Tag: Air Canada

Accommodations, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

Lazy Layover & Lucky Seats

Jane Sadek
Loving the Legroom

TRAVEL THERE: THE USUAL TRAVEL RIGAMAROLE

So, we made it to Montreal with our carry-ons in our personal possession.  Our other luggage was checked through and there was a three hour lay-over, so that seemed long enough to make the transfer.  Our tromp through customs went well and soon we were in the terminal for our next flight.

Killing Some Time

After making sure we knew where our gate was, it was time to find the bar.  We found one near by and it was adequate, but the weather was dreary and the view depressing.  Fortunately the waitress was great, so killing a couple of hours was not painful.

Deb and I were giddy with excitement and ready to discuss every detail of the coming cruise ad nauseum.  Bill played along, but not with much enthusiasm.  I quizzed him to see if he actually knew where we were going.  It seemed he had a pretty good grasp of the itinerary, but time would prove some of the more pertinent the information had not really sunk in.

First we enjoyed a round of drinks and Deborah said something clever, like ‘that tasted just like time for another one.”  We opted for some snacks to go along with the second round.  Then suddenly it was past time we should be at the gate.  We took a quick glance at the boards to make sure the gate had not changed and made a run for it.

WOW, What Seats!

I have a natural distrust for the internet.  It comes from spending most of my days on it and suffering the slings and arrows of constant digital disappointment.  I’d been the one to select our seats on the Air Canada website and I thought they would be right at the front of the coach cabin, where I’d observed others all spread out in comfort.  However, I refused to believe it would be that good until we were on board.

It was that good.  The meal was OK, too.  The dessert was a disappointment, but that’s how it goes with airline food.  They picked up our trays and I asked Bill to request a second glass of wine for me.  However, I fell asleep before it was delivered and the next thing I knew, several hours had passed and it was time to head to the potty.  That went smoothly and I was soon back asleep.  Because of the position of our seats, I didn’t even have to bother anyone.

Hello Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport!

Our arrival in Rome was blissfully uneventful.  Celebrity Cruise Lines deserves kudos for the way they handle things.  From the moment we exited customs cheerful Celebrity employees with signs made sure we got to our meeting point.  The wait for our bus was perhaps longer than I wanted, but not too bad.  The drive to the port of Civitavecchia seemed interminable.

Then Viktoriya made it to the ship before us and started sending text messages.  She’d been so busy before the cruise she’d barely paid attention to all the pre-trip chatter, hence she was blown away when she boarded.  It was so exciting for me to know she was genuinely happy to be a part of it all.

We were not far behind her and soon we were all hugging and giggly.  Embarkation lunch is up next.  Join me next week!

DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

Load ‘Em Up, Head ‘Em Out

Jane Sadek
Bill and Deb with the nearly checked carry-on

TRAVEL THERE: ON OUR WAY TO ROME

It was time.  We threw our luggage in the car and picked up Deborah with her bags.  We left our car at Park and Fly, rode their bus to the terminal and went through security.  By 9:50 AM we were at our gate for our 11:45 flight to Montreal.  The Anniversary Cruise was really going to happen.

Small Drama at the Gate

I’d never flown Air Canada, so I started off with a clean slate, but it didn’t stay clean for very long.  I sat at the gate with my bestie, while Bill did his usual ramble around the terminal.  I had the new carry-on bags next to me and for a few moments I didn’t have a worry in the world.

Then an airline employee strolled down to where we were sitting and informed me I would have to check one of my carry-ons.  I went into an immediate panic.  The only thing in the carry-ons were our clothes for the vow renewal ceremony.  I knew, should my luggage get lost, I could buy a couple of sundresses and get by, but I couldn’t replace my gown or Bill’s tuxedo.  This whole trip was for the ceremony and I wasn’t going to allow it to be ruined by lost baggage.

I have no idea why this woman picked me out of all the people at the gate.  One carry-on was slightly larger than the other, but the bigger one was regulation and the other even smaller.  Maybe, because it was purple.  Maybe, because I just looked too happy for the surly employee to tolerate.  Darn, I hated to have my travel day ruined so early into the trip.

I decided I was not going to argue with this lady.  I was going to delegate it to Bill.  I told her the bag she indicated was my husband’s and she’d need to talk to him about it.  She made some snarky comment and waddled back to her position behind the counter.  I worked a few more crossword puzzles and waited for Bill to return.

When he strolled up, I pulled him aside and informed him of the situation.  I warned him I would go into full melt-down mode if that lady took away my bag.  I reminded him we had a layover in Montreal, so that was fertile ground for a lost bag.  Later in the trip I would know just how true that statement was, but for now, I was just speculating.

Bill went and talked to the lady.  He fit the bag into that metal contraption that is supposed to identify over-large bags.  The lady should have apologized for upsetting me, but instead she threatened Bill with the flight crew, warning him they would take the bag away when it did not fit.  What was this lady’s problem?

Quick Lunch and a Flight

We needed to grab a meal before we flew.  Deb and Bill opted for Chikfila, but I chose to spend my travel calories on a soft pretzel.  I love them dearly and doing battle with the mean lady had worked up and appetite.

The flight was uneventful.  It was a small commuter aircraft, but the carry-on in question fit up in the overhead bin, just like it was supposed to do.  The whole luggage bit was just unnecessary drama, thank you very much.

Next stop Montreal!  Rome here we come!

 

Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

Pulling It All Together

Jane Sadek
grayscale photography of travel case with milk churns on trailer
Photo by Huie Dinwiddie on Pexels.com

TRAVEL THERE: ALMOST READY TO GO

I confess, I hate packing.  I wish I could be one of those people who toss a few things in my bag and be done with it, but I’m not.  I see them trotting off the gangplank with only their backpack and carry-on to deal with and I think about how carefree it seems, but that’s just not me.  Dressing up is all part of the fun and you can’t really dress up out of a back pack.  This time I also had a formal gown, tuxedo and various other ceremony items to deal with.  I took a deep breath and started the process.

The Luggage Question

I must not travel enough, because it seems every time I travel they’ve changed all the rules.  I’m still wondering what happened to two pieces of checked luggage and no weight restrictions.  At least we weren’t flying on Spirit with it’s 40 pound checked luggage restriction, but I was limited to one checked bag and what seemed a pretty small carry on.

We had traveled enough in recent years to destroy some of our luggage.  Our carry-ons were in pitiful shape and the large hard-sized case had sprouted a crack.  My sweet neighbor offered to loan us some bags, but in the end, we decided to go ahead and buy our own.

Thankfully, Tuesday Morning had a luggage sale.  Bill decided my old red bag was good enough for him, but we’d still need one large bag and those carry-ons.  We mucked about in the back of the store with a copy of Air Canada‘s Luggage Allowances, measuring bags and lamenting prices for quite a while, before arriving at the checkout counter with three purple bags.

Next there was a dust up about loading the car.  Deb would be riding to the airport with us, so I wanted to be sure there was going to be room for all of us and our luggage in the car.  I suggested a trial run and it did not go well.  Bill was satisfied everything was going to be OK, just a little bit before I was through with all the fretting I needed to do.  That turned into another argument.

What to Wear

Deciding what to wear was really no trouble at all.  While I don’t travel enough to keep up with the ever-changing luggage policies, I do travel often enough to know which of my clothes work best for traveling.  Knits for the plane, sundresses for shore excursions and a selection of dress-up clothes for evening.  Once I gathered up all the accouterments for these outfits, I was ready to go.

We’d had some rough times getting ready for this trip, but in the days just before travel things smoothed out.  It seemed as if we would at least stay married long enough to renew our vows.  I can say this with some humor now, but it wasn’t very funny at the time.  Mr. Bill indicated his willingness to cooperate by being packed a whole day in advance.  Our bags were all under 50 pounds.

It was time to head to the airport.  I can’t wait for us to go together.  Come back next week and we’ll hit the road, the air and the sea.