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Tuesday, November 20, 2001 Woke up at 5:00am. Showered and dressed, and then just packed up and checked out. Wheeled our luggage to the opposite end of the airport to check in for the domestic flight. Used the kiosk to check in, but the ‘Express’ baggage drop off line-up was really long, so we wheeled our bags over to the Priority Check-in to drop them off. Our seats on this flight were in different rows again, but the agent was able to put us together in a row. (Wow – finally an agent that could ACTUALLY move us!!). However, we still didn’t have a window seat – just an aisle and middle. But since it was a short flight, it wasn’t a big deal. By now, I was getting really tired of airlines, airports and the new added security. When you check in at the airline, you have to show photo id. That’s not a big deal, because a lot of airlines were doing that before anyway. However, now you have to bring out your id again when you go through security, and then one final time as you are actually boarding the plane. I swear that next time I travel, I will just laminate my driver’s licence to my forehead and be done with it. So, it was in this frame of mind that we went through security. Of course, we had to get Miss Thorough Security Agent. She went through everything in Randy’s bag and made him turn on his laptop, digital camera, phone and palm pilot. She went through everything in my bag as well, and made me turn on my electronic organizer and my camera. She even asked to take a picture of me with the camera to prove that it was operational. As a result, I now have a picture of myself with a mixture of disgust/disbelief on my face!
Finally the search was finished, and we were off to the gate. Went to Starbucks and got some drinks and something to nibble on, then went to the Maple Leaf Lounge and hung out there for a few minutes. Then it was off to the gate to board the plane. It was a full flight to Edmonton. They actually showed the news on the flight, which is something they never used to do. Randy’s parents were waiting at the airport when we arrived. Our bags were tagged Priority, so of course they didn’t come out first or anything. But they finally did come out and we were out of the airport and on our way home for the conclusion of our vacation. I don’t know if it is the heightened security measures, or whether Air Canada has a new corporate policy to piss off their passengers, but travelling this time just seemed to be nothing but a pain in the ass. Every aspect of the journey seemed to be very frustrating. It doesn’t need to be that way. Once we were in the Hawaiian Islands, all the hotels, shops and restaurants were more than happy to make our stay as pleasant as possible. While we were in Hawaii, I had no complaints. Getting to and from Hawaii – I had a few complaints.
But all in all, it was a great trip. Lots of sun, lots of surf, lots of sand. Lots of naps and lots of good food. What more could you ask for in a trip?
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