Flying to Tokyo

Posted on 2013/03/02 19:42:28 (March 2013).

[Friday 1st March 2013]
Got up at 7:30, with still a reasonable amount of packing left to do. By 8am we still hadn't actually packed any clothes for Erika, or for Chie for that matter - but then clothes are probably the easy part - it's all the other odds and ends that require more thought and time. We seemed to end up with a really ridiculous amount of luggage, as we'd decided to take Erika's buggy as well we barely had enough hands for it all.

We left the flat at 9, got a taxi to Paddington, and from there the Heathrow Express, which got us to the airport around 10. I spent the time in the airport being annoyed at the terrible exchange rates on offer there, and kicking myself for not having gone to the one near Victoria yesterday. The current base rate is 140 yen to the pound, but places in Heathrow were generally offering to sell at 124, which is an 11% profit for them, and would make 1000 yen cost £8. When I was living in Japan it was more like £5.

Our flight was at midday, so by the time we'd checked in and got through security etc we didn't seem to have much time to kill in the airport at all (I'm not complaining) - so just did some rudimentary shopping and headed for the gate.

I have to admit to having been quite apprehensive about Erika's first flight, I had visions of her crying the whole time and us having to endure menacing stares from irate fellow passengers. As it turned out though it wasn't too bad, we lavished attention on her whenever she was awake, and the cabin attendants were all cooing over her as well, so she probably quite enjoyed it. She had a few short naps in the "Sky Cot" we'd been given, although I'd hoped she might have a more substantial sleep towards the end of the flight, as it would be her bedtime back in the UK, but unfortunately they have to take the cot away almost an hour before landing.

The descent was probably the toughest bit, she'd been fine with the pressure change on the way up, but on the way down it seemed to bother her - probably combined with the fact that she was quite tired by this point, and had been rudely awoken from her peaceful slumber in her sky cot. So for that last hour of the flight she did cry a bit on and off, despite our best efforts to get her to yawn and/or drink. Oh well, it can't be helped I suppose.

So she probably slept for a total of about 2 or 2 and a half hours during the 12 hour flight. Not bad I suppose, considering it is effectively a daytime flight. It occurred to me she has slept longer on this one flight than I have on all the flights I've ever been on combined. My running total is still pretty close to zero.

Told you she would be okay!

Posted by John's Mum at 2013/03/04 08:54:27.

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