After a long and arduous year, last Friday was the day when I was due to fly home to Spain from the UK after my final business meeting of the year.  It didn't go to plan - not the meeting, the flying home bit.

I left my colleague's house at 2pm Friday and got the train to Gatwick.  Checked in my luggage (overweight due to excess jars of Marmite) and our gate number was called.  Then, another drone was spotted.  After about a 90 min delay, we were informed that our flight was cancelled.  We had to go back through customs and collect our baggage.  Then came the problem of getting another flight.  The Easyjet staff were on hand, polite and professional but simply had no solutions.  All hotels were booked and there was no availability for a changed flight until 4th Jan.  I was instructed to book another flight myself and told that I would be able to claim back the flight cost and other expenses.

That is when it got difficult.  After queuing for 2 1/2 hours, I finally got to the Sky Break desk and I simply asked for a Saturday flight from any UK airport to any Spanish airport.  There were two options.  Manchester to Madrid - 900 pounds - or Birmingham to Barcelona via Frankfurt - 500 pounds.  I went for the latter option.  Then I had to try and book a car and by now it was already past midnight.  Eventually I got one through Avis - they had previously told me that pick up at one location and drop off at another was not an option but I think the guy took pity on me when he saw my desperation. 

I left Gatwick at about 01.00 hrs on Sat.  The Birmingham flight was late afternoon so the plan was to stop in a hotel asap and then continue on Sat.  Of course all the hotels close to the airport were booked out so it wasn't until about 2.30am that I finally checked in to a hotel room.

On Sat, I got to Birmingham without much problem, but the Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt was delayed by 45 mins and so when I arrived in Germany, I had already missed my connection.  To add to the fun, I was also told there were no direct flights on the Sunday from Frankfurt to Barcelona, so I would have to go via Munich.  Worse still, I was not allowed to collect my luggage so when they sent me to a hotel overnight, I didn't even have a change of clothes.

On arrival at the hotel on a packed shuttle bus, along with about 200 other people, the IT system had gone down so they couldn't check anybody in. It was pandemonium. We were told to eat first and then check in.  By this time they had manufactured a paper and pen booking in system which was far from foolproof.  An Irish couple were checked into a room, only to enter and find another couple already asleep in the room.  I made a special request for an "unoccupied" room.  I think my sense of humour went right over the German's heads, although to be fair, my sense of humour does that with many other people as well.

Finally on Sunday afternoon, I flew to Munich and then on to Barcelona landing at about 22.30 hrs.  Fortunately, my luggage (and Marmite) arrived safely too.  For the final part of the journey, I then had to organise another hire car and make the 5 1/2 hour drive to my home, arriving at 05.00 hrs on Monday morning and absolutely exhausted.

The whole fiasco has cost me approximately 1000 euros which I will try and reclaim from Easyjet, although I know there are items on my expenses that they will dispute in terms of liability.  And I am not expecting a quick solution as they will be inundated with similar claims right now.

But the saddest part of the story is this.  I WAS LUCKY !!  There were so many others going through much more difficult journeys than myself, either traveling with young children or in many cases, not traveling at all.  For my part, I am just glad I made it home for Xmas where I can Bah Humbug to my heart's content in the comfort of my own home.

Merry Xmas everyone.