Finally back in Ottawa, and recovering from another one of
His
infamous visits. Luckily, this one scored a big zero on the
heavy drinking scale, just a lot of good food (and a museum,
who'd have guessed?)
I noticed a sign just a couple of blocks away from my
apartment that makes me believe that our travel agent has
moved from California. It reads "Far Horrors: Experts in
Creative
Travel"
Another airport, another surreal experience. In
Minneapolis, all Air
Canada operations are handled by their Star Alliance
partner United. I stepped
up to the counter, gave them my passport,
and mentioned that I'd really really like to be on the 0600
flight to Chicago.
<Agent> 6 AM? Are you sure?
<Me> Yes.
<Agent> Sure?
<Me> Yes.
<Agent> Do you have a printed itinerary?
<Me> No, I changed my ticket yesterday.
Ah-ha. You could almost see the gears turning in his head.
"He's going to look up my original record," I thought to
myself, "find my information, and send me happily on my
way."
<Agent> Hmm. I don't see anything with your
name at all.
At my insistence, he called Air Canada's operations to see
what exactly was going on. I only got to hear one side of
the conversation, and it wasn't terribly encouraging.
<Agent> No. No. No, he's standing right
here.
<Agent> No, I'm looking right at his luggage,
it has an Ottawa to Minneapolis baggage tag on it!
<Agent> Yes, he's here in Minneapolis, and he
says that he's supposed to be on the 6 AM flight to Chicago,
connecting to Ottawa at 9:15.
To make a long story slightly less long, the man who changed
my ticket had keyed in "MSY" instead of "MSP". Therefore,
everyone
(with the exception of the man actually in front of me)
thought that I was in New Orleans.
This situation was repeated, almost verbatim, in Chicago
when I went to pick up my second boarding pass. This time,
the computer insisted that I was in Toronto (as my
original itinerary was MSP->YYZ->YOW), and even the
woman at the counter was a bit skeptical that I was standing
in front of her. Finally, after much chatter and two more
phone calls, she decided that I really was in Chicago, and I
really did deserve to be back in Ottawa.
Raise your hand if you'll be attempting air travel anytime
soon.