Andy Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Okay, so I've been out in the Middle East this week. Pretty hectic week, but I'd everything planned so a nice early flight back from Cairo today would see me home around 3pm in time to wind down for the weekend and get the tons of stuff I've got to get sorted for Hawkstone next weekend done. Flight was at 8:30 to Heathrow then on to Edinburgh. At 7:20 I attempted to check in at Cairo Airport with my friends at British Airways only to be told "gate closed". Huh? 1 hour 10 minutes before the flight? What's that all about? No amount of pleading, begging, threatening, arguing did any good (I wasn't alone - there were a few folk in the same position) so it was onto the phone to the American Express Travel Emergency Line (they do all our corporate travel). Cool, there's an Egypt Air flight to Heathrow at 10:30 and a BMI flight to Edinburgh I can make. However, it's too close to departure for them to book so I have to go pay myself. Brilliant, methinks -I can still get home by 6pm. Toddles off on a nightmare double bus journey to the other terminal at Cairo and into the Egypt Air office. Availability no problem, how am I paying? Company Mastercard. Transaction declined. Huh? Try again. Transaction declined. Now I know that card is NOWHERE near it's credit limit, but it kept coming back declined. I'm not a big fan of credit cards and don't have a personal one. The only one I have is the company one. They wouldn't take Maestro so I am well and truly stuffed. Back on the phone to Amex Travel. Can't help me. At this point it's 9am in Cairo so 7am in the UK. I can't get hold of anybody in our HO to check out the credit card situation till 9am UK time and phoning the card company gives me "Our business hours are 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Please call back during those hours". I try to hide at the back of a cafe and blend in - not easy when every other bloke looks like Saddam Hussein and the women all look like Survive the 2 hours and get hold of our Travel Manager. Checks credit card and absolutely no problem with it. Of course, by now I've missed the Egypt Air flight. "Please - just get me home - I don't care how" Aha - Lufthansa via Frankfurt. Leaves at 3:30pm, few hours to kill in Frankfurt then a connection to Edinburgh. Gets me into Edinburgh at 10:50pm. That'll do! First leg fine, but a 1.5 hour delay to the Frankfurt /Edinburgh bit means I finally got home (having been up since 4:30am UK time yesterday) at 01:15 today. Of course there was not a word of apology for the delay from Lufthansa and they weren't too chuffed at me marching off the plane whilst whistling the theme tune to The Great Escape Of course if those USELESS ******* ******* ***** at BRITISH ******* ******* AIRWAYS had let me check in in the first place... ***** BTW, the one good thing that did happen today is I got an email saying BA are off our list of preferred carriers. Now I can write them the letter I've always wanted to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Ha! You daft bugger! Let me tell you a hard lesson learned! When you travel, get yourself another card and keep it in your sock! They can take your luggage, take your wallet, take your carry-on, and you can still find a chilled ale, car, or room! Have you seen the movie Airport! Welcome home, now get back to work you hippie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 I think its time that you considered getting a job at the local chip shop matey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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