Day 20: The Haneda Airport debacle...and then home
Day 20: The Haneda Airport debacle...and then home
1 June 2017
Wasn't going to write a blog today but sometimes circumstances conspire against you.
Up at 5am to get our taxi at 5:30am for 8:50am flight out of Haneda. Just as well really...
Our taxi turned up and we told him we were going to Terminal 1 because that what it said on the paperwork from Expedia...(see the screen shot below. See! Terminal I)
He queried it (in Japanese as he didn’t speak English. No reason why he should!) but I was insistent it was Terminal 1. (Spotted a problem yet?)
Off we trundle and half an hour and 6000 Yen later we get dropped off at Terminal 1. I go looking for the place to drop the Pocket Wi-Fi off, thinking they'd have a drop off in each of the 2 terminals. Nope - and speaking to the lady at Information I found that I needed to go to the other terminal. I presumed Terminal 2 which we had seen on the way. Swearing. Left Tracey with all the bags and ran off to get the shuttle bus to Terminal 2.
Get to Terminal 2. No drop off point and nothing looked familiar. Genuinely panicky conversation with the Information Desk woman there. Turns out (as the sharp eyed amongst you may have spotted – we didn’t!) that the “I” is not a “1”. It’s a capital “i” for “International Terminal”. Terminals 1 and 2 are domestic departures.
LOTS AND LOTS OF SWEARING. (Not to her I hasten to add)
Had to get a taxi back to Terminal 1, find Tracey and give her the good news. Swearing and divorce. Ran around THE WRONG FLOOR trying to get the shuttle bus to the International Terminal. No buses. SWEARING. Taxi man told us the correct floor. “Thank-you”s....then SWEARING and running. Found shuttle bus, waited for ages for it to go (muttered swearing) then eventually got to the correct terminal. Ran to hand in Pocket Wi-Fi and then went to check in at the desk.
One case 2Kg overweight.
Repacking and politeness and checking in. Then
SWEARING AND SWEARING AND DIVORCE AND SWEARING.
The “I” on the form really does look like a 1, especially at 5:30am and it isn't helped by seeing terminals 1 & 2 on all the signs on the way in.
To be fair, the Japanese guy we sat next to on the plane had done EXACTLY THE SAME THING! Expedia need to sort it - it's really unhelpful. Later note: have messaged them and got a reply. Whether they will do anything about it…..
So…. completely my fault. Entirely. No question. I shall never hear the last of it. It will be on my bloody tombstone!
I shall not mention ever than we BOTH checked it before AND after we got in the taxi. But yes completely my fault, especially as the taxi driver really did question it but the bloody stupid gaijin idiot in the back was having none of it. It's not helped by the fact that of course JAL fly out of Terminals 1 & 2 too so it's not immediately apparent you're in the wrong place.
Anyhow, did get the plane (as evidenced by being home now) so all’s well etc.
Actually we flew BA on behalf of JAL rather than JAL itself. To be honest, JAL call Economy Class “Economy” but manage to make you feel special and the food is good. Excellent in fact. BA call Economy Class “World Traveller” and manage to make you feel like you’re in Economy. Will actively avoid BA next time.