Not for the faint of heart

 I'm referring to air travel with this title. I've decided to start my posts about the trip with the difficulties of getting there from here and in this instance, getting here from there as well. Regina is not a major hub so all flights in and out have to be routed through larger centers. As I've learned over the years, the more starts and stops, the more likely there will be issues.

Wednesday, January 4, I was awake at 2 a.m., excited about leaving the land of snow and ice for the warmth of Florida. My cab wasn't scheduled to arrive until 4 a.m., but I just could not sleep any longer. I amused myself by checking off the last few items to be packed and walking in circles. My son must have been excited to have me leave too - he had set an alarm for 3 a.m. to say goodbye. I was at the airport shortly after 4, to learn the check-in counter didn't open until 4:30.

The WestJet app had allowed me to check-in the day prior but wouldn't give me either my boarding passes, nor allow me to pay for my checked bags. I learned at the counter that I could not get a boarding pass for my third flight of day because it would be a Delta flight out of Atlanta and I would need to see the gate agent for that. Yes, you read that right, three flights: Regina to Calgary, Calgary to Atlanta, and Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale.  

We were about an hour delayed arriving in Calgary, a half-hour delay in boarding and a half-hour spent de-icing the plane. It was a long walk from the domestic to international side of the airport but I needed to get my steps in anyway and I had time before the next flight. Got the pat-down at security and pulled aside for an additional x-ray of my carry-on. No issues so I'm not entirely sure what they were concerned about.

Next up I had to wait for my checked bag to be transferred to my flight to Atlanta, so waited in the customs hall for 25 minutes. Once 20 minutes has passed I was put into a queue for those whose baggage was delayed, but I got called before I reached the front of the line that my luggage was there and I could go through.

As usual, the TSA agent was thorough with questions -where was I going, why, whether I had food or weapons, and how much money was I carrying. Other agents were simply waving passengers through...I've decided I must look suspicious. Or at least as suspicious as a short, stout, 63 year old grandmother can look.

I was among the last of the passengers boarded and we were delayed about 15 minutes. The question at that point was: will I make my flight in Atlanta as there was a mere 90 minutes between expected arrival and departure time. As it turned out, I needn't have worried. Upon arrival I stopped at the WestJet gate because the flight number on my itinerary was not showing on the departure board and I didn't have a gate number. I was told they didn't have that information and sent to the Delta desk, through the next hallway to check. Delta informed me it was a WestJet flight and sent me back to the original counter. 

Eventually, a WestJet agent was able to pull up the manifest for my arriving flight, locate me on the manifest and find the new DELTA flight number and gate. I then learned that the flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale was delayed (but not by how long). I took the "plane train" to the appropriate terminal and located my gate. I was surprised to see an entirely different flight to Boston displayed on the board, since my flight had originally been scheduled to fly out about 30 minutes later and would normally have been boarding at that time. Checking with an agent, I learned that a number of flights had been delayed due to a storm in Florida (likely the originating point of the one going to Boston), and since my flight was coming from Fort Lauderdale, the delay was anticipated to be 3.5 hours.

At this point, it was clear I wasn't going to arrive in Fort Lauderdale before midnight local time, so I called the hotel to verify their shuttle service and to confirm a late check-in.  Their shuttle only ran until midnight so that meant I would need to grab a cab. At this point, a large contingent of angry passengers arrived at the gate. By eavesdropping (which was easily done as they were very vocal), I learned that an earlier flight to Fort Lauderdale had been cancelled and these folks were looking to get on my flight. Like me, they hadn't been aware it was delayed so had expected to show up at the gate and catch the next flight.

This had me on alert as I did not have a boarding pass. Would these individuals be bumped ahead of me? As it turned out, no, but I didn't learn that until an agent showed up at our gate about two hours ahead of boarding. Oh, and by that point our delay had been pushed to five hours. Most of the individuals from the previous flight had been booked for the following morning, and on standby for our flight. While a few of them showed up for the late flight, many obviously decided to wait until morning.

Finally, about 11 p.m. we boarded the flight. I was exhausted and slept during most of it. By the time we landed, I'd picked up my luggage, and grabbed a cab, I wasn't checked into my hotel until 1:30 a.m. I can't tell you how great that bed felt and I slept well until my alarm the next morning.

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Getting here from there looked like it would be much easier than the getting there from here. And it was for most of the day. I was awake around 5:30 a.m., did some the last minute packing, and then left my phone to charge in the cabin while I walked the promenade deck 7, for a half hour. After breakfast, I picked up my carry-on (my checked bag was picked up and moved to the customs hall the night prior), and headed to the Bayou Cafe to await being called to disembark.

It took quite awhile to get through customs due to the number of passengers disembarking, but it was far easier - once the TSA agent heard I was heading home to Canada, he sent me on my way with no further questions. I had booked a transfer from the ship to the airport and headed for the line of buses. The driver was amusing as he clearly had a method for loading the luggage. Mine was the only piece for WestJet so I had a compartment all to myself. The drive to the airport from the pier isn't long, just 13 miles, but with the traffic we were on the road for over 30 minutes before arriving at the airport.

Again, I got lucky as WestJet was located in terminal 2, our second stop. My arrival was timed nicely as the check-in counter opened about 2 minutes after I arrived. While there was a line-up there were a number of agents and I was through check-in receiving my boarding passes for both flights and paying for my checked bag. 

From there I was sent out to make a short walk to terminal 3 (where Delta was located). Security brought another pat-down, but no review of my carry-on. It was a quick walk to my gate and I spent the waiting time having a bite to eat, and watching curling on You-tube. 

Again, I was one of the last number of guests boarded, and we had a short delay on the tarmac before departing the gate. About an hour into our three hour flight, there was a call for medical staff to attend to a passenger having issues. Two doctors made their way to the patient; one sitting just across the aisle from the passenger, and the man sitting next to me. It took a bit of time for the crew to locate the oxygen bottle and what appeared to be a defibrillator. From my vantage point, it didn't seem they needed the latter, but the former was definitely used. Later, I heard from the doctor in my row, that the passenger had perked up quickly, and thankfully we did not have to be diverted and the flight carried on.

We arrived in Calgary very close to our ETA. I had a five hour wait for my next flight - although WestJet flies into Regina five times daily, the latest of the four earlier flights departs at 4:20 p.m., less than hour before our arrival. The next flight is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. I say, is scheduled because it was also delayed. Thankfully only 25 minutes or so, but I was getting very tired by this point and was eager to get home.

It is a short flight between the two cities, just an hour in the air. However, this wasn't the end of the travel woes. I was watching out the window as we were descending into Regina, and wasn't shocked when we started climbing. The weather in Regina was socked in with low clouds and fog, and the runway wasn't visible. The captain advised that he would attempt one more try, looking for a hole in the clouds, but if we weren't able to land, we would likely be returning to Calgary.

Loud groan! Well, our second attempt was no more successful than the first. However, I could tell we weren't heading for Calgary, because of the number of small towns that were visible below. It seemed to me that the weather was only a significant issue in the Regina area, and not a problem elsewhere. I was correct and we were diverted to Saskatoon - a mere 30 minute flight. The captain advised us as we were preparing to land that we were picking up fuel, and then would try again in Regina. If, at that point, we weren't able to land we'd be heading back to Calgary.

We were on the ground for a good 90 minutes in Saskatoon. I was grateful we weren't required to deplane while the re-fueling was completed. Once the ground crew moved the chock blocks and pilons, the pilot backed the plane into the de-icing area. There appeared to be some issues with the first truck so we were held up until a second truck arrived. At this point, the captain let us know that the weather had eased in Regina and he was confident we'd be able to land. I suspect we stayed in Saskatoon longer than was absolutely necessary to allow for the weather to clear. 

When the plane contacted the runway in Regina, a loud cheer went up with much applause. It took another half hour before our luggage appeared but mine was the second bag off! However, one more slight inconvenience happened. Since our flight was delayed there were no taxis waiting. I was fortunate to snag a taxi that was dropping a passenger with an outbound flight off. Normally, they are expected to leave the airport and circle back around for pick-ups. 

I walked through my front door at 4:52 a.m. Saku (the cat) was waiting for me. I left my luggage by the door, dropped my purse on the kitchen table, and headed for the bedroom. If I had to guess I'd say I was asleep ten to fifteen minutes later, though I do know Saku demanded some attention first. 

Despite all the hiccups and delays, I'm grateful to have arrived where I wanted to be both coming and going. I always fly in a day early for a cruise, and may consider going two days early in the future, especially in the winter months. The extra cost of a hotel and meals might be worth it for peace of mind. As for the return - it could have been worse and I might have been back in Calgary instead of at home that morning. to quote Dorothy; "There's no place like home."

Next up - January 5, Fort Lauderdale and the Island Princess