I was flying out of St. John's at 5:35 am, so I got to the Airport at about 4:20 am. Good. I walk into the terminal, and see the check-in line at the Air Canada desk is stretching about 60 minutes long. Not so good. But I get in line, and start inching forward. There is a tense moment 45 minutes later when I think I have lost my driver's license, but that is found and I make it through check-in just as they start to call pre-boarding on my flight. I say good-bye to Daddy, and book it upstairs to security. The poor man in front of me sets off the scanners with his belt, his watch, and his wallet, but he is eventually waved through and it's my turn. No issues *sigh of relief* I make it aboard just as they are calling the front of the plane and cram my bags and coat into three overhead compartments, as all the surrounding passengers are already seated. I sit down, ( I have the middle seat between two rather large men,) and then we sit by the gate for 20 minutes. The Captain doesn't even know why we haven't been given leave to leave, and says as much. hmmm
Finally, we are allowed to go! But while we've been sitting there we've accumulated enough frost that we now need to be de-iced. The Captain sound quite exasperated when he says that, so I'm not really annoyed. We're all stuck here together, eh? We head out on the runway, the de-icing trucks pull up, the left truck starts to de-ice. The right truck drives in a circle under the wing for 15 minutes! Why?! Eventually the dizzy truck drives away, and the left wing truck de-ices the right wing. We're off! However, we have lost so much time that several people will miss their connections and I will have 18 minutes to make mine. I am at the very back of the plane, and I'm not even sure if I can make it off the plane in 18 minutes.
I keep telling myself the motto for this trip. Last trip's motto was Kyrie Eleieson, Lord have mercy, this trip is My God is able. Will I make the flight? My God is able. Will I get stuck in Montreal? My God is able. Will I have to take the train to Ottawa? My God is able.
My God is able.
This motto helps to keep the panic down when, on arrival at Montreal, all the gates are full and we can't park the plane. The thing is, almost the entire plane is connecting to somewhere else through Montreal. There are people going to Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Miami, Port Blanford, and all with less than an hour to connect now.
I finally make it off the plane, walk with a sense of urgency over to gate 27, and find that my flight was delayed by 30 minutes. I have 10 minutes to spare. *collapses from relief* Incidentally, Moon unit tells me later that her entire church is praying for my flight back. Thank you!!! That flight is in a little propeller plane. 27 minutes in the air, juice and cookies provided.
We land without incident, an hour and a half late, and I go down to collect my baggage. It isn't there. Sue meets me by the baggage carousel, and then we go over to report my "delayed" baggage. (I know just where to go to report the missing bags, because my baggage was "delayed" in September as well.) Sue was also not pleased with the airlines, as she had been bumped off her flight the day before, and they had also delayed her baggage. We drive home. It's nice to be back.
Note: it is now 48 hours since I arrived, and they still don't know where my bags are. I packed my carry on so I could live out of it, but my textbooks are in my check bags, as are my boots, and most of my wardrobe. ( I carried my ipod in my purse.) It shouldn't be nessesary to carry everything you need to live on your person. I've given them three chances, and they've botched it every time. I just don't want to fly Air Canada again. Ever.
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