IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Just returned from Ottawa as noted in another thread. Hope I never have to make that trip again!
First flight from Van to Toronto was fine. Left on time, arrived on time, and good overall service.
That's where it stopped.
The next flight was delayed due to "mechanical" reasons. Air Canada (all flights in this case) ponied up another jet, but refused to let me and my partner on it stating that was due to us having checked baggage. They firmly stated that we could not fly with out our checked baggage due to "security issues". More on that to to follow. Long and short of it we were delayed in excess of 3 hours, arriving at our hotel around midnight the day before we were to testify in front of the Standing Committee on Fisheries & Oceans.
The meeting went very well as detailed in another thread.
Upon our return to the hotel and restaurant next door, we were confined (along with several hundred others) by US Secret Service, RCMP & OPP. Could not access the restaurant,our hotel or even cross the street. Turns out Biden was staying at our hotel, and the security was downright insane. That security held us prisoner for six hours from entering our hotel. 9 combinations of spotter / snipers were observed on the adjacent rooftops. First contingent through the area was 45 vehicles. Then the main show at 105 vehicles. Then the follow-up of another 45. These included armored vehicles equipped with rotary 50 caliber rooftop cannons. And the usual host of black armored SUV's.
Finally allowed back to the hotel, we underwent screening via enhanced metal detecting, followed up by physical patting down by US forces.
Got to our room once again past midnight to discover our key cards had been disabled. Back to the desk, and a porter came with to ensure we could access our rooms. He also informed us that if we wished to depart the next morning, to do so before 7:00am because the whole place was going into another lock-down then.
Got up at 6:00 am (3:00 am home time), Had to walk several blocks to clear the imposed security area to grab a taxi to the airport.
The flight from there to Toronto was delayed. Air Canada had failed to ensure a co-pilot was available for the flight, so we sat on the tarmac until they could grab one from an incoming international flight.
That delay meant were were really scrambling to try and get to the gate for the flight back to Vancouver. We barely made it only to be informed we had been rescheduled for another flight (SEVEN hour delay) - once again due to the fact we had checked baggage which we were not allowed to travel without due to "security concerns".
Lost it. Went to the Air Canada service desk and demanded they put us on any flight, competitor or whatever. Best they could do was to bump us from business class to economy, five hours from that moment.
Made the flight. Arrived in Vancouver. No Bags. They are on the next flight and will be here in 2.5 hours. WTF? They just performed exactly what they said the y could not with our previous flights & bags. UnReal! Made to my partner's place well after midnight our time, having been in transit for twenty-one hours. Bagged.
Letters have been sent to both the hotel & Air Canada expressing our extreme dissatisfaction and demanding recompense. Pointedly CC'd to our Lawyers so they understand the nature of that demand.
Good thing the meetings & followup went well. One out of five flights went OK. Four out of five went south. Hotel was a disaster, a very expensive disaster at that.
Man, I truly hope I never have to travel back to Canada's Cesspool ever again!
Ticked!!
Nog
First flight from Van to Toronto was fine. Left on time, arrived on time, and good overall service.
That's where it stopped.
The next flight was delayed due to "mechanical" reasons. Air Canada (all flights in this case) ponied up another jet, but refused to let me and my partner on it stating that was due to us having checked baggage. They firmly stated that we could not fly with out our checked baggage due to "security issues". More on that to to follow. Long and short of it we were delayed in excess of 3 hours, arriving at our hotel around midnight the day before we were to testify in front of the Standing Committee on Fisheries & Oceans.
The meeting went very well as detailed in another thread.
Upon our return to the hotel and restaurant next door, we were confined (along with several hundred others) by US Secret Service, RCMP & OPP. Could not access the restaurant,our hotel or even cross the street. Turns out Biden was staying at our hotel, and the security was downright insane. That security held us prisoner for six hours from entering our hotel. 9 combinations of spotter / snipers were observed on the adjacent rooftops. First contingent through the area was 45 vehicles. Then the main show at 105 vehicles. Then the follow-up of another 45. These included armored vehicles equipped with rotary 50 caliber rooftop cannons. And the usual host of black armored SUV's.
Finally allowed back to the hotel, we underwent screening via enhanced metal detecting, followed up by physical patting down by US forces.
Got to our room once again past midnight to discover our key cards had been disabled. Back to the desk, and a porter came with to ensure we could access our rooms. He also informed us that if we wished to depart the next morning, to do so before 7:00am because the whole place was going into another lock-down then.
Got up at 6:00 am (3:00 am home time), Had to walk several blocks to clear the imposed security area to grab a taxi to the airport.
The flight from there to Toronto was delayed. Air Canada had failed to ensure a co-pilot was available for the flight, so we sat on the tarmac until they could grab one from an incoming international flight.
That delay meant were were really scrambling to try and get to the gate for the flight back to Vancouver. We barely made it only to be informed we had been rescheduled for another flight (SEVEN hour delay) - once again due to the fact we had checked baggage which we were not allowed to travel without due to "security concerns".
Lost it. Went to the Air Canada service desk and demanded they put us on any flight, competitor or whatever. Best they could do was to bump us from business class to economy, five hours from that moment.
Made the flight. Arrived in Vancouver. No Bags. They are on the next flight and will be here in 2.5 hours. WTF? They just performed exactly what they said the y could not with our previous flights & bags. UnReal! Made to my partner's place well after midnight our time, having been in transit for twenty-one hours. Bagged.
Letters have been sent to both the hotel & Air Canada expressing our extreme dissatisfaction and demanding recompense. Pointedly CC'd to our Lawyers so they understand the nature of that demand.
Good thing the meetings & followup went well. One out of five flights went OK. Four out of five went south. Hotel was a disaster, a very expensive disaster at that.
Man, I truly hope I never have to travel back to Canada's Cesspool ever again!
Ticked!!
Nog
