Back in the UK after getting engaged in The Philippines! I celebrated New Year climbing back on board the KLM plane at Taipei Airport at just three minutes to midnight. I was a bit annoyed at KLM who insisted that it was not necessary to disembark at Taipei before boarding the same plane again en-route to Amsterdam. The cabin crew (and probably the flight crew as well) changed at Taipei so it is an absolute necessity to disembark. We re-boarded whilst the plane was being refuelled. I was most impressed with Cebu Pacific cabin staff. They knew I was a disabled passenger and had already lifted the armrest so that I could get into the seat easily (on both inbound and outbound legs). KLM staff did not even know where to locate the button to lift the arm rests on their planes! Anyway, I got back safely and have now been engaged for exactly 26 days but it feels like we have known each other all of our lives! Her mum even reckons we look alike!! Unfortunately, I did not get to meet 'mum' as they were still affected by the typhoon (no water or electricity) and she could not visit Cebu because of health problems. One of our wedding organisers got married today and she will be flying to The Faroes on a visitor visa which she can convert to a settlement visa when she gets there. Another wedding organiser is due to to emigrate later this year to be with her new husband. The third and final wedding organiser is to get married on a visitor visa in Hawaii later this year. In total, the church will lose three choir members with this mass exodus. I arrived back in the UK with a stinking cold and barely able to walk. My leg got swollen every day with the heat but recovered a bit at night - until she banged my knee that is! Anyway, will be back in Cebu during most of March for the wedding preparations and the wedding itself. Still have 3 church seminars to attend, a pre-nuptial and wedding reception food tasting. This time we have rented a small terraced bungalow for 16,500 pesos/month. It should have been 13,500 Pesos but the price magically went up when they saw a foreigner. But still pretty good as it has two bedrooms, aircon, hot water shower, bedding, table & chairs, settee, cooker, fridge and clothes washing and drying area. That means her parents and sister can stay too and we can cook our own meals to save some money. Oh, the bungalow is also just around the corner from my fiancée's boarding house which makes it very easy for her too. All the flights are booked for March as well. Flying KLM again as they have good connection times and fly from the local airport (Humberside) Will be flying via Manila as we will spend some of the honeymoon in Manila - so she can get the TB test out of the way without getting sanctioned for taking time off work. Will have to read up on how to register the wedding quickly so that the marriage certificate can be obtained before applying for the spouse visa. The only real worry at this point is if the government removes the exemption from the income rules for the disabled.
All good news Howerd, how your life has changed, I wouldn't worry too much about the UKVI moving the goal posts before you apply for a Spouse visa, don't think much will happen until well after the General Election on May 6th, they will use any future changes for their election campaign. Oh, and watch that knee
It's the Taiwanese authorities who insist that everyone disembarks on arrival at Taipei, including passengers continuing on to Manila or Amsterdam. That wouldn't be so bad but for the lengthy hike up and down the terminal just to get from "Arrivals" to "Departures".
Mostly sorted, Howerd Roll on March. I have the worst cold I have ever had too, never coughed so much as with this one. Lots of people have it I'm led to believe.
I had a horrible cold too, but at least this year it only hinted at going down into my lungs, next day I was fine, just very very runny nose for two weeks. Still more blocked up than usual for this time of year.
Has anybody ever stopped over in Taipae for a few days? Interestingly the KLM website offers (UK) via AMS to MNL, or AMS to TPE, but they sell no flights on the MNL to TPE sector (or vice versa).
I'd be surprised by that, other passengers join the flight at Taipei from my recollection, I've had an empty seat beside me on one leg that was later filled after Taipei.
KLM is not permitted to sell seats between Manila and Taipei, it can only sell seats from to and from Amsterdam. It could try to bid for the right to sell seats between Taipei and Manila but as a third-party carrier, it is most unlikely to succeed - this is not the EU!
The First Officer on board did mention it was a government requirement. As I am disabled, they had a wheelchair waiting so the only walking was exiting and then re-entering the plane. On the outward journey KLM staff did ask the airport if I could stay on the plane and were initially told I could, but then changed their minds a little while later. Just like other airports, I did not think much of the wheelchairs. Not-working brakes and wheels that hit my feet when they changed direction and the wheelchair helper (who spoke no English) almost ran through the airport.
Thanks Yuna. I now have a lady to love as well as a cat! The thing is she is not keen on cats and does not want the cat sleeping on the bed with us!
They need to - although there's an up to 3 hour stopover in the schedule, KLM crews like to get airborne as quickly as possible. When I flew to London in July, the Taipei stopover was just 45 minutes! Just enough time to refuel the plane (they no longer buy fuel or anything else in Manila).
I have been sounding like a deranged drunken woman or scoffing hyena when I cough. My wife had to sleep in our daughter's bed as it was bouncing so much after my coughing
