i hate flying - Sep 20, 2009 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I think I must have got out of bed the wrong side today.

After checking in online yesterday I was expecting the day to run smoothly as I arrived at Vancouver airport. Then the online ticket printing machine didnt want to give me a luggage tag so I had to queue up for 20 minutes to get one. Once at the front of the queue the woman (who was being supervised so that filled me with confidence), informed me that although I was confirmed on the 10am flight, they had decided to put on a smaller plane and they couldnt give me a seat number (despite having done it online) and that I had to speak to the people at the gate...it didnt sound optimistic.

When I got to security things got worse though this was my fault. I'd completely forgotten about a bottle of wine I'd bought in the Okanagan vineyard, which I'd bought for my mum. So I really hope the security guys enjoy the cherry wine!!! It was very annoying but at that point it was 9.15am and i was starting to panic about missing my flight. Once I'd found the right gate (they kept switching it) the guy told me I couldnt go on the 10am but he could get me a seat on the 9.30am. Cue very mad rush over to other side of airport to get that flight! I did have time though to ask about my bag. I thought that bags had to go on the same plane as their passenger but guy said it would go on 10am so i had to run off hoping that it did make it...

When I got to my seat I then had some rather eccentric lady trying to stuff a large duffle bag under the seat infront. I politely suggested that perhaps she wanted to put it in the overhead locker but she said she couldnt. this was because she had a 14 week puppy in the bag! I was slightly horrified, one, because I didnt realise you could have dogs in the main cabin of a plane but also because of the way she'd been trying to push it under the seat. Anyway, the puppy seemed ok and eventually she made it fit.

Unfortunately the day continued to get worse as the pilot came on shortly after take off to warn us that they were expecting 45 minutes of turbulence. Which there was. It was horrible. Then after the 45 minutes, 15 minutes more, and then some more. Pretty much the whole 4 1/2 hours to Toronto. To add further salt into the proverbial wound, my computer screen was broken which meant no movies for me.

I was very glad to reach Toronto in one piece and even didnt mind the hour wait for my bag which had happily gone on the 10am flight. I decided against a bus into downtown and caught a taxi instead and was very pleased when I reached my hotel and found I had a suite which I think it potentially bigger than my flat in London, complete with dishwasher and washing machine/dryer! they even give you a free meditation CD and yoga mat on arrival!