My time in Dublin was short. I had one night there catching up with friends I'd made in Australia. We went to a pub for an afternoon pint or two, then returned to my friend's flat in time for a few hours of sleep before heading back to the airport.
My connection to Scotland and my friends there is a long story that I'll save for future chapters. Just know that Glasgow is very special to me. I used to get back there as often as possible, and it always felt like home. I was excited to be heading back there.
On the day of my flight to Canada, I went to work with my friend Matt. He and his father, Andy, have a vehicle rental company in Paisley, not far from Glasgow Airport. We had morning tea, then Matt dropped me off.
I was thrilled to be early for my flight. I'd check in and drop my bag, then wander the airport as I always do, using my legs as much as possible before several hours of sitting.
"Hi there!"
I turned to see an Air Transat employee smiling at me. She was middle-aged with straight brown hair and rosy cheeks.
"Can you tell me where you're supposed to be flying to today?"
I looked at her, very confused. "I AM … "pause for dramatic effect, "flying to Toronto."
I began wondering if I'd read my boarding pass wrong. Or maybe I had the wrong day. Or time. But it was a charter flight, the only one each day. Also, I'd booked an airport shuttle to get me from Toronto Pearson Airport to my hometown. No, I was there on the right day at the right time.
"Em, no you're not." Maintaining her smile, she looked down at her list. "Could you tell me your name please?"
I had no idea what was going on. I was on time for once. Early even. Had I broken some rules? I told her my name. She nodded and wrote something on her list.
"What do you mean, no I'm not? Yes, I am. I'm flying to Toronto this afternoon."
Her smile increased as she looked up at me, "No, you're not."
It was a strange way to approach the situation, not giving any information, just telling me what's what.
As pleasant as she was, I had an extremely short fuse in those days. All the sweet-as-pie smiles and pleases in the world weren't going to work.
"What are you talking about?" My forced smile began to stretch as the anger behind it pushed forward, ready to burst through the skin at any moment. "I'm more than three hours early. I'm heading home. I haven't seen my family in a couple of years. I'm getting on that plane."
With a sigh, her airline smile changed to something less expressive. Something more sincere. She pulled her clipboard into her chest. Giving up on trying to win that month’s Customer Service of the Award, she spoke to me like a normal person.
"You've been bumped. Airlines overbook flights all the time, banking on some people not showing up, which happens more than you'd think. On the rare occasions when everyone does turn up, they begin bumping people, starting with anyone travelling on their own."
I appreciated her levelling with me. The irate asshole behind my face retreated, the skin relaxing into a more peaceful expression.
"It's a real shame they do this, but that's business, I guess. You'll be compensated, though. You'll be re-booked onto a flight to London this evening. We'll set you up in a hotel and give you some money to cover your dinner tonight. In the morning, there's a shuttle that'll take you to the airport, and you'll fly to Toronto from there."
I could see there was nothing I could do. The greedy airline shuffled me onto another flight from another city the next day as if my plans didn't matter. I was bummed out but knew it wasn't her fault, so I stayed as friendly as possible. She was just doing her job.
I wondered how many others would shout and take their frustrations out on her for delivering the bad news. She was definitely in a worse position than me. Still, I had plans, and that tiny bit of compensation wouldn't make up for breaking them.
"Look, I know it isn't your fault, but this really sucks. I had everything timed so I could be there for my father's retirement celebration and my brother-in-law's stag. I even have a shuttle booked on the other end. A hotel room and dinner aren't going to cut it. They shouldn't be messing with people's lives like this."
She looked around, then stepped closer, "If you write a letter, you'll probably get a free flight. The money they make from overbooking more than makes up for it. Most people don't bother writing in, so if you do, they'll most likely see it as easier to buy your forgiveness than argue. They can afford it. Just make sure you include everything you told me about your plans. And don't wait too long. Write the letter soon as you can."
Shortly after, she returned with a new boarding pass. "You've got quite a lot of time to kill." She handed me forty pounds. "The only restaurant close by is at the hotel you'll be staying at. It's quite expensive. This should cover your dinner." She then handed me six more pounds. "And this is for the hotel shuttle this evening and tomorrow morning. It's three pounds each way."
I thanked her and headed toward the exit.
While I'd been waiting, I'd called Matt, asking for a van. My friend Ash, who worked for Matt and Andy, picked me up. I dropped him back at work, then took my forty pounds to do some shopping.
My first stop was ASDA, a large supermarket chain owned by Woolworths. I bought sushi for one pound, which was my dinner that night. Then, I went to TK Maxx, a department store chain that sells older stock from regular shops at a discounted price. I bought a pair of skate shoes and a pair of board shorts. Then, I drove back to the airport and left the van where Ash had instructed me to, with the key hidden.
Before boarding the flight, I got into a conversation with a lass from Toronto. She'd been bumped as well. In fact, quite a few people had been. She was cute, so, given we were staying at the same hotel, I tried to be smooth just in case.
We chatted a bit more on the bus from the airport to the hotel in London. I could see it wasn't going anywhere quickly, so I messaged a lass called Liz and asked if she wanted to hang out. She was a regular at the Belvedere Arms when I worked there.
I can't remember if I flew from Luton or Stansted. Whichever it was, Liz drove an hour and a half from where she was to the hotel with two bottles of wine. If the cute lass from Toronto and I chatted more the next day, I wanted to ensure my entertaining went unnoticed. So, as my room was on the ground floor, I convinced Liz to climb in through the window.
In the morning, Liz wasn’t excited about climbing back out the window, but I assured her it was better that way “to avoid any trouble with the front desk.”
That was the first and last time Liz and I had spent alone together. We had a great evening and laughed at the randomness of the encounter. We both agreed that it would make for a funny story.
I did chat with the cute lass from Toronto on the bus, but we eventually disappeared from each other's lives. Our seats were too far apart on the plane to keep the conversation going, and when we landed, I was too excited to see my father to look for her.
While my parents slept that evening, I sat down at the computer with a bottle of whisky and emailed the airline. It wasn't an angry email by any means. More emotional, if anything. I told them how excited I was to see my family after so long and all the plans I'd missed due to being bumped. It was more of an "I'm not angry, just disappointed" sort of tone.
The next morning, I received a reply. No arguments, no excuses:
"We are very sorry for the inconvenience we have caused. To show our commitment in keeping you as a valued customer, we would like to offer you a free flight. Simply email me anytime within the next twelve months, and I'll book you onto a one-way flight of your choice, anywhere we fly."
It worked! That would definitely come in handy down the line.
The concessions from the airline didn't make up for missing my father's retirement party and my brother-in-law's stag, of course. It would have been much nicer to attend those special, once-in-a-lifetime events. However, instead of getting down about it, I found a solid plan B: sushi, some new additions to my wardrobe, a wine-fueled rendezvous in a rural hotel, and a free flight to take advantage of in the future.
Life presents obstacles when we least expect it. We can't control that. But what we can control is how we respond. We can either get upset, or, we can improvise.