of that to work out how to use the bastards). Excuse the french, travel fatigue...
Anyway, we managed to grab a blistering hot shower and a hour and half sleep in the Holiday Inn before making our way back to the airport for 4.00 am. And after a slight tussle with the AA auto-checkin system a lovely lady from American booked us on a flight to Miami for a late transfer to Lima...
That´s coming up next, all I can say is the Virgin flight and on board staff were quite good. Watched ´Sex in the City´the movie. Not bad, almost blubbed at the end but held it back for the guys sake:)
Virgin ground staff at JFK were unhelpful. So For flight comfort I´d give them a 8 / 10. Staff wise 6 / 10 (did not like the captains millitant anouncements about how there was nothing that could be done. Plus as a sub note to the whole escapade ´for flight has technical fault so passengers and being moved to your flight´ please read ´we´re trying to save a little money by combining two half booked flights´. A little harsh but I´m tired.
On the other hand American where a lot more helpful, and we got our bags after two trips, despite complications in bookings. 9 / 10 for the staff. Cheap and cheerful flights 7 / 10.
Ok, better get back to Ewa and Wojtek who probably think I´ve done a runner... Woo, can you get sea-sickness from airplanes?
:)
