Stuck in LA

Two rain-soaked storms have swept across California this week. The first storm front almost washed-out the Virgin Galactic event I attended on Monday, while the second successfully derailed my trans-Pacific travel plans last night. I missed a flight to Auckland after my connecting shuttle flight from San Francisco was delayed more than two hours by poor weather.

Fortunately, Qantas was decent enough to rebook me on this evening's flight without penalty. I'm now holed up at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles making plans to get the most out of my unexpected 24-hour lay-over. I guess I shouldn't really complain. Despite more than three decades of regular flying I don't think I've ever missed a connection before.

I cannot believe that three out of four flights on this trip have already gone wrong. I have another three flights still to come. My misfortune is a stark reminder of how disruptive winter weather can be in the Northern Hemisphere. We have so few weather related disruptions Down Under that I've always booked flights with complete disregard for the weather. It's almost a scientific certainty there'll never be a problem regardless of the season. That's definitely not my experience living in London. Garry and I have suffered at least one major weather disruption every year, both delays and cancellations.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast for Los Angeles isn't promising. A third storm is expected over the city later this evening and thus today's weather is already rather cold and damp. I shall look forward to a week of Summer conditions in New Zealand - if I can get there!