May 13-14 Departure and Arrival

We left the gate at Boston Logan on time but as we pulled onto the runway to take off we quickly pulled off and got back into the queue. The pilot informed us that they had not yet received the "weight numbers" from the office. A few minutes later and we shot down the runway and up into the air over Boston Harbor.

Not long after the seatbelt sign went off  we were served champagne and dinner. Maybe it was the fact we had upgraded to Business Class but the food was pretty tasty and the wines quite good. 

After the dinner trays were collected, the lights went off,  and we flattened our seats into beds slipping away with the jet-stream until we started our decent into Heathrow.

Landing a few minutes early at about 6:20am, we disembarked at Terminal 5. Having only about 50 minutes between flights we had to scramble to make our connection to Paris, which was in Terminal 4. While BA was very organized in having individuals stationed at critical junctions to asset passengers in making the their connections, having to go through security ONE MORE TIME even though we weren't leaving the airport seemed not only unnecessary but absurd.

To give you an idea, here's how it went: 

As soon as we reached the end of the jetway there were a number of BA reps holding various close connecting flight numbers, along with shuttle carts. We saw our girl and waited patiently for a few minutes. She then turned to us and said, "I have to wait for everyone to get off before we can leave," and I asked "will they hold our flight for you to arrive?" "No" she replied. So she gave us a large orange "Express Connection" card and we charged off following "Flight Connections" signs. (We had also been given "Fast Track" passes before we left the plane as well.)

After going through numerous corridors, downs three flights of escalators, waiting for a train, back up three flights of escalators, throughout the "Express Connection" line (or was it "Fast Track?) we were flung into the vast melee of security check. There were numerous passengers scrambling to make their connecting flights, and security reps were doing there best to get everyone to the shortest lines. 

After being cleared through security we flew to our gate -- the minutes ticking by -- down the stairs into a bus and drove to somewhere just short of Scotland before getting aboard our plane way out on the tarmac.

We were in the air soon afterwards and after reaching our cruising altitude a breakfast of eggs and sausage was served (not bad either). Before long -- about 45 minutes in fact -- we were gliding onto the ground in France.

Off the plane we walked to the baggage claim area and watched as everyone on our flight picked up their bags and went about their lives. Susie and I, on the other hand, soon found ourselves alone, bag-less.

After checking with the baggage service reps nearby -- and after a small misunderstanding about whether we could wait for our bags or not; we could -- we cooled our heels for a couple of hours waiting for the next BA flight from London.

NEXT: Will the missing baggage arrive? Will they find the car rental desk? Will they ever leave the airport?