Aug 09, 2019
Swoop dove and Westjet pulled up
It was time to book Colin’s fall visit to see Mommio. At 105 years of age ( in October ), the only major problem she has is that she can’t hear very well and she won’t wear her hearing aides. She finds them too difficult to put in and they won’t stay in. I tried to get the nursing staff to put them in but she refuses to let them do it. Colin used to be able to have several conversations with her per week over the phone but now she pretty much can’t hear what he is saying, maybe three words in a 20 minute conversation so Colin just lets her talk. Very frustrating on both their parts. There is a new airline that flies from Kelowna to Winnipeg and it is one of those discount types. Rock bottom prices but any extra is at a cost, even carry on bags have a $35.00 fee. Checking a bag is only $30.00. I think water is something like $2.00 on the flight. Of course seat selection is extra. Swoop airlines is scooping the other airlines. We got a great deal for only $209.52 CAD.
The heat has kept the geese floating in the cooler water of the lake.
This last Tuesday I spent the better part of the day researching and finding the best price for Colin’s visit to Winnipeg in October. I also ended booking my annual chiropractor appointment to Edmonton but more on that another day. So I booked a car rental for Winnipeg and hotel for both Winnipeg and Edmonton. It is amazing how much time these things take. By trying various different sites I felt that I got the best prices that I could.
So the next morning, last Wednesday, I went back to my business to do list and discovered a cheque ( written on our business account ) on the previous Friday had actually been deposited directly back into our business account instead of our personal account 🙄 Well that totally screwed things up and I was short of funds. It took a few hours to figure that out and for me to do the necessary paperwork and back tracking to make it correct, accounting wise. Of course I had to go back to the bank with another cheque and redeposit it into the correct account. Colin had been out and about and once he got home we went in together and managed to get a few other errands done.
Once we got home and I had put things away I checked my emails. What the heck? Swoop had a schedule change. I had just booked it the day prior.
They were advising that the new schedule change had Colin leaving Winnipeg at 11:45 AM on October 7th, arriving here in Kelowna at 12:24PM and then leaving 45 minutes later back to Winnipeg! Totally wrong as the journey was beginning here in Kelowna, not Winnipeg not to mention that he was leaving on the 7th and returning on the 9th.
Colin was actually booked to leave Kelowna at 1:10PM on the 7th of October and to return back here to Kelowna leaving at 11:45AM on October 9th. They literally had put the cart before the horse. There was a link to click if you agreed with the change of flights or a phone number to call if you did not. Fortunately I was able to make the call about forty minutes after the email had been received. I have been able to figure out the the entire issue was because of the problem with the 737 Max 8 aircraft. Still unresolved 8-O. Swoop, an economy carrier is owned by Westjet.
This is what we picked out of the garden Wednesday. Our first Swiss chard of the season. I steamed it and it was melt in your mouth, smooth as butter. We simply steam it and add nothing. The cucumber & tomato sandwich we had for lunch yesterday was to die for.
Eventually my call was answered by a Westjet agent :-|. For some reason Westjet was dealing with the Swoop schedule change. It was awkward as Westjet did not have full access to the flights details, only a spread sheet. I had a very patient Westjet agent and I with my travel background with Air Canada managed to get Colin a wonderful deal. I had three screens open and between the WJ agent and myself we ( I ) got it figured out. It turns out that Westjet was taking over the entire booking. Again I later surmised that this was all because of the 737 Max 8 issue. Turns out that my good friend Libby was also having to deal with Westjet schedule changes.
The light winds blew off the haze yesterday afternoon.
Long story short we paid $209.52CAD for Colin to fly from here to see his Mom and back with Swoop. Great price but Colin had little time on the ground ( as opposed to past flights ) to see his Mom. We decided that quality time was better than no time and booked the flight. With the change in flights and Westjet taking over, Colin got a fantastic new schedule to go see his Mom, all at no extra charge to us. In fact the actual cost to book what the Westjet agent changed for Colin would have cost us $650.21CAD!! He got free seat selection on all four flights. Swoop was a direct non stop in both directions but a change of flight is required with Westjet, so now there were four different flights. They also allowed him a free checked bag at no charge which would make the total $710.21. We only paid the original Swoop price of $209.52. It also means that Colin gets juice or water or coffee and cookies at no charge on the flights. A wonderful deal. Most importantly he was booked on the flights I used to book him on when I booked Westjet and that gives him maximum time with Mommio 😀
Today we have heavier winds and the air is thick with smoke. The winds are also bringing in clouds and a risk of thunder showers for tonight. Just before I am about to publish this post, I can no longer see the mountains and the smell of smoke is prevalent. No updates in the news. I pray that the 200 plus properties on evacuation alert are safe.
So Swoop dropped the ball but Westjet picked it up and it is all good for Colin’s visit to see his Mom. You might say that we got what we wanted to have in the first place and saved $500.69 in the process. I think that we got lucky as well, as I was able to reply to the schedule change email within 40 minutes. It turned out alright but I was on the phone for over an hour working on it and then had to redo the car rental and a few other details.
The sun sets to the west, left of the photo. But last evening the colour was in the south. I have to say that I was amazed at the colours my camera picked up. Those ducks are just taking off. The green on the mid bottom is a tarp that Colin has put over the canoe to protect it from the sun.
So that was how I spent Tuesday and Wednesday. It has taken yesterday and today to catch up with my to do list.
The colours are a gift from Mother Nature. That white dot in the middle at the top is the moon. Taken yesterday.
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Nice that you got the flights all straightened out and saved all the money as well. and Colin can enjoy a nice visit with Mommio.
To be honest we were surprised that Westjet offered what they did. We were not prepared to pay more than we already had and would have cancelled the trip. Kudos to Westjet.
GLAD YOU HAD GOOD RESULTS WITH COLIN’S FLIGHTS. YEP. LAST YEAR BOOKED ON WESTJET. THEY STOPPED THE DIRECT FLIGHTS. CHANGED TO SWOOP. THEY HAD NOT GAINED APPROVAL FOR AMERICAN SKIES SO BACK TO WESTJET AS A CHARTER BUT IT ALL ADDED UP TO MORE MONEY. THIS YEAR, BOOKED WITH WESTJET ON A SEAT SALE, DIRECT FLIGHT. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, RECEIVED AN EMAIL SAYING MY ORIGINAL BOOKED FLIGHT NO LONGER RUNS SO THEY BOOKED ME ON THEIR LATE AFTERNOON DIRECT FLIGHT. THAT FLIGHT RAN 55 MINS LATE LAST NIGHT BECAUSE THE INBOUND FLIGHT COMES IN FROM LAX. I HAVE NEVER HAD A LATE FLIGHT ON WESTJET BUT BY WATCHING THESE LATER IN THE DAY FLIGHTS, THEY ARE LATE, BUT NOT WITHIN CANADA AS I WATCHED ANOTHER FLIGHT AT THE SAME TIME TO VICTORIA. USUAL FLIGHT. LEFT EARLY, ARRIVED EARLY. SEEMS WE WILL FINALLY GET TO AZ AROUND 11PM AFTER OUR 3 HOUR DRIVE AFTER LANDING. THAT WILL BE A VERY LONG DAY FOR ME. BUT I WILL ONLY FLY WITH WESTJET AS I PERSONALLY DO NOT LIKE THE OTHER CARRIER BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE DIRECT FLIGHTS FOR MY DESTINATION. HAVE NO IDEA HOW THINGS WILL BE ON THE RETURN FLIGHT. AT LEAST THIS TIME I HAVE THE SAME PRICE AND ONLY SEAT I CAN TRAVEL IN. I’LL BE WATCHING COLIN’S FLIGHTS AS I DO ALL OF YOURS. THANK YOU FOR MY VICARIOUS TRAVELS.
You are welcome my friend. Somehow we manage to get through all the stresses of travel.
As much as I don’t want forest fire smoke in the air it does make for beautiful sunsets/sunrises! Nice work on Colin’s flights.
Thank you.
Glad you were able to fix the muddle for Collins flight and the Bank.
Hopefully you can still get beautiful Sunset Pictures without the Forrest Fire Risks.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It’s about time
I was amazed at how giving Westjet was and it was totally to our benefit. Well if I don’t get many sunset photos here, we know that I will once we get back to Mexico.
Westjet is really good on schedule changes. I’ve had 6 schedule/flight changes with a flight with AC I have booked for hubby in early december, expect at least the same amount before he flies (we only booked it in June!). Great deal!
There are always schedule changes in the spring and the fall. Hopefully it will work out for him.