Homeward Bound

So yesterday the airline emails us to say there was a planned 24 hour strike on March 24 by the Australian Border authorities, which handles both the immigration exit process as well as the security screening.  We were advised to allow extra time at the airport, as in a minimum of three hours, preferably four.  Our flight was scheduled for 10:30 and it is 30 minutes to the airport without traffic, double that if there is traffic.   We decide to set the alarm for five a.m.   

Last night we checked again, and the strike has been called off. But we decide to allow for traffic, so moved the alarm to 5:30.  Naturally, we both awoke early at 3:30 and never really got back to sleep.  Up, shower, eat and called the Uber driver at 6:30.  Three minutes to get picked up.  At the airport a few minutes before 7.  A little confusion finding the right check-in line, but the gate agents were very proactive and kept pulling people out of the general line to take them to temporarily unused gates in the group and status sections.  Then it was through immigration and the security screening where there were lots of people and no lines.  The upshot is we got through all this by 7:30.  Qantas has delayed the plane one hour, probably because of the now-cancelled strike, so we have three hours to kill here at the airport before we even board.  The gate isn't even open for passengers yet.  But it's better sitting here and waiting than being in traffic or standing in line.

It's now 8 am Thursday here in Sydney.  We are due to land in LAX at 6:45 am, also on Thursday.  Because of the International Date Line, we land five hours before we take off.  Next post should be from LAX, in oh, 20 hours or so. 😄