bradley
May 13, 00, 1:02 am
You might call this the first branch of my upcoming trip YYC-LHR-NCE-LHR-KEF, but I'll call it a trip of its own. The main purpose was to retrieve my passport which I stupidly left behind in YVR, and to tie up a couple of other things.
WESTJET 23: YYC-YVR
This was my first ever flight on WJ. I didn't really have any expectations for service, though I found the telephone service making the reservation to be quite good, with very little wait on hold. Checkin about an hour before the flight was quick with no line and 2 agents waiting. The boarding card was printed on cheap paper, more like a movie theatre ticket.
In the departure area, everything seemed to be under control. There was talk of an early pushback. The only noteworthy thing was a gentleman with a large, yellow duffel bag, that the agent wanted to see him stuff into the sizer where it barely fit. I'll call him the man with the yellow bag (just like Curious George's man with the yellow hat).
Once on the aircraft, things took a turn for the worse. The FA walked through the aisle to count the empty seats. Hmm, she seemed to think. Then she walked through to count the full seats. Hmm.
The man with the yellow bag needs to bring it to front of cabin and try to stuff it in overhead bin up there for some reason. Stuff must be rearranged; finally it fits. FA comes to warn people in row 10 about the emergency exit opening. Oh, he's "able bodied" alright http://216.167.74.240/forum/wink.gif 10E says about 10F, followed by much more suggestive comments.
Empty seat count again, and gate agent comes on board.
"Do we have a Mr. Jones or Mr. Smith on board?"
(nope)
Hmm, FA counts seats again.
"Okay, lets just make sure everyone here is going to Vancouver."
Oh, the man with the yellow bag is not going to YVR. He gets off.
Count again, but still seem to have 1 too many PAX. FA talks to captain. Okay, we will just go seems to be the conclusion. Close door, start safety demonstration.
FA does actions so enthusiastically and seriously I nearly laugh. "In the unlikely event of a decompression, ...."
FA must stop reading to open the door again.
It's the gate agent. Turns out we are not just going to take off with a mystery extra passenger. Gate agent will check everyone's boarding card to find out what's going on. It goes okay, but 10E (from earlier) is furious.
10E: http://216.167.74.240/forum/mad.gif Why are we doing this?
FA: http://216.167.74.240/forum/redface.gif Because we have an extra passenger.
10E: This is rediculous!
FA: Sorry.
Okay, after the boarding card check, still an extra passenger. No one seems to know what to do, so someone extra comes on to try to figure it out.
Time passes. The plane is hot. I try to close my eyes and pretend I'm at the beach, but that method has little success. My air vent wasn't working, but I repositioned my seatmate's to blow on me before he got on board, and he didn't change it. Phew.
Okay says the gate agent. We'll collect your boarding cards, make a new manifest, and we'll be okay.
Then they discover a woman who was to have been on the previous leg of flight 23 and transferred to a flight to Victoria in Calgary. She is whisked off the plane in a big hurry, and we are on our way once again, a half hour late.
Once we were finally in the air, everything seemed okay. Although the drinks were served from little trays, about 9 at a time, rather than from carts. First the FA took everyone's order, then delivered the drinks. It seemed inefficient and slow to me.
--
IN VANCOUVER
Find passport. Phew.
--
CANADIAN 676: YVR-YYC
Back on the day I was leaving Calgary, I went over to the Canadian counter. I had an eticket, but I never received my itinerary fax, so I asked the ticket agent for a printout. He looked up the record, seemed confused, asked if I had a ticket with me, and then said, "oh, I found it. I'll just print out a paper ticket so they don't have trouble finding it again." Whatever, I figure. I get a boarding pass as well out of the deal, so it will save me some time.
Turns out though that I have to bring enough luggage back to need to check it. I get to the airport way too early, check my luggage, head for the empress lounge, grab a drink, and crash into one of the big comfy chairs in the DMX listening area. At this point, I'm tired and I have a headache. I spend about 2 hours just listening and watching the planes come and go: a few Canada 3000, one LH 747, two CP 747s, and a JAL 747.
I was flying on a U-class business award ticket. The flight was quite good. I got a no-name tylenol from the FA, and I got a pre-takeoff glass of water out of the deal. Dinner was one of the better ones I've had for a YVR-YYC flight: hot chicken, rice, vegetables, and salad. The flight was full in business, and I don't how full, but I would guess pretty full, in the back.
The little light on the flexible thingy didn't work, and I had trouble moving it so that it didn't bump me on the arm periodically. I kept thinking that someone was tapping me. It reminded me of sitting in class in junior high school. My seatmates overhead light kept blinking on and off. Luckily, I wasn't in the mood to read anyhow.
Now to madly prepare to spend the summer Reykjavik http://216.167.74.240/forum/smile.gif before heading back to university in September http://216.167.74.240/forum/frown.gif
WESTJET 23: YYC-YVR
This was my first ever flight on WJ. I didn't really have any expectations for service, though I found the telephone service making the reservation to be quite good, with very little wait on hold. Checkin about an hour before the flight was quick with no line and 2 agents waiting. The boarding card was printed on cheap paper, more like a movie theatre ticket.
In the departure area, everything seemed to be under control. There was talk of an early pushback. The only noteworthy thing was a gentleman with a large, yellow duffel bag, that the agent wanted to see him stuff into the sizer where it barely fit. I'll call him the man with the yellow bag (just like Curious George's man with the yellow hat).
Once on the aircraft, things took a turn for the worse. The FA walked through the aisle to count the empty seats. Hmm, she seemed to think. Then she walked through to count the full seats. Hmm.
The man with the yellow bag needs to bring it to front of cabin and try to stuff it in overhead bin up there for some reason. Stuff must be rearranged; finally it fits. FA comes to warn people in row 10 about the emergency exit opening. Oh, he's "able bodied" alright http://216.167.74.240/forum/wink.gif 10E says about 10F, followed by much more suggestive comments.
Empty seat count again, and gate agent comes on board.
"Do we have a Mr. Jones or Mr. Smith on board?"
(nope)
Hmm, FA counts seats again.
"Okay, lets just make sure everyone here is going to Vancouver."
Oh, the man with the yellow bag is not going to YVR. He gets off.
Count again, but still seem to have 1 too many PAX. FA talks to captain. Okay, we will just go seems to be the conclusion. Close door, start safety demonstration.
FA does actions so enthusiastically and seriously I nearly laugh. "In the unlikely event of a decompression, ...."
FA must stop reading to open the door again.
It's the gate agent. Turns out we are not just going to take off with a mystery extra passenger. Gate agent will check everyone's boarding card to find out what's going on. It goes okay, but 10E (from earlier) is furious.
10E: http://216.167.74.240/forum/mad.gif Why are we doing this?
FA: http://216.167.74.240/forum/redface.gif Because we have an extra passenger.
10E: This is rediculous!
FA: Sorry.
Okay, after the boarding card check, still an extra passenger. No one seems to know what to do, so someone extra comes on to try to figure it out.
Time passes. The plane is hot. I try to close my eyes and pretend I'm at the beach, but that method has little success. My air vent wasn't working, but I repositioned my seatmate's to blow on me before he got on board, and he didn't change it. Phew.
Okay says the gate agent. We'll collect your boarding cards, make a new manifest, and we'll be okay.
Then they discover a woman who was to have been on the previous leg of flight 23 and transferred to a flight to Victoria in Calgary. She is whisked off the plane in a big hurry, and we are on our way once again, a half hour late.
Once we were finally in the air, everything seemed okay. Although the drinks were served from little trays, about 9 at a time, rather than from carts. First the FA took everyone's order, then delivered the drinks. It seemed inefficient and slow to me.
--
IN VANCOUVER
Find passport. Phew.
--
CANADIAN 676: YVR-YYC
Back on the day I was leaving Calgary, I went over to the Canadian counter. I had an eticket, but I never received my itinerary fax, so I asked the ticket agent for a printout. He looked up the record, seemed confused, asked if I had a ticket with me, and then said, "oh, I found it. I'll just print out a paper ticket so they don't have trouble finding it again." Whatever, I figure. I get a boarding pass as well out of the deal, so it will save me some time.
Turns out though that I have to bring enough luggage back to need to check it. I get to the airport way too early, check my luggage, head for the empress lounge, grab a drink, and crash into one of the big comfy chairs in the DMX listening area. At this point, I'm tired and I have a headache. I spend about 2 hours just listening and watching the planes come and go: a few Canada 3000, one LH 747, two CP 747s, and a JAL 747.
I was flying on a U-class business award ticket. The flight was quite good. I got a no-name tylenol from the FA, and I got a pre-takeoff glass of water out of the deal. Dinner was one of the better ones I've had for a YVR-YYC flight: hot chicken, rice, vegetables, and salad. The flight was full in business, and I don't how full, but I would guess pretty full, in the back.
The little light on the flexible thingy didn't work, and I had trouble moving it so that it didn't bump me on the arm periodically. I kept thinking that someone was tapping me. It reminded me of sitting in class in junior high school. My seatmates overhead light kept blinking on and off. Luckily, I wasn't in the mood to read anyhow.
Now to madly prepare to spend the summer Reykjavik http://216.167.74.240/forum/smile.gif before heading back to university in September http://216.167.74.240/forum/frown.gif