Those of you who follow me on InstaGram, know we had a little 'hiccup' at the start of our trip. Here we are, finally on our way...
Happy and excited couple, right? All looks well, no signs of trouble. So imagine our shock when 10 hours later it looked like this...
Yep, that's me...in an ambulance, hooked up to monitors, clutching a barf-bag, in a foreign country...and missing our connecting flight. But let's start at the beginning, shall we?
I have only ever flown Coach (read our budget travel tips here)...but always dreamed of knowing what life is like on the other side of that First Class curtain...where yummy smells emanate, and you hear the clinking of real glasses and silverware. It's as if they're purposefully rubbing it in to those of us starving, and crammed like sardines, in the back of the plane.
This June marks Mr. Sugarplum and my 15th wedding anniversary, and coupled with the big birthday I just had, we decided to celebrate by depleting our airline miles, and splurging on an upgrade for our flight to Europe. You can't even imagine the level of giddiness we had with the entire experience. We tried
I was anything but cool when they served us gourmet lunch, then dinner, followed by warm cookies and hot towels for cleaning up.
The overnight leg of our trip was on British Airways, where we had our own private pod, stocked with quilts, full-size pillows, plenty of storage space, and amenity bags filled with socks, eye mask, ear plugs, face and hand creams, and lip balm. And that's only Business Class...no telling what was happening in First Class!
After a three-course dinner, I settled in for my own private movie party. Of course I went with a high-caliber cinematic masterpiece. #edward
Happy, full and sleepy...we snuggled up on our fully reclined seats, and dreamed of
It was on descent into London that things got ugly. I started feeling dizzy and nauseous, which isn't uncommon for me when landing. But instead of fading like they usually do, the feelings snowballed. I dashed to the bathroom, but Mr. Sugarplum was forced to deplane. For some asinine reason, international flights arriving at Heathrow land quite a distance from the terminal, requiring exhausted travelers to transport in a shuttle bus. Wobbling down the steps of the airplane is the last thing I remember.
Mr. SP sat anxiously at the terminal waiting for me...first one bus, then another. Finally, he spotted me, but before he could relax, he realized I was stumbling around like a marionette doll (his flattering description). He dashed to the bus, where he said I made brief eye-contact with him, then passed out cold. Fortunately, he caught me just as I landed...which as he says, was no easy feat considering I was 'surprisingly heavy.' Thanks, babe.
Apparently I came around long enough to throw-up in the bus, then pass out again. I woke up laying on the terminal floor, covered with blankets, and the pilot laying next to me taking my vitals. (Sorry about that puke-breath, Sir!) I looked up to see our entire British Airways flight crew forming a human shield, to protect what was left of my dignity. An immigration official came and took possession of our passports (since we hadn't cleared Customs), and paramedics arrived, along with representatives from Heathrow Airport and British Airways. Based on the size of Mr. SP's eyes, it was a bit of a spectacle.
Obviously, we missed our connecting flight, and they weren't quite 'comfortable' with me flying again that day...so British Airways put us up in a really nice hotel for the night, provided us with meal vouchers, had our bags pulled from the plane, and booked us on a flight the next morning. The flight crew was all off-duty, but stayed with me anyway until they were sure I was okay. We were absolutely blown away by all the kindness! The airline had no obligation to me, nor was it their responsibly that I was sick, but they went above-and-beyond for us. Thank you, British Airways!!!
I recovered by the next day, and the rest of our trip was amazing. And thankfully, our flight home in Coach was blissfully uneventful. We still don't know why it all happened, but I guess I just have no business being in Business Class...it was just too richie-rich for me. Obviously, this girl needs to stick with Coach, where I belong! (I kid, I'll always jump at the chance for an upgrade!)
What's the craziest thing that's ever happened to you while traveling? What random acts of kindness have you received?
0 comments:
Post a Comment