You cannot be serious!

To coin a cliché. I went to bed after getting in from work this morning with K starting to get her packing and the like organised for her departure for the US tomorrow, and got up, five hours or so later, to find her in tears because United Airlines had given her seat to someone else, telling her, little more than twelve hours before she was due to leave, that she wouldn't be flying unless she paid for some extortionate upgrade. To say I was annoyed barely comes close to describing how I felt, and, for that very reason, K wouldn't let me speak to them, because she knows I would've 'banged the desk', in person, if necessary. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, it now seems likely that she will be on the plane, but only at the cost of a $150 upgrade to 'Premium Economy', so it's been off to the bank in the last hour or so, to ensure K has enough cash to pay the 'blackmail demand' at Heathrow in the morning. I can't believe that any organisation with any pretence to being a responsible business can conduct themselves in this way - it's as though you'd walked round the supermarket for an hour, paid for your purchases, and then had them taken away from you at the shop door until you paid another 15% on top of your bill. Utterly disgraceful.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B