It was 2pm on Thursday. Our first overseas journey in three years to Morocco and Egypt was ready to begin. We were calm and working through the house checks, keys to family, taking the pets to their luxury holiday accommodation and about to have a bite to eat before preparing for our departure to the airport at 9pm. Bags were packed and ready to be checked according to my list. Yes, I'd checked the list multiple times but one can never be too relaxed.
Then, at 2:15pm, a message (see below) from QANTAS. You say QANTAS; I say PANIC! Our 9pm flight to Sydney had been cancelled and we were rebooked for 4pm today. The flight had been moved ahead by 5 hours. This was at 2:15pm. So, mad panic and rush. Bags were closed, departure chores completed, essential documents and passports checked quickly, suitcases locked. Our beautiful niece Lori told me to breathe and stay calm. I panicked. Luckily she was ready to drive to our home immediately to keep me calm and get us to the airport on time earlier than expected. Of course, I continued to panic, then Julie called to change the drop-off time for our cats, then we dropped the cats to the cattery and made the airport with ten minutes to spare.
Lori spoke calmly and slowly. I became less panicked but talked a lot. The airport wasn't busy so we got through quickly and airport staff were efficient. Then Julie had a thorough security check because the scanners bleeped at her incessantly. After a visit to a security room, everything was fine. The boarding gate attendant was chatty, relaxed and listened to my tale in a calm manner. We boarded, reduced our hunger with the pretzel, almonds, corn chips and tomato salsa snack during the flight through cloudy but calm weather.
Touchdown Sydney. We disembarked and went to collect our luggage. Don't panic. The luggage arrived...but to complete the QANTAS experience, our luggage was delivered to the wrong baggage carousel. It didn't change the course of the universe but we did have to swap carousels. And QANTAS didn't send a text to let us know. I know, it was "so extra".
The aircraft for our flight was a Dash 8 but I wish it was it had been a Fokker Friendship used by Qantas in the past because then I could have said they spelled the name, "Fokker", wrong for this flight and the Qantas code should have chnaged from QF to WTF. I know you know what I mean.
Although things seemed to be out of control, and I agree that impression might reflect my personal reaction to it all. Ultimately, it went smoothly with everything and everyone intact. Rydges Sydney Airport offered us a complimentary drink and late checkout til 3pm without charge. Maybe in all this mayhem, the positive outcome is a harbinger for a wonderful trip to come.
And nephew Michael's invitation to have a cognac for him on the Emirates A380 round bar will happen earlier than later. Probably a number of cognacs followed by a single malt whiskey and champagne. We've earned it. So, all in all, we got here with all the documents and bookings.
But there was panic!
And that's that from a much calmer Stefan.
When the message from QANTAS communicates "some delays", you decide what that means in the changes made according to this message. I know, you would panic, too. People say PANIC! like it’s a bad thing.