Flying standby is not for chumps. There were some grumpy people in YVR, they landed and missed their flights back east. No sense being grumpy. I'd rather they did some things for safety, rather than dumping us in the drink. Just sayin'!
We had some hours to fill, but you're never bored, people watching!
I was watching hubby, and planes, however!
And we taxi to the take off!
This is the best flight attendant I've ever met. She was very warm and welcoming to us on the way there. Much confidence, she was in charge of the other attendants. She served us, and asked what we were up to, as she wanted to go with the guys on our left, who were going salmon fishing. We told here we were visiting the new grandbabe! Lots of little kids on the flight. Look at the socks!
She asked when we were returning, and I said Thursday. She said she'd be on the flight, and would look forward to seeing us. There she was!
The ticket agents weren't there yet. People were asking the flight crew questions, since they were in uniform and had arrived in good time and sat. Our favourite flight attendant first went over to the gentleman in the wheelchair, chatted, and told him he would be looked after. He needed help getting from his chair to the seat, and she assured him that they would get two rampies to assist him, and not to worry. He was hard of hearing, with a hearing aid in one ear. I would be afraid traveling in this situation. He didn't have anyone with him.
She asked if we had seats, and I said no. And it didn't look good. She jokingly offered to put us to work on the plane for a seat.
To hubby: "You be in the galley."
To me: You can work the back!"
Hubby does have safety training, as even management had to have it when he worked for them. Our Kathleen would have known that! It was filled to the gills, however.
Ticket agent arrived. This flight was late in, people were getting antsy to have the rampies do their work, and catering to refill the food, turn around and leave!
We were right. There was some waiting to be done, with baited breath, after a good lunch! Hooray for WiFi, as I posted our updates to family. We tried for the 10:30. Nope. The 11:30, delayed to 12:30, proved to be the magic one.
Big, black boots on the seat. What? Were you raised in a barn? We are conscious of being former employees, and even have a dress code.
Made it to Toronto at dusk. We were getting closer. Hubby lined up to get seats from YTO to YOW!
Several planes we did 't manage to catch!
I didn't get a window seat, but beggars cannot be choosers! It was a 777 with nine seats across in the back. We weren't together, either, but we were both pretty tired! We were over the wing, I was in the middle, on the aisle. The flight attendant gave the safety spiel about opening the door, to the people on my right. I always take that stuff seriously.
It was good to be home. An hour drive, in the dark, through Ottawa streets, across rural roads. It was quiet and peaceful. Home by midnight!
5 comments:
Quite the journey, haven't flown standby before. We had tickets and seats and still had all sorts of delays. We had plenty of time to watch people and explore when our first flight was cancelled, the second rerouted to include 2 stopovers, one was cancelled, Back to the ticket desk (third time) and finally we got on a direct flight back to Toronto, only 8 hours late. It truly wasn't their fault, it was the time of the fires and then severe thunder storms in Calgary and that caused cancellations and back ups. We weren't in a hurry, and just enjoyed the experience. And yes, good to be home. But we would do it all again.
Hari OM
When one takes the travel as part of the experience of being in one place and then another, it is certainly an entertaining pastime! YAM xx
You have to be adventurous to do stand by. It's good that you're back safely.
How cool to be former employees!
I've done standby before, when a youth pass was still doable (I think the cutoff was 25), flying between Ottawa and Toronto.
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