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Broken by British Airways - April 30

Back through Heathrow


View 2016 Tulip Cruise on greatgrandmaR's travel map.

Heathrow

Heathrow


We got a wheelchair to the 'assistance area' and after a bit another wheelchair (with the same guide as before)
Same wheelchair guy

Same wheelchair guy


to take us through security again (again they gave Bob's bag an special inspection) and to the lounge.

Gate check tag

Gate check tag


The scooter was not given back to us at the plane the way I thought it would be. Instead (as we found out later), it was taken off the plane and sent to baggage claim, because it was Gate Checked but it was just Gate Checked to Heathrow. I do not know why it was not given back to us as it should have been. I suspect they didn't want to admit that they had damaged it.

Our gate was not on the board as we have several hours to wait. We eventually ended up in the lounge. I used the computer for awhile, and also went to the bathroom. Bob got me some juice, and he got himself some cookies.

Although I asked to leave the lounge at 3:00, they did not even start moving us until 3:30, and then when they were to transfer us to a cart, they couldn't open the back door on the cart for us to sit there. So the little Indian lady with us got into the cart, and Bob walked with a man pushing me in a wheelchair to gate A10. This proved to be a gate where we had to take a bus to get to the plane. They asked me if I could climb steps and I said I could if I had to and they decided that I should not have to and put us in a lift van with several other people
Getting to the plane - Heathrow

Getting to the plane - Heathrow


So we got on the airplane. This time we had center seats - neither of us had a window. I just didn't take any photos. A man came and said that the scooter had been checked through. But that was just our luggage which was checked through. The flight attendant came to me about an hour before we landed and said that the scooter was still at Heathrow. He was most upset about it (more than I was). They say that the scooter will be on tomorrow's plane and will be driven down to us in Leonardtown. They also wanted to loan us a wheelchair, but I really don't need a wheelchair at home. So the Country Inn & Suites came and got us - without a scooter. Batteries, but no scooter.
Waiting for pickup at BWI

Waiting for pickup at BWI


Beds in the Country Inn and Suites

Beds in the Country Inn and Suites


We drove home on Sunday after breakfast,
Bridge to home

Bridge to home


and looked at the mail and had dinner. About 10 they called from the airport and were going to bring the scooter down that night, but I said Monday morning would be better as it would have been midnight before they got here.

So it came Monday morning, and they had BROKEN THE CONTROL HEAD off of it. Actually two tiny Phillips head screws had been removed and the head taken off (breaking the electrical connection) and then put back. I don't have any photos of the broken scooter

The airline (BA) wanted me to give them an estimate on letterhead of the price to fix. But there were no people down in the country who could fix it who had letterhead to write a price on. So Bob just fixed it himself

How many of the Goals for the trip did I accomplish?

  • Do a canal tour of Amsterdam with Bob. Not completely satisfactory so Half Done
  • Revisit Volendam Originally the ship was to dock at Volendam and it did not - the changed schedule really short cutted the visit - Goal Not Done.
  • Revisit Antwerp (railroad station, Rubens house and the zoo) I got to see part of Rubens house and took photos of the railway station like my father did, so it was Checked.
  • Show Kinderdjik to Bob Bob was under the weather and the boat did not dock close to Kinderdjik like it was scheduled to do. Not Done
  • See the tulips in Keukenhof - Checked
  • Revisit the Alkmaar cheese market - Checked

And after I got home, I found the DVD that my sister made of the movies that my dad took of the Cheese Market
Alkmaar 1950 Youtubevideo
and made it into a YouTube video and gave it to the Cheese Museum.

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Our next trip was in June 2016 Family Reunion in Georgia

Posted by greatgrandmaR 08:20 Archived in England

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