![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Airline Serendipity
Mar. 21st, 2014 06:22 pmI booked my flight to Vancouver a month ago. Managed to get a nice price on an 11 AM flight. Only problem was, I discovered I hadn't actually done that - it was an 11 PM flight. D'oh!
This was irritating because I actually had plans for the evening, and I didn't want to inconvenience the B&B owner I was staying with.
I resolved to throw myself on the mercy of the airline and try to get an earlier flight. I also mentally acknowledged that it was my own damn fault, and if I had to stick with the flight I booked and paid for.
After finishing my packing, I called up Westjet and got Adam. Adam was more than willing to change my flight, but it was going to cost me an additional $275. I balked at that. "You have another option," he said, "If you're at the airport and pay $75, they can try to get you on an earlier flight, but it depends on there being seats available. The next two flights are sold out, but there's seven available seats on the 3 PM flight."
I thanked him and made myself ready for the bus ride to the airport (there being no car2go-s in my neighbourhood at the time). That's when I got my second piece of good luck. "Are you going to the airport right now," asked my roommate Candace, "Because I'm driving to Edmonton right now and I can drop you off since it's on my way." Score!
At the airport, I spoke to Claire, who jumped through a few hoops to get a flight. First, she said, the early departure fee was only for within two hours of your flight. She made some phone calls to get an exception made and was ultimately successful in getting me on the 3 PM flight. And she only charged me $50 for this, which was less than the $75 Adam quoted me, and the $275 extra buying the ticket over the phone would have cost me. There was some good-natured teasing.
"Repeat after me," she said. "Westjet. Is. My. Favourite. Airline."
"Westjet. Is. My. Favourite. Airline. Heck, it even has the advantage of being true!"
And then I had a few hours to kill at the airport, it being 11:30. I had a relaxing lunch, wandered around the shops, bought some Callebaut.
On my way through the checkpoint I was complimented on my socks by the fellow manning the metal detector. He proceeded to show me that he had equally good taste in socks.
My laptop got pulled aside for a swab. I asked what they were swabbing for, and got "Chemical residue" as an answer. I was reminded of the joke about the lost man in an air balloon who encounters an engineer - her answering being technically correct, but not in any way useful. I opted not to follow up.
Oh, and I saw my ex-roomie RP manning another checkpoint lineup. She seemed busy, so I didn't bother her.
And now I wait to board my beautiful flight to Vancouver. My vacation has begun and it's fortune is already coming my way. I predict a good one.
This was irritating because I actually had plans for the evening, and I didn't want to inconvenience the B&B owner I was staying with.
I resolved to throw myself on the mercy of the airline and try to get an earlier flight. I also mentally acknowledged that it was my own damn fault, and if I had to stick with the flight I booked and paid for.
After finishing my packing, I called up Westjet and got Adam. Adam was more than willing to change my flight, but it was going to cost me an additional $275. I balked at that. "You have another option," he said, "If you're at the airport and pay $75, they can try to get you on an earlier flight, but it depends on there being seats available. The next two flights are sold out, but there's seven available seats on the 3 PM flight."
I thanked him and made myself ready for the bus ride to the airport (there being no car2go-s in my neighbourhood at the time). That's when I got my second piece of good luck. "Are you going to the airport right now," asked my roommate Candace, "Because I'm driving to Edmonton right now and I can drop you off since it's on my way." Score!
At the airport, I spoke to Claire, who jumped through a few hoops to get a flight. First, she said, the early departure fee was only for within two hours of your flight. She made some phone calls to get an exception made and was ultimately successful in getting me on the 3 PM flight. And she only charged me $50 for this, which was less than the $75 Adam quoted me, and the $275 extra buying the ticket over the phone would have cost me. There was some good-natured teasing.
"Repeat after me," she said. "Westjet. Is. My. Favourite. Airline."
"Westjet. Is. My. Favourite. Airline. Heck, it even has the advantage of being true!"
And then I had a few hours to kill at the airport, it being 11:30. I had a relaxing lunch, wandered around the shops, bought some Callebaut.
On my way through the checkpoint I was complimented on my socks by the fellow manning the metal detector. He proceeded to show me that he had equally good taste in socks.
My laptop got pulled aside for a swab. I asked what they were swabbing for, and got "Chemical residue" as an answer. I was reminded of the joke about the lost man in an air balloon who encounters an engineer - her answering being technically correct, but not in any way useful. I opted not to follow up.
Oh, and I saw my ex-roomie RP manning another checkpoint lineup. She seemed busy, so I didn't bother her.
And now I wait to board my beautiful flight to Vancouver. My vacation has begun and it's fortune is already coming my way. I predict a good one.
