Don't even know where to begin folks, because there's two angles to this, but I guess it's easiest if I just offer up my story the way it unfolded.

Was on last night's DCA-YOW, just before the snow storm was due to roll in. Checked in online earlier in the afternoon, arrive at the airport via Huntington bound metro. Have done so dozens of times, but still I look up, and see the reassuring sign on the Metro platform, "Air Canada, Terminal B" along with all the other U.S. flag carriers.

It wasn't until I arrived in Terminal B, went up the escalator with my luggage and walked to the end of the aisle where AC used to be that I realize something is amiss. I ask the Continental agent who informs me that AC moved to Terminal A two days ago!!! ... AC, where's the head's up?! I booked this ticket more than a month ago, there should have been a screaming e-mail with < blink > and exclamation points notifying me of the move. All they had was a looseleaf paper taped to the departures sign inside Terminal B (so y'know, after you had already entered the wrong terminal). I had luggage to check so I didn't bother printing my boarding pass after checking in online, which is perfectly acceptable behavior on my part. They need to e-mail / SMS me when they move to another freaking terminal. At DCA AC always had the same gate, so I never consult my boarding pass just like all real DCAers.

So that's the first let down, procedural incompetence.

Now, I just want to know why this move happened. The difference between Term B & A could not be more stark. Terminal A is DCA Siberia. It's worse than any south Asian / mid-east terminal I've ever seen, even worse than CDG Term 3, and that's saying something!!! The mice are bold as hell and circle your feet while you eat your stale Jerry's sub (that's right, "Jerry's", gone is the gate-side Einstein Bagel of Term B!!). Bats circle the ceiling, but it's not clear if they're friend or foe; I would like to believe they were after the mice. The mouse population suggests otherwise. The wildlife would be bad enough, but then there's the Frontier/Spirit/other airlines I've never heard of passengers, anxiously hovering until "Zone 4" gets called up and they find out whether they'll get spared the storm.

The contrast between the Term A zoo and the neatly folded WaPos of Term B could not be more glaring. AC has spoken volumes about how they view themselves with this move.