There I was feeling all smug because I got to London City Airport early. Never mind that I had bought my ticket for the DLR and wandered off with my change, forgetting to pick up the ticket. Some lovely person grabbed the ticket and stopped me before I was a complete idiot.
Consider this foreshadowing for the rest of my journey. I got on the DLR in the correct direction. Two stops and one changes at Canning Town. This, of course, is provided that you can get through all the moms, toddlers and prams in time to exit the car. Failing that you ride one more stop to Star Lane, change directions and go back one stop. Then there is getting from Platform 1&2 to Platform 3 (departure for Woolrich Arsenal not during rush hour). Elevator to the tunnel, Elevator up followed by escalator and dodging the crowds since the number of people hanging out on the platform is steadily increasing.
So there I am, London City Airport. Looking at the flight board – I don’t see my flight. Huh? I did the online check in that morning and didn’t see a problem. I go to a kiosk which tells me that I can’t check in there for Heathrow flights…. What the hey?!?!? I didn’t book a flight out of Heathrow. I am not completely crazy; Convention at ExCel in Docklands = London City Airport. I manage to get logged into the free Wifi. The flight on my reservation doesn’t exist.
I go to the desk and meet an absolutely wonderful woman. We look at my board passing. Sure enough, it says LHR. It is 1530. I could go to Heathrow, but I really don’t want to. There is a flight at LCY ~ 1700. Miriam (great name, that) attempts to change the flight. No go as I am now booked out of another airport. Undaunted, she finds her supervisor and between them she gets me off the 2000 flight from Heathrow and onto the 1700 flight from LCY. This is not exactly uncomplicated and takes a significant effort and phone calls to their central office with lots of explanations.
My suitcase gets checked, I sail through security and get to the gate with time to spare. The flight from Germany is late getting in due to rain and we are about 20 minutes late leaving. I don’t care, I am on the plane. I am even in an exit row – go figure. Frankfurt is no hassles, I catch the direct train to Heidelberg and am home just after 2200 (which is about 2 hours earlier than originally planned).
In the hour I have been home I have run a load of wash and packed my suitcase of everything that isn’t in the washer. Just started the dryer and I am now going to crash.
Moral of my whole story – providing an email for schedule changes doesn’t do you any good if you fail to read your email. The fact that I fly Lufthansa a lot I think also made a difference. I can’t imaging British Airways making that kind of effort for me.