28 Hours to get to London

All I can say is, don't EVER make a connecting flight through JFK.

We left forOrlando Airport at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7th. Upon arriving in Cinncinatti, we had 10 minutes to catch our connecting flight to JFK. When we got there, the flight was delayed due to a thunderstorm at JFK, but we made it with plenty of time to spare. The gate agent then made an announcement that the flight would be delayed for a couple hours, and the chances of us making the connecting flight to London in JFK was pretty slim. He suggested we book the 7:55 non-stop flight from Cincinnatu to London Gatwick, getting in at 9:00 a.m., then take the tram to Heathrow, meet Theresa, and we'd all be on our merry way.

That sounded great until a few minutes later the original flight was cleared to board and we would have 45 minutes to meet up with Theresa, hit the duty free shop, and fly to Heathrow together. So we canceled the flight to Gatwick. Upon touchdown at JRK at 7:55 (Heathrow flight was to leave at 8:40), we were told that we would be on the tarmac wating for a gate to open for a minimum of an hour. There were several people on this flight that were heading to Edinborough, Scotland and were missing their connection also. Apparently JFK shut down for fifteen minutes due to the thunderstorm and they couldn"t handle all the traffic.

iI called Theresa at 9:30 after we finally go to the gate, and our original flight to Heathrow that she wsa on had JUST left the gate an hour late. When we got off the plane, we were told that gate agents would be there to help find connecting flights. There were NO gate agents there. But at this gate was a flight leaving for Manchester, England in an hour. We all decide that at least we would be across the pond and fiure a way to get to Heathrow andEdinborough from there. Someone told us to go to Gate 24 which is where the Delta customer service counter is -- a good 10 minute fast walk. When we got there, the line had at least f=50 people in it. It's now 10:00 pm. and the Manchester flight leaves at 10:30. So we wait, and wait, and finally at 11:00 (after the Manchester flight has an hour delay), one of the ladies waiting to go to Scotland goes up to an agent at the end of the counter and cuts the line and explains the situation. The agent got her andhr family on the flight. But then many of the people in line starting complaining and making a commotion.
at 11:45 it was finally my turn. After waiting for 15 minutes, we were finally booked on the flight to Manchester which was leaing now at 12:30. (I forgot to mention that Delta booked us on the 6 P.M flight on Wednesday, but we didn't want to have to go to a hotel in NY (on us, no less). So we get to the gate and there's still no agent The lady that had cut the line and was already at the gate told us that there hasn't been an agent for an hour and a half. Five minutes later the pilot comes out and apologizes profusely to the passengers for the delay as well as no agent. He said in 30 years he's never seen anything as unprofessional and discourteous as this situation.We couldn't get boarding passes or ask about our luggage. He tried the best he could, but he didn't have the answers.
At 1:00 a.m., still no agent and the pilot is getting really annoyed. He called the tower (whatever that is) and asked for an agent AND a supervisor to come to the desk. Then he left. The phone at the check in desk kept ringing, so I took the initiative to answer it. I told whoever it was that there was no agent here. Then 5 more calls came and the other lady and I alternated answering the phone. We even have it on video.
By 1:30ish, an agent and the rudest supervisor I have seen came to the gate. She as much as told the pilot to mind his own business and if he wants to talk to her, thye'd take it in the back room. So we all get on the flight at 2:00 a.m, get out to the tarmac, and are 23rd in line to take off. We were supposed to connect to a British Airways flight at 1:25 p.m. British time. Of course, we didn't make that either. But I will say, when we landed at Manchester, as soon as the door opened, an agent came on board and called my mom and I up to the front and handed us new British Airways tickets tothe 3:30 flight. We hada little over an hour to kil, so we hit the duty free store. It's going to be Bailey's for the next couple weeks.
` On top of it all, all we had eaten since breakfast on Tuesday morning was Delta cookies and peanutes.
all the fast food places were closed by the time we got to JFK. Even the newsstands with the bottled water and ready made sandwiches were closed.
So we made the 3:30 flight to Heathrow and waited for our baggage. Guess what. Is 'still at JFK and won'te here untl Thursday afteroon. Luckily we were flying British Airways and they gave us an overnight ack consisting of a man's oversized t-shrt andsome toiletries.
`Then we waited an hour for our transfer to pick us up to take us to the hotel, then an hour ride to the hotel. We strolled in here around 8:00ish British time. We said our hellos and went out to the Hard Rock for a burger and a beer, then walked home, had a shower and here I am. Everyone else is asleep, but I wanted to get this out tonight.

Sorry for the typos. I'm using a webtv type keyboard, the keys are sticking. Tomorrow we're going to see the chaging of the guard and other london touristy things. And hopefully we'll have a change of cothes. Three days in the same clothes is little much.