Chaos

Up at 5:00am so as to leave at 5:45am and be at the airport by 6:00am for the 7:10am Ryanair flight to Stanstead. Have to especially praise the children who were not in the least bit grumpy and not complaining about the -7°C in the bus. We left 4 minutes late and were unable to make up the delay (but didn't lose any either) especially with my co-pilot warning me about the very white looking bits appearing in the headlights of the bus. I didn't trust myself to increase the throttle as it's difficult for those not used to it to understand that the "very white" bits are the dry bits of road covered with salt dust. The dark bits looking like normal tarmac are actually the more dangerous often hiding black ice.

Within 15 minutes they were all through security and gone. behind the shutters. Due to the timetables to Dublin, all are flying together to Stanstead and Kate & family taking a connecting flight to Dublin. Kate had not been enamoured with the idea when we had made the arrangements months back but she gave way to brother J's and my insistence. 

Plane left 45 minutes late and Kate no doubt chewing nails as to whether they would make the connecting flight. Made up time by arriving at Stanstead just 27 minutes late, so all OK! NOT. J and Laura made their farewells and out to the carpark to dig out the car and make the excruciating long journey around London.

Meanwhile Kate & Co were told that their flight had been cancelled - not by Ryanair staff but one of the passengers who had been commandered by Ryanair to tell his fellow passengers and also to tell them they needed to go online to get a refund or rebook an alternative! Try doing that when the WiFi system at the airport broke down under load. I could not get the Stanstead website to load or give any info.

Stranded in a foreign country with two young children and not a jot of help from Ryanair is a disgrace. Ryanair can't be held responsible for the snow but in my view they do have a moral obligation to look after their customers and organise other flights and transfers eg to Heathrow or Gatwick. And it's beyond me how a rural airport can close for a few inches of snow. They ought to have a dozen local farming contractors on standby and a dozen big ploughs in a hanger and they could keep the runway and taxiways clear while the airport vehicles do the sensitive areas around the planes and buildings.

Well thanks to brother J's quick reaction, he booked them new flights from Gatwick the next day (naturally costing XX more) but before they were sold out. The Dubliners undertook a train/underground/train trip to Horsham and J picked them up there and took the home for the night in Worthing. As I later said to J - it's a 2017 year old tradition to take in young travelling families at this time of year!

A long, harrowing day for all but Team Family eventually won and again a big thumbs up to the children for keeping smiling. Guess though if you have the chance for another night with Auntie & Uncle then understandable.

Very finally, Auntie deserves a Platinum Medal - well done Laura!