Air Canada & United Are So Mean To Me!

Went to Ottawa on Thursday 5th Jan to visit my friend Richard before a business trip to Denver…
We got drunk on Thursday (surprise) and REALLY drunk on Friday.

FRIDAY… Loaded aprox 4:00am - I just remember yelling at all the people I was with to “Stop Speaking French or Take Me Home”….My understanding of the French language sucks when I’m sober but get me and the people speaking French monstrously drunk and I’m pretty much fucked. Anyway after that outburst the party winded down as it should it was late. After that some of us went back to Richards were I went to bed because everyone was still speaking drunken French.

SATURDAY… was quiet. Movies and Chinese food (lots of Chinese food, $70.00 worth between two people). I had a 7am flight to Denver Sunday morning (at least I thought I did).

Bad news… When I arrived at 5:45am Sunday to check in at the kiosk it wouldn’t let me print my boarding pass so I had to stand in line. Turns out my flight was canceled and I was rebooked for a 6am flight… great idea, book me on a flight an hour earlier without getting in contact with me even better leave a message at my work number in Toronto when I’m leaving on a Sunday from a different city. Thanks Air Canada!

So I was put in another line to be rebooked. I know there was a 7am flight to Toronto I would have expected they would have put me on that. Ah but no, it was full.

Bad news… The agent rebooked me on “the best flight” she could. Would you link to know when the “best flight” left? 2:45 later that day….yeah, 8 hours later! She said I should just go home and relax and come back later. I then told her I don’t have a home in Ottawa to which she responded with “oh” and I asked if she could get me to Toronto So I could go home for awhile and catch the direct flight to Denver at 4:15 to which she replied “hmmmm, I can get you on a flight to Toronto at 3:30 and…” I stopped her since that was later than 2:45. We left everything as is and her final piece of advise was “don’t go through security till 1:00 because there’s nothing in there.”

I tried to call Richard but of course he was back in bed and had no intention of getting up to get the phone. So there I was in the Ottawa airport with a suitcase, a garment bag and a lot of time to kill. I got a hold of someone I work with to advise I’ll miss the first day of the conference since I’ll be 8 hours late. Then my phone’s battery died.

I did do some sleeping while holding on to my luggage. (I couldn’t check my bags as we had to pre clear US customs in Ottawa). Sleeping was only difficult when someone would basically wake me up by asking where I was going….I wanted to answer “not back to dreamland thanks to you!” but instead I just didn’t acknowledge that the question had been asked. For some reason I must look like I want you to wake me up because a lot of people did just that.

Good news… Anyway 8 hours did pass surprisingly fast and I was on my flight to Washington (DC) for my connection to Denver.
Bad news… In Washington I checked in with the United gate agent. She advised she could not find my electronic ticket and said “who told you that you could take this flight?”…I couldn’t believe how rude this chick was but I stood there with a smile and explained my situation. She sighed and again told me she couldn’t find my ticket. At this point I was super frustrated so I told her I am very familiar with they computer system she was working on (I worked at their helpdesk for years) and told her how to pull it up. She said she didn’t like to do it that way because it was a “pain in the ass”. I told here if she has and difficulty I would be more than happy to find it for her. She made a sour face and glared at me. She typed away at the keyboard and said there it is, gave me my boarding pass and I was off to Denver.

Bad news… Arriving in Denver and waiting at the luggage carousel was a bit of a nightmare. Everyone picking up their luggage but not me. Nope no luggage for me. Well what else would you expect right? Yes, my luggage was not there, perfect end to a perfect day. If I could have, I would have boarded a plane back to Toronto right then. I looked at the revolving carousel without my luggage and thought I was going to start crying (I guess this is what Jason feel like all the time) I had to report it lost and I had no carry on….nothing. Went to my hotel about a 45 min drive from the airport, checked in and went to bed.

Good News…Monday - Got a call at 6am. My bags have arrived! Yaayy!
Good news… I have no idea how this happened but I won an Americas sales award, a trip to the Ritz-Carlton in Jamaica for 4 days (I’m guessing someone made a mistake with the math and awarded me in error).
Good news…Tuesday - Found a pair of Pumas I thought were $50.00 but it turned out they were $18.00…Thank you DSW!


Bad news…Wednesday – Delayed out of Denver airport.
Good news… Only delayed by an hour so I will have no problem making my connection in Chicago.
Bad news… Flight delayed in Chicago by a ½ hour and it’s overbooked. It will be leaving at 7:05 now. Offering free flights to take to 9:00 pm flight
Bad news… Flight delayed again by another hour and it’s over booked. Still offering free flights to take to 9:00 pm flight
Bad news… Flight delayed again by another ½ hour and still overbooked. Since it’s only ½ hour difference me and my boss decide to go for the free tkts.
Bad news… They don’t need any more people to move to the 9:00pm flight.
Good news… The flight is boarding about 2 min after we offered to give up our seats.
Bad news… the crew is over their allowed working hours within the day and cannot fly as per FAA regulations. A new cabin crew has to be called in.
Bad news… Replacement crew is butt ugly.
Good new… We taxi down the runway at 9:30.
Bad news… We cannot take off because there is no runway available. We will be waiting for 20 mins.
Good news… 20 min later we take off and I’m on my way home.
Good news… Customs is quick.
Good news… Didn’t get stopped and my luggage arrives almost instantly.
Good news… home at midnight!


That’s it my Nightmare Trip.