I hate flying! (1 Viewer)

Jun 16, 2013
1,228
820
Wiltshire
Funster No
26,522
MH
Low Profile Hymer CL 554
Exp
Since May 2014
We are waiting in Fort Lauderdale airport with a delay till 23:45! We booked this holiday last year before getting the Motorhome and now really appreciate the ease of travelling in your own home. We had a lovely holiday but the next few years will be flight free :). We hadn't flown for nearly 5 years preferring our caravan and cruises. Next year Europe and i can't wait!

Rant over, but at least there is free wifi here :)
 

DBK

LIFE MEMBER
Jan 9, 2013
17,969
47,804
Plympton, Devon
Funster No
24,219
MH
PVC, Murvi Morocco
Exp
2013
What was it like getting into the States? I have heard of very long delays at immigration.
 

DuxDeluxe

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 10, 2008
14,628
72,241
Planet Zog
Funster No
3,243
MH
A woosh bang van
Exp
since 2008
It depends very much on the airport and time of day. I go to Houston a few times every year and last time actually got through well before the bags arrived on the carousel. This is rare - normally about 20 minutes or more. At Newark a couple of years ago it took about 3 hours. US border protection does not have a sense of humour either. They take themselves very seriously, but despite the stories are generally ok.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Tootles

Funster
Deceased RIP
Sep 14, 2013
9,511
34,799
Lancaster
Funster No
28,093
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Was a newbie, now a Middie.
Why do you need a plane?? It's like having a car, and travelling by charabanc....Being a DUCK and all.......:)
 

Tootles

Funster
Deceased RIP
Sep 14, 2013
9,511
34,799
Lancaster
Funster No
28,093
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Was a newbie, now a Middie.
Because it is hard work doing all that flapping and it is pretty hard to relax and also can't hold the champagne glass when self flying.......(y)
You flap a lot on here David..........:rofl::rofl:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
OP
OP
Spidey
Jun 16, 2013
1,228
820
Wiltshire
Funster No
26,522
MH
Low Profile Hymer CL 554
Exp
Since May 2014
Not too bad getting in, landed at 8:15 pm and at hotel by 11pm. Long lines everywhere.

We eventually took off about 1am and landed at 1:45 London time. Spent 6 hours at the gate area before boarding, but the poor incoming passengers had to wait 3 hours on the plane before being allowed off!

Had a fantastic holiday. Walked around fort wilderness camp ground at Disney, much to my 2 DD's disgust. Wow some of the RV setups are amazing, didn't see a van close to our little 6 metre size!

How sad go all the way to Florida and get excited walking around looking at RVs. Also my main souvenir was a correll dish set for £18! 4 place setting :)
 
OP
OP
Spidey
Jun 16, 2013
1,228
820
Wiltshire
Funster No
26,522
MH
Low Profile Hymer CL 554
Exp
Since May 2014
That's it nothing is worth this much travel, no trains between reading and Swindon so now on a bus! So far I have been traveling for 27 hours and still not home.

On the plane my OH doesn't eat meat so they give him a veggie lactose meal it was boiled rice and peas and carrots ! They said they would replace it with a cheese sandwich but it was full of raisins and tasted off!

Really miss just stopping whenever we liked and eating decent food, I don't find traveling in the MH a chore but part of the holiday.
 

GJH

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 20, 2007
29,450
38,828
Acklam, Teesside, originally Glossop
Funster No
127
MH
None, now sold
Exp
2006 to 2022
Why do you need a plane?? It's like having a car, and travelling by charabanc....Being a DUCK and all.......:)
You want to start thinking things through before posting Dave.

Would you want to take the risk of David flapping above you at a height? :LOL:

You might get wet

Sorry, you need to subscribe to see this content. Subs are £20 a year. You Can Subscribe Here

Log in or register now.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

irnbru

LIFE MEMBER
Jun 27, 2013
13,503
31,101
Glasgow
Funster No
26,684
MH
Benimar 264
Exp
11 yrs
A small sacrifice to pay for a great holiday with the peace of mind your flight should be trouble free. I would rather be delayed than go on a dodgy flight.
 
OP
OP
Spidey
Jun 16, 2013
1,228
820
Wiltshire
Funster No
26,522
MH
Low Profile Hymer CL 554
Exp
Since May 2014
A small sacrifice to pay for a great holiday with the peace of mind your flight should be trouble free. I would rather be delayed than go on a dodgy flight.

Agree, but it was the airports fault not the airline. Still prefer going away in the MH from a traveling point of view.

Anyway home now and starting to think about our next holiday :)
 

Tootles

Funster
Deceased RIP
Sep 14, 2013
9,511
34,799
Lancaster
Funster No
28,093
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Was a newbie, now a Middie.
Well, we are due another PLANE STOPPING ICELANDIC VOLCANO!!! Next few days, my seismologist informs me.
Look how we move on! Seventy years ago, aircraft were allowed, no, encouraged, to fly through anti-aircraft shrapnel! Now, a bit of ash grounds them! That's progress!. (y)(y)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

wanderer

Free Member
Apr 14, 2008
643
769
huntingdon
Funster No
2,152
MH
a class Arto
Exp
since 2008
We also hate flying but as our kids now live in Oz its very difficult but not impossible . Last year we went overland from London to Singapore by truck and shipped the last leg . next year we are planning train to Singapore , maybe a cruise after this
 
OP
OP
Spidey
Jun 16, 2013
1,228
820
Wiltshire
Funster No
26,522
MH
Low Profile Hymer CL 554
Exp
Since May 2014
Wo w that would be an interesting trip. How long does it all take?
 

wanderer

Free Member
Apr 14, 2008
643
769
huntingdon
Funster No
2,152
MH
a class Arto
Exp
since 2008
The truck trip took 6 months and 26 countries . We estimate the train to Singapore at 6 weeks if you google seat 61 you get a rough idea

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
OP
OP
Spidey
Jun 16, 2013
1,228
820
Wiltshire
Funster No
26,522
MH
Low Profile Hymer CL 554
Exp
Since May 2014
The truck trip took 6 months and 26 countries . We estimate the train to Singapore at 6 weeks if you google seat 61 you get a rough idea

Had a look at this site, very interesting. Just have to wait until we are free of kids and jobs :)
 
D

Deleted member 29692

Deleted User
. We estimate the train to Singapore at 6 weeks if you google seat 61 you get a rough idea

We like the look of this one too. I was ready to book it yesterday! Just got to figure out how to persuade Grandma to come and look after thug and dog for a couple of months and we're off :)
 

wanderer

Free Member
Apr 14, 2008
643
769
huntingdon
Funster No
2,152
MH
a class Arto
Exp
since 2008
We like the look of this one too. I was ready to book it yesterday! Just got to figure out how to persuade Grandma to come and look after thug and dog for a couple of months and we're off :)
Have a look at "odyssey overland" on google , the trip Istanbul to Singapore is excellant it has been slightly modified since we did it as we started in London
 

magicsurfbus

Free Member
Oct 11, 2010
4,673
10,127
NW England
Funster No
14,057
MH
Bessacarr Coachbuilt
Exp
Since 1997
I didn't set foot in a plane until I was 40, and wasn't very impressed on the few occasions when I have flown. On one trip we had to abort the landing in the last few seconds at Gatwick and go around because someone else hadn't cleared the runway in time. On another occasion we had a nightmare time trying to get a plane back from Florida after Hurricane Charley had crossed Orlando. Needless to say the internal flights lounge had generators, working phones and toilets, and available food, while overseas flight passengers were sat on the floor in darkness with no bogs and only Red Cross burger vans. The only high point was when they said there's be no in-flight catering. Guess what the in-flight movie was after we'd all been struck by a bloody Hurricane? 'The Day After Tomorrow'. Mercifully that was the only part of the flight when I slept.

I'd rather take three days to drive to Italy than 3 hours to fly there.
 
Jul 5, 2013
11,713
13,681
Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells, UK
Funster No
26,797
MH
A class
Exp
Since 2013
At Newark a couple of years ago it took about 3 hours. US border protection does not have a sense of humour either. They take themselves very seriously, but despite the stories are generally ok.
You must have been very unlucky. We fly into Newark once or twice a year (daughter lives over there) and have never waited anywhere near that long. The problems usually occur when 3 or 4 international flights land close together. Bear in mind that the vast majority of flights into Newark are domestic (even if long-haul) because JFK is the main international hub for New York flights. Made worse because traditionally most transatlantic flights (the main international ones for Newark) take off in the afternoon from Europe and land in the evening.

Last summer our mid-afternoon BA flight from Heathrow beat the Virgin one in and we were literally 5 minutes getting through - no queue and spare booths. This summer ( we are still over there as I write this) the Virgin one got in first and we were at the back of the queue, even though we were first off the plane. Took us the best part of an hour to get through. But that is about the longest we have ever taken.

We have found the immigration people OK in the USA. We bear in mind that they have a crappy boring job and just talk to them nicely, even when we have been waiting an hour. Last year we were questioned about London for a couple of minutes by one - but that was only because he was flying out there himself in a couple of weeks!

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
D

Deleted member 29692

Deleted User
Have a look at "odyssey overland" on google , the trip Istanbul to Singapore is excellant it has been slightly modified since we did it as we started in London

Wow 6 months. It looks great but probably a bit too long for us.
 

Puddleduck

LIFE MEMBER
Jan 15, 2014
12,357
43,866
Scottish Borders
Funster No
29,703
MH
Without at present
Exp
On and off for many years.
I've always found the US immigration official to be totally professional. No sense of humour when working but behind the scenes they are just normal people with a difficult and stressful job.

The first time I flew into the US I went via Minneapolis and was held in immigration for a few hours (I fit the profile of an "over stayer") but they were just doing their job and once they had contacted my relatives all was good. They even apologised but it had helped fill in the time between my flights so no real problem. As I remained calm and relaxed I suppose they soon realised I was no threat but they had to do their jobs. It might have helped that I was going to stay with a head of department at Denver City Police!

After direct flights started to operate between Gatwick and Denver things were so much easier. I was on one of the first flights from Gatwick to Denver and the immigration official smiled and said "Gee, are you Suze's cousin?" after he stamped the documents. When I confirmed he said "Ed's truck is just round the back, I guess he's waiting for you." Best immigration was into Miami by ship - our daughter was called first and the immigration official was very taken with her - gave her a huge grin and told where would be best to grab a meal on the way to the hotel.

Hope the volcano behaves as we are off to Denver again in three weeks from Glasgow via Iceland!!!!

Sure I could waggle my tail feathers and flap the old wings but it's a long way for a little puddleduck - I'd hitch a lift in a wing but it gets cold and a bit short of oxygen after a while.
 

DuxDeluxe

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 10, 2008
14,628
72,241
Planet Zog
Funster No
3,243
MH
A woosh bang van
Exp
since 2008
We had a few horrible experiences with US immigration, once joining a cruise ship in Vancouver and the others at LAX and Las Vegas. Apart from the inevitable rotten queues at IAH as the BA flights land in the afternoon at peak time the people themselves are OK but must remember not to joke. Have had quite a few smiles from them. Canadian immigration has been unfailingly courteous.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Aug 18, 2011
12,091
17,897
derbys
Funster No
17,808
MH
AUTOSLEEPER SYMBOL
Exp
since 2007.Tugger before since 1970
Because it is hard work doing all that flapping and it is pretty hard to relax and also can't hold the champagne glass when self flying.......(y)
Why do you need a plane?? It's like having a car, and travelling by charabanc....Being a DUCK and all.......:)

You can use your BUS PASS on a charabanc....BUSBY:):):)
 
Aug 27, 2009
19,788
23,032
Hertfordshire
Funster No
8,178
MH
Van Conversion
Exp
40 years
I love flying.
I love Ryan Air.
I don't go through immigration when going to the USA.
I don't go through immigration when coming back into Europe.
I have dual nationality.
AND my dad is bigger than your dad!
JJ :cool:
You will love it even more now they have introduced a new business class service. Sheer luxury on a free loaders budget:)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...057948/Ryanair-introduces-business-class.html

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Tootles

Funster
Deceased RIP
Sep 14, 2013
9,511
34,799
Lancaster
Funster No
28,093
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Was a newbie, now a Middie.
I love flying.

I love Ryan Air.

I don't go through immigration when going to the USA.

I don't go through immigration when coming back into Europe.

I have dual nationality.

AND my dad is bigger than your dad!


JJ :cool:
Hmmmmmmmm......

Is the USSR still classed as a 'country'? :whistle::whistle:

Bet you sing this as well:.....(y)(y);)


Oh, flew in from Miami Beach by Ryan Air.
Didn't get to bed last night
On the way the paper bag was over my head
Man I had a dreadful flight
I'm back in the U.S.S.R.
You don't know how lucky you are boy
Back in the U.S.S.R. (Yeah)

Been away so long I hardly knew the place
Portugal has been my home
Got a load of PortoDouro inside my case
Honey disconnect the phone
I'm back in the U.S.S.R.
You don't know how lucky you are boy
Back in the U.S.
Back in the U.S.
Back in the U.S.S.R.​
 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top