Got to MUC an hour and a bit before departure and was asked what flight we were on. Told our flight had been delayed. Well hasn't even left LHR yet. Not a good sign, especially when I asked when was it leaving and the reply was 'when they find the new plane'
Horror suddenly took over, so with a plane change have we changed aircraft too? Ah yes 320, oh and all the exit rows have been taken. So we went from the best ever short haul Y seats to prob the worst with no recline as they are just in front of the first overwing exit.
Never mind so we headed to the delta crown lounge to drown my sorrows with some last minute german beer and wait for a definite time. I looked on the flight tracker on the laptop and could tell I might have to start on the bubbly as well as the incoming flight was showing as 'boarding'. So we worked out way through an hour where the plane boarded, final call and taxied. (Then I realised just why I hate LHR with everything taking 15-30mins just to taxi) The incoming flight finally got off the ground 3:50 late. Getting bored of the lounge thought I'd go and check out the other lounge in the next module of Munich's terminal 1. The atlantic lounge is used by Aer Lingus, Icelandair and some others. Nice enought lounge but did have internet access and a really cool automatic machine to serve you beer.
Heading back to the delta lounge saw the later LHR flight land and got a little upset as that was supposed to be a 320 and was a 319 so some lucky person would have thought they had the crap seats were in for a surprise.
Finally just after seven our flight arrived and a quick turn around meant we were soon called. We boarded and were greated by a grumpy old CSD who looked absolutely nackered. Didn't have the courage to ask if they were the orig crew or if they had been called in on standby as I thought she might bite!! Looked at our boarding cards and pointed us 'halfway along'. This was completely different to on the way out where I was greeted at the door with the correct name and title.
Got to our row 9 and a poor family behind were in a tix. They had checked in online and then dropped their bags at the airport and nobody picked up on the fact that the 3 and 4 year old were probably not going to be able to open the overwing hatch. A commotion started and the FA just walked to the front to discuss it with the CSD. She just waved her hands in the air and left the poor girl unsure what to do. So fed up now and trying to get to our seat I said to them to take our seat and we would take theirs. Nobody else around who were already sat down offered which was very unfriendly. So we swapped and the legroom was ok.
Pushed back after the flight deck explained the previous a/c went tech and they couldn't find a plane!! CSD barked at the cabin crew to prepare the doors and then barked at us to look at the safety demo. Screens came down, film started and the ended then screens went up never to come down for the rest of the flight.
So after take off we sit there, then the club curtain is not just pulled but taped into position so nobody shall pass that point. Took about 25 mins before the trolley appeared and drinks were dished out. Now I fed the family in munich on pork nuckle and dumplings so we were all nicely full but a lot of people were prob expecting a little bit more that 'crisps or biscuits' especially as you could hear all the fine china plates and things in J.
So as the flight went on and my diet coke finished with no flight map to watch had to judge where we were. Had some really nice views of traffic passing in the other direction including a VS340 at about 19:50 over N germany/belgium (couldn't think of where that was going at the time)
1:25 after take off we hit the thames estuary. Work our way up the river to lakeside and then decide it's time to start holding. Never have I circled so many times around lakeside or bluewater even at Xmas!!! 25 minutes of holding and then we made it onto final. Landed and taxied off the runway at terminal three with a nice view of T5. Taxied a bit more, then a bit more then thought 'where's the terminal' given the late arrival I had a feeling they may be overnighting it at a remote stand but then we made a u turn and taxied furter around to T1. We arrived finally at the grey metal tube area of T1 which confused me for a while until the F/O announced that there was no other gate than a domestic gate so we were stairing at the front and back onto buses. Now given that we should have landed four hours ago a lot of connecting passengers started to get worried (including the gentleman and his little boy the CSD upgraded to club as they were on a tight connection).
We waited and waited and then suddenly realised after a knock and some noise at the back that the rear stairs were on and they were the only ones going to be put on. Then started the shouts about connections and things so we quickly got out as soon as possible and onto the bus. Drove forever to reach T1 via T2 for some reason. What really upset me was that as we were trying to leave the coach driver was blocked in by a refuler and started shouting at the dispatcher that he is always doing this and she better sort it out. I mean did he not see 50 or so people standing on his bus with him shouting - good PR BA[V] Another [n]as we were on route on the coach we passed a number of free stands that were suitable for us (I get the feeling they really had another idea of using that plane for a domestic sector)
So to summarise the delay would have def not been nice without the priority pass access to the lounge. The usual stuffy BA image and bad ground handling together with a dump that's called T1 made me realise just how much I hate LHR and couldn't wait to get home to the sounds of those planes leaving my beloved LGW.
