Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Flying justs gets b. & b.

Yesterday was Aberdeen. The flight up wasn’t so bad: we were only delayed an hour. The Geordie pilot confided that they had had mechanical problems earlier (there’s a relief!) and that they would be trying to make up for this all day. His general tone suggested this was unlikely.

I was not late for my meeting, just unable to join the regular weekly team call.

Due to the paucity of flights later in the day from Aberdeen to Southampton, I accompanied a colleague by car down to Edinburgh and arrived at the airport at 6.40 p.m. Good time to check-in, grab a meal, catch-up on email and board the Flybe flight at 8.40 p.m. getting into Southampton at 10.10.

The lady at the Edinburgh check-in was not encouraging. Trouble at Southampton, (something to do with Flybe’s acquisition of BAConnect) and the flight was delayed. We would be going to Bournemouth instead. There would be buses.

S0 I snacked, did email, but mostly waited. 8.40 came and went and it was 10.10 p.m. when we eventually lifted from the Edinburgh runway en route to Bournemouth - the jet was packed by the way, we must have not been the only ones. At least the buses were there. I got home just after 1 a.m.

No amusing people this time. Just folks tired and exasperated, and residual gallows humour (“is this bus going to Edinburgh?”).

Edinburgh airport at 8.40 p.m.