I’ll just be gone one night I had said to Wendy. We fly to Fort Mac in the late afternoon and will be back the next night. Little did I know that West Jet had other plans.

I don’t begin to understand how airlines work. I know they have to coordinate the right plane with the right pilots (not every pilot is qualified to fly every plane) and then there’s the logistics of fuel, food, the airports and of course a crew. But I have come to believe that at times it’s cheaper to put a plane load of people up in a hotel, pay for a few meals, and endure their anger than it is to get another plane to a particular location.

While the federal government brought in some legislation requiring airlines to pay a fee or fine to every passenger when they can’t deliver said flight, there’s enough wiggle room in the code to let them make a decision which favours them financially. Maybe I am being too skeptical, but that’s what I have come to believe.

All this to say, my trip this week to Fort McMurray ended up being delayed by a day when the flight was cancelled. Dear West Jet – make the call earlier and we can look at options but when you wait until late into the night giving us several new boarding times…well, we have no options.

but if you’re going to wait in an airport…I really enjoyed this lounge chair and had a nice nap on it. Plus there was a terrific supper at Earl’s that West Jet paid for, including dessert! And I was home on Friday in time to have everyone over for supper and a movie.