A Sort of Homecoming

Sixteen hours traveling with three kids on three flights, one of whom is 15 months old and not fond of sitting still. The check in lady in SFO was so distracted by her daughter calling her cell phone to organise collecting her, that she screwed up our seats. For two of the three flights we were scattered around the plane and had to seat swap as people boarded after us - never a whole lot of fun for all concerned. Then, when we arrived in Heathrow, it turns out most of northern Europe is blanketed in thick fog, and our flight to Shannon is delayed by over two hours. When we finally get on the plane, it sat on the runway for an hour before take off. We finally arrive in Shannon but our luggage does not. It is twenty minutes in an empty arrivals hall before an Aer Lingus customer service person arrives to help.

However:

Even though the check in lady at SFO screwed up our seats, (she did so in the pursuit of getting us bulkheads), the air hostesses on all flights were incredibly helpful. A very nice English woman, studying violin in L.A (and lives there without a car!!), gave up her seat to sit beside three young children for 10 hours, which helped our family get seats together and ensured that the couple who had to move as a result also got to sit together. A lovely old couple sitting beside us in Heathrow kept complimenting our kids, saying how good they were, and the Aer Lingus hostesses on the flight to Shannon went above an beyond to get us seats together (this has been my experience in general with Aer Lingus, they get the kid thing). My parents were waiting for us, and when we got home, there was whiskey. Good whiskey - Tyrconnell single malt whiskey. I went to bed tired, happy, and mildly drunk. I suspect this will be the pattern for the coming days.