We found out on the Saturday that we had been put on the Male to London flight the next day, so we were able to enjoy our last full day in the sun before we packed and got ready to come home. Our flight wasn't too early on Sunday so we had time to enjoy our last breakfast and take some final photos of the island.
Once we had got rid of our cases we made our way up to the lounge which all Kuoni customers had access too. Here we enjoyed lots of food & drinks {no alcohol as there is none in the Maldives except on resorts} and used the internet to let everyone know we were on our way home.
After a fairly long & uncomfortable flight, we arrived at Heathrow a bit later than planned. As it was Sunday there were hardly any immigration staff so it took us forever to get through passport control and get our luggage. When we finally made it into the arrivals area of Terminal 4 we still had to get to Terminal 5 as we were staying overnight in the Travelodge nearby. The bus transfers to T5 were no longer running so we tried to get a taxi straight to the hotel, which is apparently impossible at Heathrow unless you are going into central London or further afield since prices start at £60. We made our way back into the terminal as we figured there had to be a way of changing terminals! The underground lines were no longer running so we ended up in the main train station where we had to change at the Heathrow Central station before finally catching a train to T5.
We met the others also going on our flight at the jetty and while we waited we found someone to take our last island photo together.
We were taken back to Male airport by speedboat and this time were made to wear our life jackets. Once we arrived at the airport we had to wait around a bit before we could check in.
Once we had got rid of our cases we made our way up to the lounge which all Kuoni customers had access too. Here we enjoyed lots of food & drinks {no alcohol as there is none in the Maldives except on resorts} and used the internet to let everyone know we were on our way home.
After a fairly long & uncomfortable flight, we arrived at Heathrow a bit later than planned. As it was Sunday there were hardly any immigration staff so it took us forever to get through passport control and get our luggage. When we finally made it into the arrivals area of Terminal 4 we still had to get to Terminal 5 as we were staying overnight in the Travelodge nearby. The bus transfers to T5 were no longer running so we tried to get a taxi straight to the hotel, which is apparently impossible at Heathrow unless you are going into central London or further afield since prices start at £60. We made our way back into the terminal as we figured there had to be a way of changing terminals! The underground lines were no longer running so we ended up in the main train station where we had to change at the Heathrow Central station before finally catching a train to T5.
Of course we had just missed the last bus which went to the Travelodge so I tried to call them to see how else we could get there. When there was no answer we found a bus driver who said he stopped not too far away from the hotel. Turns out he didn't actually have a clue {how can you work at Heathrow and not know where the surrounding hotels are?} and he dropped us off beside a McDonald's and a multi-storey car park, not exactly where you want to be after midnight with suitcases, no Travelodge in sight!
When I finally got through to the Travelodge it was clear from his reply that we were too far away to walk so I got a cab number and we waited for them to pick us up. The cab driver took us to the hotel in the the complete opposite direction than we had been taken on the bus! So it turns out that if we had just waited to get through to the hotel at the airport first we should have just called a local cab from the terminal, however it should be noted that the Terminal 5 Travelodge is actually no where near the terminal! If we ever have to stay overnight at Heathrow again I'm booking the hotel which is actually in the airport and not going for the cheapest option! Turns out we would have been quicker getting a taxi all the way to my sister's flat, which is nearer Gatwick!
After our lovely journey, we did not sleep well at all and then had to be up quite early for our flight to Edinburgh. After breakfast we got the bus back to the airport where our rubbish journey home wasn't complete. BA at Terminal 5 are notoriously strict with your luggage weight and sure enough the lovely woman made up both take stuff our of cases as Graham's was 2kg overweight and mine just 1kg; we tried the we were on honeymoon, got stuck, had a bigger luggage allowance on other flight etc etc but it didn't work and we just ended up stuffing things into our hand luggage in the middle of the T5 check-in area. I think we both slept most of the flight home!
When we got back to Edinburgh we got a taxi straight home to sleep; our honeymoon definitely over! That night we saw my parents to tell them all about it then I had to prepare for my first day at my new job!
Surely if you have had to stay somewhere an extra week because they weren't flying, you should be able to have 3kg extra?
ReplyDeleteAT least you got home eventualllllllly!