Journeying home

Although my actual flight to JFK isn’t until tomorrow, modern travel and my own paranoia necessitates that I begin the journey today. Driving in the UK is so very different than the US, even on highways, something I think I have mentioned in previous blogs. Although it is only 133.4 miles from where Sheila lives to Heathrow, closer than the distance from Sierra Vista to Phoenix, the journey takes 2.5 hours, assuming there isn’t an accident on the motorway. Sheila didn’t want to attempt the drive and I don’t blame her at all. 

I could have gone by train but that would mean heaving my suitcases up and down from platform to train, since most of the platforms are several inches lower than the trains are. And transferring first at Bristol—platform change, one lift (elevator) per two platforms up and down to the tunnels connecting said platforms—and then at Paddington—walk from train station to Underground and try to make sure cases don’t go rolling down the subway car during the half hour plus journey from Paddington to Heathrow. Having done the journey one way, i.e., arriving at Sheila’s, I thought “there must be an easier way.” My search began a week ago.

And I found the National Express coach. Of course it only runs two times in the day, once at 9:00 and the other at 9:30, to Bristol to connect to the Heathrow coach. But at least the coach driver heaves the cases into the luggage hold and takes them out again. You don’t get that kind of service on trains unless you are in a wheelchair. And the coach is significantly cheaper than the train too. Even when I factored in paying for a taxi to take me from Sheila’s to the coach station at Weston-Super-Mare. Sheila doesn’t like driving during rush hour and, with the petrol problems the UK is having right now, again I can’t blame her. All was looking super good.

Until the other minor glitch two days ago that, from 8:30 to 9:00 am, the taxi companies in Burnham, Sheila’s town, are all occupied with ferrying kids around on school runs. Hmmm, life is always interesting. I read a quote this morning that said that we have round heads so we can turn our thoughts around. Makes sense to me given all of the minor stuff that can trip a traveler up. Mulling things over, the decision was made to book the taxi at 7:30. I arrived at the bus shelter—it’s not a full-sized station in Weston—at 7:55. And waited. 

In the meantime though, I want to share another “b**** COVID testing” anecdote. When I was preparing to travel to the UK, I checked the re-entry requirements to the US on the American Airlines’ website. The airline advised that I would have to test before flying to the US but that the US (unlike the UK) would accept my doing the test “at (Sheila’s) home” as long as I bought one of the fancy “test on computer camera while a tech watches to make sure that YOU do the test” kits stateside and brought it with me. So I have been carrying the testing box around with me the past month. Being the paranoid person I am, I decided to test yesterday, which was within the 72 hour window. All went well, test results were negative. And then I tried to upload the results to VeriFly, the app that American Airlines recommends for “quick and easy” check in. I had used VeriFly coming to the UK and it had worked well.

There I was yesterday morning, feeling quite pleased with the final (fifth!) negative COVID test and thinking “I am all clear to go now” when there was another one of those glitches that requires some round headedness. I uploaded the file of the medical certificate and within five minutes VeriFly sent me a message “Test not approved, check requirements.” What?? The testing company said right IN the certificate that the test met CDC travel requirements. What was “unapproved” about it. Of course VeriFly has no chatbot, no phone number so I email’d them an anxious email saying “what in heck is wrong?” And I also email’d the testing company. AND I had a virtual “chat” with American Airlines. 

American Airlines said everything sounded fine to them, just show up at the airport with a copy of the negative test result. The testing company (Qured, test of choice for several airlines) reassured me that the problem “must” be with VeriFly. And VeriFly kept sending me email messages “check the testing requirements.” So I wasn’t reassured because I wasn’t able to check in online as there was this notice “must be okay’d by VeriFly.” I felt like I was in Catch-22. 

It’s a good thing that I decided to come to Heathrow today. I reassured myself yesterday that if, when I got to Heathrow today, American Airlines said the test WASN’T the right kind, I could get a test right here at Heathrow. I also reassured myself that it was VeriFly’s problem by looking up reviews of them. 87% of reviews of VeriFly over the past month have been negative. People saying they were having similar problems to mine.

So, that’s my travel story so far, roughly 18 hours before the final push. I am feeling very, very thankful that all has worked out so well. I give myself some credit for my round headedness and a lot of credit to my father, who taught me to be a careful (I will stop saying paranoid now) traveler. 

But I am also feeling very hungry so am going to see if there is a cafe in the hotel where I can get a light meal.