Vegas – Baby….
We had a late flight at 5.15pm, so we didn’t pick Neil up until 10am for the drive to Heathrow. This was both good and bad. Good because there was no rush, but bad because we were likely to hit traffic problems later.
The day before, I hadn’t been able to complete the online check-in. Now, as this wasn’t the first time it had happened to us, I put it down to us being randomly selected to have our documents checked.
I could see our booking on the app, and we were both getting regular updates from BA about checking in and not taking power banks in our hold luggage, so there couldn’t be any real problem with our booking – could there?
The drive was, as suspected, hit by congestion, but I had allowed extra contingency, and we still arrived at Sunny’s in good time. He was his usual chatty, happy and efficient self as he dropped us off at Terminal 5.
Then the fun started.
First, we couldn’t find where we had to check in without having done so online. Eventually, we were pointed towards a horrendous queue made up of hundreds of people who had just had their flights cancelled due to storms in the area. They were all having to see someone to rebook.
I politely asked one BA lady if we could use one of the many other check-in staff who were sitting with no queues, explaining that we had simply been unable to check in online.
She was most unhelpful and simply said “no”.
I was not impressed.
After five minutes standing in a queue that wasn’t moving, I appealed to a much friendlier BA chap who told the first lady just to let us through.
I just smiled as she had to move the barrier.
I explained to the waiting helpful check-in lady that we hadn’t been able to check in online, and then the fun really started.
She said she could see our booking, but it seemed no tickets had actually been processed internally. For reasons she couldn’t fathom, so we therefore didn’t have tickets to board the plane despite the App telling us to the contrary.
She made a long call to ticketing, and the result was that I was told the only option was for me to phone up and rebook.
I asked if she was joking.
Apparently not.
She kindly allowed me to remain at her desk area to do so.
Now, as I correctly surmised, the call centre was rather busy with lots of people rebooking, and it took 25 minutes for me to through to an agent on the line.
It then took the agent another 15 minutes to work out that when I had called to move our dates because of Karen’s operation, there had been an internal administrative error.
She claimed someone had called me about this, but I never had a call. No message was left, no follow-up email was sent, and we were completely that there was an issue at all.
It was flipping hot standing there, and by this time we were all getting rather stressed, to say the least.
It was confirmed that I would have to rebook completely and they would sort out the old booking later.
The problem was that the booking had been made using Avios, and I now didn’t have enough points to rebook again. Because I had pages of credits and debits due to other bookings, I had simply assumed my balance was correct and not as they were now claiming I hadn’t had the points deducted for this trip. I had no easy way whilst standing there to prove that either way.
I therefore had to agree to purchase the balance of points I needed there and then whilst on the phone.
For various reasons, this had to be done as two separate transactions, which took even more time.
Then, despite having already paid the taxes on the first booking, I had to pay again, with the promise that the first payment would now be refunded within the next 15 days.
Only then could she finally try to secure our tickets and seats on the plane.
Eventually, after putting well over £1,000 onto my credit card and spending more than 90 minutes at the check-in desk, we were finally issued with boarding cards and able to drop our bags.
I suspect I am going to be busy over the next few days going through the paper trail and checking everything very carefully, as I am convinced, I have now paid at least one of either the points or taxes twice or more.
Fortunately, Neil’s booking was fine, as that had been done separately.
Also fortunately, Karen quite correctly attached no blame to me, as I had no way of knowing, especially as everything had looked fine to both of us in the BA app.
Then our flight was delayed by 30 minutes.
Then our flight was delayed by another 30 minutes on top of that.
I wasn’t at all ready to give up and go home at all.
As we didn’t have lounge passes and our seats didn’t give access either, we spent the time eating and drinking in two different Starbucks.
Eventually, we boarded.
The Club World cabin (which we were not in) was full, with several screaming children. We were in Premium, which was less than a quarter full, of just adults so that was good. Neil was not far behind us in Economy, where it was also only about a third full, and many people were soon stretched out asleep over three seats.
In fact, they probably had the better deal than those in Club World, at a fraction of the cost.
I watched Hamnet, which had come out around the time of Karen’s operation and which we had missed. It was very good, and I could see why it had received rave reviews and won Oscars.
The food was just about passable. We both had the lamb.
Then, before we landed, we were served another hot meal of chipotle chicken, which was a strange addition.
I managed some sleep when I could and, in between, wrote the blog.
During the flight, England were playing their final group match in the World Cup and, as we had free Wi-Fi messaging, Barry gave us much appreciated regular match updates.
We landed about one hour late and were soon off and through immigration. The bags took a short while, but pleasingly they all came off together.
It was a long walk to the taxi rank, but when we got there, there were plenty waiting.
I was nominated for the front seat.
It was like being in a real-life Grand Theft Auto.
The driver was going at a frightening speed and changing lanes even when there was no space to do so. At one point, we seemed to be getting further away from the Strip, but he assured me it was the fastest route.
I remain unconvinced.
Then, at the end of the journey, he demanded cash. I said I wanted to pay by card, but he insisted his machine was too slow.
I remain unconvinced, but fortunately I just had enough cash.
I suspect that may be the only cash I use on this trip.
Welcome to Vegas.
As with all Vegas hotels, it was a long walk to the Flamingo reception. After keeping calm, I paid the exorbitant $49 daily resort fee and we checked in.
Our room was clean but tired. At least Neil’s was on the same 17th floor.
Despite convincing myself beforehand there would be facilities in the room to make a hot drink, there weren’t.
I was despatched downstairs to Starbucks to get some.
The £6 each for a cup of tea was bad enough, but when they wanted to charge me for two cups of tap water, as well, I told them they could just put them back down the sink.
Nineteen hours of travelling makes me like that.
I took the teas back and told Karen to savour every last drop.
After sorting out wires to charge all our devices and connecting to the Wi-Fi, we turned off the lights and tried to get whatever jet-lagged sleep we could.
What a day.
Or was it a day and a half?
Vegas the city that never sleeps but we did.
