So, at the ticket counter I finally get through the line and I notice this not half bad looking guy in front of me who is also trying to get somewhere. Anyways, the best they can do is to try the midnight flight to TO which arrived at 6 am and then an Airbus from 8-9 and I would be showered and in the office around 10:15. Okay, let's giver.
In the mean time, they give me a hotel room, some meal vouchers and tell me to go wait it out at the hotel. I get a shuttle out and check in where I begin making frantic phone calls to work colleagues to try and cover off my presentation and to the roommate to let her know to take out the garbage and feed the cats. I decide to sleep for an hour and a half and then pack up and head back to the airport. Through security and I get to the gate and it's PACKED! It's a flight of about 150 people (at least) and again, they're asking for volunteers to stay behind. It's at this point I know I'm screwed. But hey, not half bad looking guy is there too. Oh, and it looks like he's been in the airport all this time while I've been napping. That sucks.
Funny side story: no word of a lie, there were 4 brides getting on the plane with wedding dresses and no, it wasn't some on masse oil cult taking their women away so someone wouldn't swoop in to steal the bride, it was just WEIRD. A Thursday night, midnight flight to TO with 4 brides? WTF?
Sure enough, there are 9 of us who don't get on the flight. On my previous flight there were 5 who didn't get on. So, as a back up plan, when I tried to get on the TO flight, the AC counter gal booked me on a direct to Ottawa flight for Friday in case I didn't get on. I felt like it was my own personal Amazing Race. And sure enough, the not half bad looking guy got screwed as well.
So, back to the shuttle to the airport but the shuttle is waiting for a flight crew to come on board. They are with Horizon Air out of the states and they slowly trickly into the shuttle. We have a gay old time chatting about flying and my adventures and the one flight attendant actually comments that she thinks I'm hilarious and wishes I had been on her flight because I'm so easy going.
This is where I mention that I have not ONCE yelled, gotten irate, raised my voice, been nasty or huffy, and have said please and thank you with a smile on my face through the whole ordeal.
Why you ask?
Because it's not their fault. It's a company policy. And no matter what I do, I'm not getting on the flight and if anything, they'll do like they did with the one guy and call the airport police to give him a talking to for getting nasty with the gate staff. More flies with honey. But believe me, it will be a wrath to AC customer service when I feel up to it. Right now, just too glad to be home to be angry.
So, the hotel calls the shuttle to ask if he's still there and can he wait. I've now been waiting in the shuttle for an HOUR and it's around 1:15 am. And I'm still chipper and nice. Because really, where am I going to go. And I'm running on pure adrenaline now so what does it matter - I won't be sleeping at the hotel because I'll be too worried about work. The shuttle is just about to leave with the delayed flight crew (apparently they broke the plane and the pilot and co-pilot were trying to fix it but to no avail so there was going to be a whole flight of people going nowhere today!) when I see not half bad looking guy coming towards us. I say to the shuttle driver that if that's the guy we're looking for, we should wait for him because he's had a really crappy day. Sure enough it's him.
What's his story? He was at the airport for 10 hours, got bumped off of 4 flights and was trying to get to the ACDC concert in TO. 4 flights in 10 hours. That's 4 times through airport security - btw, I have getting my laptop, gels, jackets and carry on bags into the scanner down to a science. It's all good until my shoes set off the beeper thing.
So, back to the hotel for 2.5 hours of sleep (totally 12 now since Tuesday morning when I left Ottawa) and then hours of work to get everyone up to speed. I shower and head back to the airport where, hallelujah, I get on the plane. Oh, and did I mention that in my carry on I had my laptop, some brochures, an extra pair of shoes and a bunch of work supplies - not even a toothbrush or hair brush? It's all good. Apparently shampoo works just fine as stand in laundry soap.
I checked into the airport in Calgary at 3:45 yesterday and got home at 6:15 today. The presentation went off without a hitch and I've got a weekend to recover.
And life is pretty grand.
-end of Act IV
No comments:
Post a Comment