That grating noise you just heard was the sound of me moving my soapbox so I could climb up on it...yes, it's rant time, and I'm going to have a good 'ole rant about...wait for it...Air Canada. They make me CRAZY! Since we've been planning this huge retirement trip in September, I've been researching flights ad nauseam. You just never know where or when the best deal is going to surface. Anticipating that we will be moved to NB by the fall, I spent some time examining some US departure points, which ultimately led me to look at flying with Air Canada out of Boston. The routing was Boston - Toronto - Vancouver - Sydney. Not too bad when you overlook the whole idea that we'll be driving across the US border in order to catch a flight back into Canada. But hey, if the price is right, we can live with all the confusion of clearing multiple Customs points enroute to our final destination!! And indeed the price was right. The fare is approximately $1200 C +/- per person, which is significantly cheaper than flying with Air Canada from Saint John, Halifax, or anywhere else in the Maritimes. Just for the heck of it, I decided to look at the same routing as above with Air Canada, only eliminating the first leg, from Boston to Toronto...so just Toronto - Vancouver - Sydney. One would THINK that flying a shorter distance would equate to a lesser fare....and one would be... WRONG! To say I was shocked to find the shorter flight, ie Toronto to Sydney, was actually more expensive (by about $1000/person) was an understatement. I LOST IT!! I ranted, I raved. This called for a letter to Air Canada, I said! And not the first one I've ever written, I might add. But it would turn out to be the first one I got an answer to. Yesterday I received a reply. And what plausible explanation did they provide, you ask? Well, it went something like this...blah, blah, blah..."We regret that we are unable to explain exactly why the American fares are less expensive, yet assure you that your comments have been documented for review by the appropriate management team"...blah, blah, blah. But as a "gesture of goodwill" they gave me a discount code for 15% off my next flight. We haven't booked our flights as yet, and this is far from over....I'm expecting a call from the CEO of Air Canada any day now...but I won't hold my breath...
WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Lists are great. I love lists. When I worked, I was at my most efficient when I kept a "to do list" on my desk. It helped me multi-task and accomplish great things in the run of a day. Even in retirement, I continue to be a list person, but my list is mainly limited now to groceries. It's a cost saving undertaking for me, in that when I keep a list of what I need, I don't have to make return trips to the grocery store because I forgot something. Cost saving measure, right? Well, you would think... but...it seems that as good as I am at MAKING a list, I am equally poor at STICKING TO the list. I go in to the store with a list of 3 items, and leave with a bag of 10 items. Multiply this by 2-3 trips to the grocery store per week, and I'm gonna be broke. Perhaps it's time that my lists go by way of my career...into retirement...
No comments:
Post a Comment