Thursday, May 23, 2013 Canada: So near, so far …
Air travel, at its best, is a series of inconvenient experiences. At its worst, even experienced travelers can be stymied and stumped at every turn. That’s why I’ve compiled tips to make air travel less painful, like suggestions for international travel and suggestions for dealing with delays.
But in my most recent travels, a delay would be an understatement. So I’m adding a few more tips to the running list:
- Don’t rely on airlines to alert you. Check your flight before exiting the building.
- Use a travel agent. He or she will make for a great proxy when it’s time to be on hold.
- Fly on airlines you trust, even if the flights may not appear to be as convenient.
Here’s our latest travel saga — a trip to Toronto for a weekend of workshops with our friends at tag idea revolution, BBN Canada — to illustrate why these tips are so important.

Our scheduled 11:30 a.m. nonstop Air Canada flight should have saved time and eliminated connection challenges … had it ever left the ground.
Frequent fliers typically get airline emails, texts or phone calls about any flight delays. Not Air Canada. A routine online check on flight status just before heading out the door delivered the news: CANCELLED. At least I could share that news with teammates before everyone arrived to a big surprise at Mitchell International Airport.
Time to rebook. The website only offered instructions to phone Air Canada for rebooking, and the automated voice advised “extremely heavy call volume” would delay any further discussion. Hold, please.













