Air China, pride of the skies, i mean runways

Right now I should be flying over Russia in the Air China 747. But instead I am in the Radisson Edwardian Heathrow hotel!!

Good old Air china had an engine problem!! The flight was due to take off around 20:25. Bu 20:15, the gate number was still not displayed on the info screens in departure area. Then it appeared. Waited around at the gate until everybody suddenly broke out of the queue and headed in all directions. No announcements were made. We heard that there were engine problems and that engineers were looking at them. SO, they aid to go back to the departures area and wait for announcements. Lucky I had someone to talk to. It so happened that there was a girl (Amy) behind me in the queue who was from China and studying English in Dublin! She was to fly to her home town of Nanchang the next day on a separate ticket. So, we went back to the gate around 10 and they announced we were boarding. We waited. And waited. Then they announced after 11pm that they were cancelling the flight because they couldn’t get the engines fixed in time. Heathrow doesn’t allow flights after midnight because of noise levels. SO, we have to wait until the next day! So, they put us up in a hotel and give us free brekkie and lunch! We were lucky.. They asked for 10 people to stay in the Radisson with the Air China crew! I think we got the best one! Also, happened to meet a girl from Dalian, so she and Amy are sharing a room. New friendships formed already. Had to put m Chinese into action talking to the flight crew about phone cards. The adventure starts already!!!

So, the moral of the story is.... Fly Air France!