flights – Jess' Journal of Joy

Yes, you read that right. We are on a flight. Completing the full trip home still seems uncertain but maxed cards later we are on a plane.

After waiting in line for hours a Flight Centre worker came down the line offering business class flights leaving today via Japan. We had minutes to consider it as it was leaving in less than two hours. We spoke to parents, tried to weigh up options. And decided to risk it.

The Flight Centre worker typed at lightning speed. We ran for the shuttle bus to the domestic terminal. And now I am writing from the plane so don’t have long to write.

We are flying to Sydney, then to Tokyo then to London. We are praying Japan doesn’t cancel their flights before we board in Sydney. We are praying nothing more stops us from getting home. We are praying we have made the right decision.

Stay safe
Stay isolated/social distance where you can
Keep washing hands and sanitising
Most importantly be kind to others

Last night we got a notification that we could check in to our flight. This morning dropping the car hire off we were warned some flights were cancelled but not ours. We walked into the terminal and it is a ghost town. Departures board reads: CANCELLED.

We are currently queuing at Flight Centre along with many others. From what I can gather it’s futile because the only flights going are over £7,000 per person. But we have no other choice. We have no other information.

Trying to call Emirates and the phone doesn’t even ring. I managed to get through to British Consulate in Brisbane, they couldn’t tell me anything more than find a place to stay, isolate and wait for news. I’ve emailed our local MP, the British consulate and Joey even emailed Boris Johnson.

It is mad that UK have now, way too late, advised British people to return home at the point where flights are not available. It is mad that we were promised flights would stop after Wednesday so paid around £4,500 per person to change to a flight today only for Dubai to stop transits and cancel flights anyway.

I’m angry. I’m frustrated. I’m lost.

There is no information. There feels like there is no help even though everyone I have spoken to has tried and has been compassionate but they are equally in the dark.

I understand that this is worldwide and unprecedented and we have never experienced anything on this level before. I know these decisions are being made in consideration of saving lives. I still think this situation is being massively mishandled.

I wish we had booked a flight home earlier. I wish we had stayed where we were and made plans not to return home for the time being. It doesn’t matter though. It feels that any decision at this stage is the wrong one and we are always a step behind this.

Now we have no place to stay. No car. No way home.

We’re trying to remain calm and just find out what we can. That’s all we can do. It’s no longer taking things day by day but hour by hour.

I will keep these live updates going until we are either back in the UK or have a more definitive answer on how long that might take. I will also try to share information where possible to other travellers in a similar situation.

Stay safe
Stay isolated/social distance where you can
Keep washing hands and sanitising
Most importantly be kind to others

Tag: flights

LIVE UPDATE #1: Coronavirus Crisis – At The Airport