Without Love
At the airport I noticed a young, handsome, and wholesome family of four with a son and daughter in early school sitting for a while, not going anywhere. When I came over, the father was quite upset and mad and did not want to talk to me. Matter of fact, he told me to leave them alone, despite being a typical good natured White Hatter wanting to help. They missed their flight to New York by five minutes. What that means is that they were standing in line to see an agent for what seemed like an eternity, but did not get to the counter in time. When it was their turn to be serviced, it was seventy minutes before departure, but WestJet’s policy is the luggage for an international flight needs to be on the conveyor belt seventy-five minutes before departure.
Based on experience at other airports, cutoff time is usually sixty minutes and therefore not something the family is familiar with. The father tried to push the argument in his favor, challenged their reasoning and established practice, and asked Westjet to not be so stringent. They were anxious to get home, as he needed to get to work the next morning, and the kids needed to get back to school and be with other family and friends. Surely Westjet out of kindness would make an exception, since they were in line for quite a while. But Westjet’s rules are strictly enforced, as they have so many flights on the go at once and it would not be fair to the other travelers if they delayed the flight to allow them to fly when others got to the airport in enough time.
The interaction turned snarly based on argument and eventual sneer from the father, causing the Westjet agent to get tough herself and give a stern no and scolding, and a request for them to leave so they could deal with other travelers in line. The family was noticeably upset and disheartened with all this, for who would not be. They were visiting our lovely country for a nice relaxing vacation for what it offers in all its glory in the city and mountain parks. And now all had been forgotten for the roadblock placed in front of them. They got back to reality and civilization in a hurry with their experience. Does anyone care? Why could they not help? The father was busy using his cell phone trying to find an alternate flight, as Westjet was not going to give them the time at the counter after their ordeal, and he was not about to show a happy face.
I stayed close by despite what the father said, because I looked at the sad, but warm expressions on the faces of the other family members, for they did not want to be like their father and push me away. I had them on my side while the father was busy, and they wanted to share their sadness with me. I noticed the young daughter’s forehead was scrunched up the most. She was really upset and devastated for missing the flight, then adding to that, her loving father was being so mean and upset. The daughter had some tear in her eye for I am sure she wanted to see her school mates to let them know of her adventure traveling around Alberta, Canada.
May God give me the words I need to allow them to seek refuge from being in the present moment, and to express in my own way my love for this family. I chose to give them all a speech of reassurance, but I looked straight at the daughter, for she was the most troubled of all. To continue reacting the way she was without knowing how to reset was only going to cause problems for her in later years. The daughter’s eyes remained glued to mine, as I spoke to them so softly, warmly, emphatically, and slowly:
“I know you are very disappointed for what happened, which is so awful, missing your flight by just five minutes… I am so sorry for you. But truth be told, what happened has happened, and there is nothing you can do about it now. You need to accept what happened, set it aside, and move forward from this experience staying in the present moment where you are still together treasuring life as a loving family. You need to let it go.”
I witnessed a miracle of transformation occurring in front of my eyes with that little girl. Any wrinkles showing on her forehead completely disappeared as any tension and stress were released, softening her skin. She was no longer troubled. She had done as I had asked and relaxed and let it all go, for it did not matter anymore.
I left them for a while, as I had other travelers needing attention. However, the family came back to me later, once arrangements had been made with alternate flights, still going to make it in time to settle at home to start their routine the next morning. The father apologized five times for his behavior towards me, for not being himself and taking out his frustration on me. I mentioned to the father the transformation that took place with his daughter for his education. The other family members were smiling and thanking me for being there as a White Hatter and for what I had to say. We continued on with friendly chat for a while until they had to go. They left with the father concluding that they may even consider moving here if the opportunity presents itself since they really like what they saw and the people here are so nice (well, almost).
Fog
A middle-aged man had his luggage opened for quite a long time, with clothing sprawled out on a metal table and floor. My first thoughts were that he must have issues with the weight of his luggage, but he was not by a weigh scale. I came over to see what he was up to. He was glad to have someone to talk to, since he seemed to be on his own for the moment.
He told me ahead of anything else that he was a teacher. Why would he tell me that? Does this give him more credibility for what he is doing? He said he is very good with attention to detail and always knows where everything is when it comes to travel documents, wallet, cell phone, and other personal items. I said I was the exact opposite and I often relied on my wife to remind me of where I could find things. But he could not find his passport and this completely baffled him because he always knows where everything is. He showed me his passport holder, but there was no booklet inside it.
I noticed based on his hand movements that they were slowed and so perhaps he was on some type of medication. He was from Nelson, BC and off on his own to Puerto Vallarta for 30 days, yet as a teacher, it was not spring break. Based on his wording, I learned he was single, had gotten separated quite recently, and he had a daughter. I concluded without asking that he was on stress leave and perhaps he was on some type of stress relief medication, or a happy pill. He said that perhaps someone stole his passport. I said absolutely not, no way, uh-uh. I know this can happen, but the risk is similar to getting struck by a vehicle when crossing a street, very unlikely.
He could not explain why he did not have his passport and could not get beyond this thought. There was absolutely no way that it could be anywhere else because he is always so careful and always keeps things in a safe place. I could see that he had his wallet and cell phone as he continued to fumble his way through his stuff. He said he looked through everything quite thoroughly several times, but his passport was not in his jacket, carry-on bag, and luggage. He was lost and did not know what to do next. He needed to get away and now was stranded, so devastated and down. He had brain fog and could not think his way out of his misfortune. He needed me to give him logical thought and direction.
I asked him if there was any chance that he could have left his passport at his place in Nelson and is there anyone who could go to his place and search for it? He said his daughter has access, but he recalls an “image” in his mind where he has his passport in his hand while staying overnight in a local budget hotel close to the airport. I again looked at his passport holder that was quite weak and sloppy and suggested that perhaps his passport slipped out of the holder when getting placed back into his bag.
As his flight was leaving in sixty minutes, I told him that he has missed his flight since his luggage needed to be on the conveyor belt fifteen minutes ago, and that he needed to accept this fact. He thanked me. I told him that he should check with the airline to let them know why he will not be on it and to see if there is room on the plane the next day if the passport is found. He thanked me. I reminded him at some point that he should notify the destination hotel of being delayed by twenty-four hours because of missing his passport. I stayed with his belongings while he talked to an agent. Once back, he said there was lots of room on the flight.
I told him that he now has twenty-four hours to find his passport and his focus should be solely on finding it and that he needed to stay positive while doing this. He mentioned being a Catholic and therefore must have known that staying positive can help, and he thanked me for the reminder. I told him that he will indeed find it, and as a matter of fact, his passport is at the hotel he was staying at because of the image that he has in his mind. Someone is telling him where it is, and he has to go back and retrieve it! He can take a taxi to the hotel on the Arrivals level. He believed what I said must be true and he thanked me. I told him that I fully expected him back at the airport the next day to catch his flight to Mexico with his passport, but that I would not be here to witness this happening.
What I told him next was perhaps uncalled for, but I got the feeling that he needed to hear it from me. I told him he needed to drop his ego, because nobody is perfect, including myself. He thanked me, repacked his luggage and headed back to his hotel.
Troubled Inside
A young lady was talking to an airport employee with her hands shaking. Was this normal? I have seen this before with travelers and if it is what I am thinking, this is not good. When by herself searching for a United Airlines agent in their afternoon location, I came over to ask if I could help. She was too late for her flight that morning and she needed to get back home. She had tears in her eyes and her hands started shaking again. She was embarrassed for being emotional. Everyone deals with things differently and she was one that wanted to be by herself, but could not be in that moment, for she needed help. I remained sensitive to not interacting with her any more than necessary.
At that moment, I noticed a reliable American Airlines agent had walked all the way from pillar fourteen to pillar five to be with us with the lady’s passport in hand. After missing her flight, she had touched base with this agent briefly to see if they could help, but no, they were not flying in her direction. It is when a traveler is in such a state that they need to be the most careful with their possessions, as any of her self-control measures were no longer functioning. Thankfully the agent was the one that had advised her to come to pillar five and when he noticed her passport was left behind, he tracked her down just as soon as he could get away from his post.
I told her that United Airlines was not going to be at pillar five until 9:41 AM and that was going to be more than an hour and a half wait. She was panicking and could not wait. She had dialed United’s toll-free number and was on hold to speak to an agent. While waiting, I said there was a chance that an agent could be coming and going from their back office. I took her to its location which was only a few steps away, and knocked on the door, but nobody answered.
Knowing their location and the information about when the agents will arrive at the counter, she backed herself into an inconspicuous area where she could be by herself in solitude sitting on a chair. She was also waiting for an agent to answer her call on hold. I told her that I would leave her alone now as there was not much more I could help her with. No thank you was in order, but some people have trouble accepting what fate brings them and her mind was elsewhere, only absorbing what information I could provide to help her situation, and then going back into her shell to process her thoughts. I bet she will not miss her flight next time. I probably should have offered to get her a hankie or something.
Down and Broken
Whenever anyone is beside Air Canada International when they are not there, something is up. I saw her from a distance and knew I could help. As I walked towards her, I could see she was on her cell phone pacing back and forth a bit. I sensed there was something wrong. She must have missed her flight, I thought. As I got closer, I noticed she was busy with conversation on her cell and she was really sobbing. The tears were flowing down her cheeks. It was a very deep cry, like from someone who had a broken heart.
I chose to stand by her as there was no one else around. She was so young and pretty, with long flowing hair, young enough to be my granddaughter, easily. As I was after all a white hatter, I think she recognized me as such, being someone who just wanted to help, but being patient and polite enough to just be with her for now while she talked, and she was okay with that. I checked my watch and it was after 8 AM and her flight to Newark, if that was the case, was leaving at 8:25 AM. She had a bag to check, a carry on, and a dog in a soft kennel with his head sticking out of it staring me down. She told the person on the phone that she had to go now.
When she got off the phone, she really started to sob as her emotions were in control. She just looked at me and was letting it all out deep from within. If only I could give her a hug for comfort, but not something that I could initiate, since even touching a traveler these days as a first move can be a big issue. I found out that it was not a case that she was late for her flight, but the airline deemed that her dog was too big for her kennel and he needed a bigger one and to be checked in with the other dogs. She then told me she needed to be on that flight to Newark because she was getting married! You have got to be kidding me was my thought, but no, this was really happening! Fate was striking her hard! I naturally showed lots of empathy for her situation.
I helped carry her stuff over to a quiet entrance where pickup would be easy and convenient and she just had to wait. She very much appreciated my empathy, kind words, and willingness to help. I told her that I knew it was going to be very difficult to set this aside, just unbelievable what happened, but she needed to regroup and carry on, as this was in her best interest. She agreed with me completely. I also said that for such an important event as this, that it was obviously not meant to be, her being on that flight to Newark, with someone waiting for her upon arrival. I reminded myself that she had no one with her, just her little dog. She was there by herself and therefore must have been getting married on her own without her parent’s support and possibly without any other family or friends. She had to call her parents to have them come and pick her up.
I let her have some quiet time by herself once settled, sitting in a convenient chair inside the entrance foyer while she waited for her ride. She turned her head towards what she could see outside as I walked away, as she was deep in thought. There was nothing else I could do for her. My job was done.
Alone
There she was, along with a young cowboy piled up along the glass rail, looking demoralized, he on his phone, she on hers. She had missed her Delta flight to Minneapolis as it was already 8 AM. He was the one who drove her to the airport after the evening before. She was a hockey player from Portland as she had a big duffle bag and her fancy stick inside a specially designed zipped up bag. She looked a bit like a jock, but she did have certain feminine qualities, including smooth lines on her soft tender face. How many people put their one stick inside a specially designed bag shaped the same? Usually there are four or five sticks taped together in case one breaks when slapping the puck, or taking out the opponent, or ramming it against the goal post.
Although young, she still looked like she could handle herself on the ice, except for one little issue…she was blind! Well, at least in the 95 percentile with a white cane to help her along the way. How could she possibly play hockey when blind? I learned later that the puck is a bit larger complete with wheel bearings and makes a noise and her stick could be designed differently and probably fairly expensive. People along the sides then yell out if they are getting too close to the side boards. I actually should watch them play a game someday to see for myself how it is done. It must give them a buzz to be playing such a sport. In her case, she travels around North America to play the game. I reminded myself though that when she is traveling, she is blind! But having a companion to be with after the game takes the pressure off her to manage her stay.
Her beau had to go and she was going to be left stranded, needing to fend for herself. Some boyfriend, I thought, if that is what she calls him. How was she going to get home? I bet she was counting on him to get her to the airport in time and he failed since the flight was too early for him to get his act together. Why do I think it was not her fault to have missed her flight? A person who is blind would not be late for her flight! She was counting on him to deliver her to the airport on time! Yeah, that’s what happened alright. Delta employees were not at their booth anymore and they would not be back until late morning. She felt anxious to make plans and was impatient, since she needed to get home.
Westjet was close by and when she asked for help, they said they could not book her another plane even if flying in the right direction as she needed to go “online” to do this. This may work for 95 percent of the travelers coming to the airport, but how was she going to do that if she is blind?! Apparently, she can book her own flight when she has a big screen in front of her, but this is risky and could take her hours to get the job done correctly. There are no big screens at the airport!
I had to give direction to a few other travelers while the young buck was saying goodbye. When I came back, he was gone and she was sitting on her bags, all hunched over and forlorn, with the screen of her cell phone jammed up against her eye, with the font size enlarged five times if not ten so that she could see a few letters at a time. I could tell she was frustrated, in a daze, and did not know what to do. She was all alone with strangers standing around her not paying any attention. She knew she needed to do something as she could not stay where she was for the day. It is best if she talks to an agent on the phone so she could get the flight booked for her, but who should she phone? What airline? Who is flying where? She needed my help.
“Going to Portland eh, hmmm. I believe Westjet has a flight going there, or at least to Seattle along with Alaska Airlines.”
“I am going to Portland, Maine, not Oregon. I have to get back home today as I need to work tomorrow!”
“Oh, good grief! That explains why you were flying to Minneapolis. Well, let’s see. Delta has very few flights from here. There are not too many options with them. They do have a flight to Salt Lake City early afternoon, but there would unlikely be a connecting flight from there to Portland, Maine. You would probably have to go through Minneapolis as a second stopover. You could fly Westjet or Air Canada to Toronto, but how do you get to Portland from there? You will have to connect through the States.”
She was an American and agreed that she needed to get to the US in order to catch a flight to Portland and she needed a way to make this happen.
“Do you have any friends or family in Calgary who could help you book a flight online?”
“No.”
Yikes! I need to focus solely on her for now. We reviewed each airline at the airport as to what they had on the go for flights. American to Dallas, then what? Alaska is going in the wrong direction. Westjet to New York, but getting late to catch, and she would have to phone them, not go to the counter. It’s better if she flies with the same airline for the whole trip since she is handicapped.
“United Airlines flies to Chicago at 12:30 PM, but they will not be at the counter until 9:30 AM. At least there should be a connecting flight with United to Portland from Chicago. Air Canada partners with United for that flight. Let’s go to Air Canada domestic and speak to an agent since no one from Air Canada is in the international. Please tell me if you can afford to keep a credit with Delta to use some other time and that you are willing to pay through the nose, if necessary, with another airline to get home.”
“Yes, no problem, as I travel around quite often.”
I took her to Air Canada domestic and they no longer can book a traveler a ticket as you need to go online. They used to have some screens that travelers could use to book a flight but they are no longer available. The only way a blind person can book a flight is to talk to someone on the phone. They did have a direct line to a booking agent and she confirmed there was indeed a flight to Chicago that she could get her on, but she could not book the next leg and it is best to book through United in order to get all the way to her final destination. That call was helpful, but Air Canada could have helped more. There was no direct line to United Airlines and therefore an agent at the counter would help if only there.
As we were walking back to the International, I managed to get her United’s toll-free number and she got them on the phone. Talking to a robot from United, it was taking forever to get through the questioning period so that her call could be directed to the proper authority. Sometimes the robot asked what she wanted, sometimes she had to press a number. I observed her work through this nightmare. So difficult for her to do when she is blind! I felt so sorry for her, as this was going to be her life, never able to see much of anything. She must get quite a relief when she steps on the ice to play her game and set all issues aside, and have fun with her handicap. When the questioning had been satisfactorily completed, she was then placed on hold for the next available agent. She was at least getting somewhere, but I did not know for sure if United could get her home that day.
She had to go to the bathroom and so I escorted her to the ladies’ room while waiting for United to get back to her. I thought I was needing to go into that room with her, which would not be the best idea, or to find someone who could help her, but fortunately she was able to fumble her way through the entrance once I told her where it was, knowing she will find what she needs inside… somewhere, with I being left guarding her stuff on a cart.
She came out a few minutes later and I gave her assurance that I was still here, and she was still on hold with United. She knows my voice by now.
“I will take you to a handicapped chair right beside the United Airlines counter. If you are not successful in booking your flight over the phone, at least in one hour you will be able to talk to a United agent. I truly believe United is your best option, not Delta, and they should be able to help you.”
She was so graciously thankful for my service and being there in her time of need. She had no idea who I was at all, but had to trust someone who seemed to have her best interest at heart. I said I will check back later once United Airlines are at the counter, but I reminded her that she was still on hold with United in the meantime and maybe they could help her get her trip planned out to ease her mind.
While dealing with other travelers, I glanced back a few times to see her seated on her chair still on her cell. I was able to eventually catch a United Airlines agent passing through to let her know what my client was waiting for, but she said she could not help for another 45 minutes. She said it is best to get Delta to transfer the credit to United to reduce what she has to pay. They will do that? News to me! Westjet will not do that for Air Canada or vice versa, but these airlines have a much bigger presence in this airport, and United and Delta need to work together to be more competitive. I best let her know the latest and walked back to sit by her side. She had no idea who was sitting by her, but she seemed less tense, her voice was softer, and she was more at peace. She was so sweet now that she was herself.
I explained the good news about Delta and it was just a matter of waiting for them to show up, which would still be plenty of time to book her flight to Chicago. She told me that she managed to get through to that United ticket agent and she was on that flight to Chicago already and then catching a flight later to take her to Portland, arriving two hours later than the previous plan! She wanted to tip me since I had been so nice and helpful, but I said no, I was Adrian, a white hatter, and just at the airport to help people out as a volunteer. I told her I will come back once United agents are at the counter to make sure she can drop off her bag and get her boarding passes.
United was already set up dealing with other travelers when I came back, but she was still seated waiting. I think she had lost track of time and maybe she figured she would just let things be and live in the moment, not to worry, for she was miraculously getting the support she needed. I saw a new United agent just coming to her counter and I asked her to deal with my client right away in front of other travelers since she was handicapped. She agreed. I brought my lady to her as others looked on and I had her hockey bag and stick and she followed closely behind with her cane. The bag was overweight, but she could have pulled out a duffle bag and have as a carry on. They said not to bother and they did not penalize her, since this was only going to be an inconvenience. She got her boarding passes. I offered United to take her to the security gate, but they did something much better, flagging her itinerary to escort her through security and customs to make sure she got to her gate in Calgary, and later once arrived in Chicago! That United agent took good care of my lady! I have had other good experiences with United, and they do care.
I learned later that Portland’s airport services all of Maine and that there are connecting flights from New York, Detroit, or Atlanta. But she would have had to change airlines in a big airport. United was indeed the best option. The only problem remaining, now that my job was done, was my problem in that I will never get to see her ever again, but I do hope and pray that the rest of her day goes well!
Lucky/ Unlucky
The airline mechanics for Westjet had agreed to not go on strike on a Canada Day long weekend, as the Federal government had assigned an arbitrator to reach a fair settlement for all parties. Westjet management breathed a sigh of relief. Then the union, out of spite, passed judgement on the whole frustrating negotiating process and that Westjet still had not met their demands. There was no room for failure in their minds and they were not about to settle for anything less, so determined. Therefore, they chose to do a 180 and walk off the job at the last minute to sock it to management when the company and the situation was most vulnerable for impact! Is no one’s word good anymore? Why do people have to be so selfish? Does anyone care about the ramifications of their actions? This was Canada’s birthday, a time for celebration to give thanks for the lifestyle, freedoms, and blessings we have compared to other countries. The ones who suffer the most will be the vacationers, for they have no control of the situation. They will eventually get home, but they will have to absorb several more days of expense and hardship. Westjet was able to justify no compensation to travelers, as it was not their problem, since an arbitrator had been assigned. Roughly 100,000 passengers had their travel plans thrown upside down by the strike, with over 200 flight cancellations.
I went in twice that weekend to console travelers and focused on those traveling international. Some got lucky with their flight, while others not so much. Some thought they were lucky, but then found out later they were not! One young lady fairly early on the scene needed to get home to Atlanta so she could go to work, but her Westjet flight was canceled. How does she get there? Exploring options, I mentioned Westjet had a flight still on to Washington, D.C and surely, she could catch a connecting flight from there. After making this recommendation, she talked to Westjet on the phone and gave me a thumbs up, catching the last seat available on that flight.
One fellow had a father who needed to get to Detroit since a relative had passed away. Time was of the essence, as relatives had assembled and were in mourning. The flight to Detroit did happen the day before, but was canceled on the day he was to travel and they had been notified. But they chose to go to the airport anyway to plead their case as a family emergency and explore options. Westjet had booked him to fly two days later, which was going to be too late. Their only hope was to find a way to fly to another US city, and then catch a connecting flight from there with another airline to Detroit. I suggested he check out other airlines: American to Chicago or Dallas, United to Washington, Chicago, or Denver, Delta to Minneapolis or Salt Lake City, but after much research, it was determined all were sold out. They gave up and left.
My next client was busy looking at the screen for what flights were operating still and not canceled. She was bubbly and happy. In her case she had booked a flight through Expedia and she claimed that her flight was still on for Los Angeles, as she received notification from Delta to come to the airport! She was not the least bit concerned because Delta gave her the green light, all systems go! Now there were several problems with the information I received. Delta does not fly to LAX from Calgary, and she booked with Expedia, which is not good news.
Voicing my concerns, she proved to me there was a flight to LAX with Delta and it was still a go, but the problem was that it was leaving from Edmonton, not Calgary. The reason she was looking on the board for departing flights, was that she was supposed to be flying to Edmonton from what she thought was Delta, but the fine print on her itinerary said “operated by Westjet.” Westjet was to fly her from Calgary to Edmonton, but it was not appearing on the board at all. That’s because the flight no longer existed and so it was not a matter that the flight had been canceled! Expedia failed to notify her that the flight no longer existed! There was absolutely no way that she was going to get to Edmonton since all Westjet flights were canceled or sold out, and it was too late to get to Edmonton using any other means to catch her flight!
A Korean family had a father needing to get back to Korea, as a relative was not doing well, and he wanted to get in his visit before it was too late. He could speak very little English when I asked him where he was going, but he was confident he was going to get there. I found out his daughter was standing in line at the Delta Airlines counter since they had booked through Delta for his flight to Seattle. He was to catch an overnight flight from Seattle to Seoul, Korea. The only problem was that I knew Delta did not fly to Seattle from Calgary and that the flight was operated by Westjet. When I went over to visit the daughter, she thought they were safe, since they had booked through Delta and they did not receive any notice of cancellation. It took some time to explain to her that the flight was operated by Westjet, much to her anguish and chagrin, and this was the reason why there was no Delta agent at the counter. She chose to wait for Delta to come, as I told her they would be arriving shortly. Fair enough, since she placed her trust in Delta, normally a reliable and big airline with lots of options (but in the US).
After talking to Delta who were unable to help, she went back to her family to discuss options. It again was a case that if only the father could fly to an American city, then surely, he could catch a flight to Seattle. Since it was still early morning, there was a good chance that the father could get to Seattle in time as long as he could get out of Calgary. Exploring other airline options, they were getting nowhere with any flights heading south. I suggested flying to Vancouver or Victoria and that even Flair had a flight going to Victoria as an option, getting them away from Westjet. This gave them hope and the daughter kept on her cell phone, logging into airline’s websites to see if any seats were available. Regardless of cost, the family needed to get their father back to his homeland.
As I was nearing the end of my shift, I could see the family still at the airport looking down and forlorn, but not wanting to give up. I concluded there was not a chance for them and I started to walk out of the International to head home. Then a “light” went off in my head as I had an idea. Some Westjetters already found other airlines to fly south and that is why everything was booked, but how many people fly to Tokyo as an alternative? The Westjet flight to Tokyo was still happening at 3 PM today! I went back into the International and told them to book a flight to Tokyo. I showed the son that the flight was still on when querying on my cell. They were so excited to hear this suggestion, they all bowed to me in gratitude! I never heard the outcome as I had to leave, but I was 90% sure the flight to Tokyo was not sold out and there would be dozens of connecting flights from there to Korea. The father would get to Korea sooner than flying through Seattle since a majority of his flight was going to occur today and not in the early hours of tomorrow morning, allowing him to get in his visit sooner.
There was this family of four I found at the Alaska Airlines counter. This was for their flight earlier that morning to Seattle, but there were no agents at the counter and the flight was leaving soon. They were lucky to have booked with Alaska, as the flight with Westjet had been canceled. They were to catch a flight from Seattle to take them to Portugal for their multi week vacation that they had saved up for and looked forward to. They had gotten to the airport in plenty of time; however, they were unlucky when they arrived because the elevator they were on had gotten stuck between floors! They did not panic as they pressed the trouble button to talk to airport operations. The airport said no worries, and they sent a team over to fix the problem and get the elevator going again. As you can imagine though, this took a block of time. Once they were freed, they ran to the Alaska counter to check in, but they arrived ten minutes too late! There was no other way they were going to get to Seattle, since all other flights were canceled or sold out.
All’s Well That Ends Well
So much for the strike. It does not take travelers long to forget and be hopeful that their journey that day will be successful. Let me finish this log off with a young, very slim Oriental lady and her partner, who were standing by a pillar in the International Terminal with their luggage. I noticed she was barfing big time into a big brown paper bag. Good for her to not be upchucking onto the floor and making a mess. Where on earth did she get such a big bag? They must have had a bag for carry on, perhaps. Why was she sick? Did she have a stomach flu virus in the middle of the hot summer? Rather odd, I thought. COVID? Was she contagious? She looked weak. Who knows as maybe, of all things, she is pregnant! Did the smoke outside from the forest fires get to her?
They had kept close to this pillar to not be so noticeable and no one was looking, except me. Their secret was with me. I was not about to ask what was the cause of her problem and whether she should be flying, but I did choose to tell her partner where they could place the brown bag once she had completed her business. He thanked me for that. One minute later, after dealing with other clients, I checked up on them again. The brown bag was no longer in their area, but she had her head down and leaning against the pillar with her partner behind her to camouflage her situation. I again talked to her partner and pointed out where the washroom was if she needed to wash up. He was graciously thankful for this information. I again left them to attend other clients.
A few minutes later, they were gathering up their belongings and he broke away to come over and ask where was Alaska Airlines. I told him that Alaska will be at pillar twelve in ten minutes to get them on their flight to Seattle. He had a big beaming smile for being so knowledgeable and again thanked me for the useful information. He paged his love to come over and be with him as he knew where to go. She had recovered incredibly well now having refreshened herself and had a big loving radiant smile for me. She had her one hand on her tummy, her pride and joy, which was perhaps a little bigger than a softball, and not something I noticed before. Morning sickness!