sambapink

Sorry I just have to have a RANT :curse:

My 18 year old daughter (i.e. my baby..) .. was flying out of LAX last night to spend a week back home. She's flying Virgin. Anyway got to the airport, loads of time, all was Luverley Jubberley!!

Anyway, its not easy saying bye to 'your baby' and letting her fly cross- atlantic on her own, but shes a grown-up now and so off she went. She's taken to the Californian lifestyle quite quickly, and is all like, "chill mum i'll be fine"

Her flight was due to take off at 7.20 pm, she text to say they had boarded and all was fine.. Then she called me at 8.30pm, having sat on the plane for an hour, apperantely someone was sick and had to be offloaded. Ok, well thats fine shouldn't be too long. She then calls me back 20 minutes later, theres a big commotion now because the other passengers sitting near the said 'sick' person reckon the 'sick' person was 'suspicious' So they wanted ALL the other passengers offloaded and re checked!!

Anyway another hour went by and she called to say that the pilot said they weren't going to offload ALL the passengers and that he was more than happy with the security checks already done But that 6 of the passengers wanted off the flight so had to offload them :curse: At this stage i'm already on my 4th glass of wine!! I asked my daughter if it had made her feel nervous, and she was like "NO! I just want some food!!" I think I was nervous enough for all of us!!

Finally she called at 10.15pm to say that they were ready to take off. Checked flight status this morning.. she didn't take off til 11pm.. Bless her heart! Four hours sitting on the plane, and apperantly next to a 'smelly' person!!

I'm sitting here all morning checking her flight status, and for the last hour it has said 'Expected Arrival - 15.32' but it has just changed and said 'Expected Arrival - 16.45' ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH :curse:

I just wanna see it saying she has landed safely!!

Rant over, sorry!

cybersecretary

OH NO - poor you. Thats a horrible first solo flying experience. I am sure she will be fine. are you still on the wine????

sambapink

I blooming wish !! Just heard on online radio (english one) that there has been a major incident at Heathrow!!! Apperantely a man was seen running with bags towards a plane, they are going to carry out a controlled explosions ... My Nerves!!!!!

Englishmum

TBH I'm surprised that the flight took off at all if it departed 4 hours late; I would have thought that the flight crew/cabin staff hours would have been exceeded on such a long haul flight.

I wonder which idiots wanted everyone to be re-screened.... If they were so anxious perhaps they should have voluntarily offloaded themselves when the sick passenger left the plane...

(I'm also surprised that you were worried about an 18 year old flying on her own....my kids were doing this from the age of 12....one year my son flew from New Jersey to Singapore via Frankfurt and back at the age of 13 with Singapore Airlines....mind you the lucky blighter got upgraded to First Class all the way out there and Business Class all the way back...on a free FF ticket!)

sambapink

Yeah, I flew on my own to the States when I was 11, But I couldn't give a monkeys if she was 28, shes my kid and its my job to worry

scrubbedexpat097

Quite agree with you......
(and my kids are 29 and 30!)

cybersecretary

keep us updated. thinking of you.

Englishmum

This is the report from Sky news:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...309211,00.html

Queenie is opening the new Terminal 5 tomorrow.....

Roland Hulme

Oh, golly! It sounds just as stressful for you as your poor daughter.

Sounds like she's quite sensible though. I'd have throttled the first passenger who used the word 'suspicious' since suspicious can mean anything these days, from a guy wearing a turban to two Arab passengers being overheard discussing the weather in their native tongue!

sambapink

Pheweeeeeeeeeee...

Just spoken to her, all is well in the world again! Apperantely 7 people offloaded the flight last night :curse: Some of the passengers were saying that the 'sick' person was VERY suspicious and could be a 'Bomber' and that Virgin safety checks were rubbish.. Have u ever heard the likes!!!!

Anyway they eventually took off after lots of rows on the plane, and she said the flight was good. Well i think for her the best bit was that she was served her first LEGAL drink

She nearly had a fight with Gerry Halliwells Nanny in the baggage reclaim hall.. but thats a whole other story!! Then i asked her what it was like to be back home and she said 'oh well England just has a certain smell, it was great , i nearly cried' Too Sweet..

bevinva

Glad she made it OK. Delays can drive you nuts. I love the feeling of the wheels hitting English soil, well tarmac anyway!

JEM3110

Yes, I love that initial feeling on arrival back in UK - it's like putting on a comfy pair of slippers!

jumping doris

One of my daughter's friends comes to the US a lot and he says that the US has a certain smell.
I wonder if I'll notice the UK smell when we go back for the first time later this year.

Paul S

you will, its 'chips' IIRC

scrubbedexpat097

mmmmmmmmmm.........chips