Thanks Note - Jack to his children - 11th Jan.2013

Jack's adventure of his flight back to Canada from London

Hi all,

I thought that I should write back and thank all of you for a wonderful holiday full of activity and surprises. When were planning on coming for Christmas I thought this is a bad idea as the flights should be always full but with guidance from God above we did move and it has all worked out very well. When we were leaving we did not get on the first flight but got comfortable seats together on the second and all was well. On the return journey when I went to check in they could not find the booking. So after going to three different counters they finally managed to retrieve the booking. My U had looked like a 4- moral make sure that booking references are written very clearly and precisely. So that done, I got on the standby list and waited patiently and anxiously as the list became shorter on the display board in the Staff Waiting area. I was finally called as the last standby passenger to go to the Red Desk. Oh Oh I said to myself this does not sound good as the others were all directed to the Blue Desk. When I got there they said I had not said I would take a jump seat so if you want one run to the Blue Desk. I said great I will take it and almost as the boarding pass was printed and my bag was being tagged they receive a call to say HOLD. “I am sorry” she says “they have found 2 broken seats on the plane so they have to move people around your seat is to be allocated to the one before you and you will need to wait for the next flight”.

So back I went to wait for the next flight 4 hours later. I made myself comfortable on the hard airport seats with my feet on the bags and got 2 hours of sleep, had a bit of lunch and then with great hope went back to the Staff Standby area. I was 2^nd on the list. “ACCEPTED GO TO BLUE DESK” flashed up. Thank you lord I said. At the desk they checked the bag and said you will get the seat at the gate. So far so good so I went in and made my way to the boarding gate and waited patiently till the boarding was completed. The wait was rewarded with a Club World seat. Praise the Lord he is so good and wonderful and gives what we need.

As I sipped the Taittinger Champagne I thought about you Maryann the champs connoisseur, the Crayfish butternut squash and cucumber timbale starter and cheese board of Barber’s cheddar and Cropwell Bishop Stilton were dedicated to you John and the Hereford fillet of beef with béarnaise sauce was dedicated to you my love. A wash down with a tot of Otard VSOP Cognac completed the BA offering of all the natural tastes of sweet, salty, bitter, sour and Umami the fifth taste as I savoured every mouthful thinking of you all with no one to say I was making crunching noises as my neighbour slept with headphones over his flat cap right through.

On the whole the experience was great.

Love dad.