JwMJ
June 10, 2019
On our way home from Chicago we had an hour stop at Minneapolis- St. Paul , at least that was what our itinerary said. We waited at G9 and finally got to board the plane. We then waited for the pilot who was storm late. He arrived, then we waited some more. Then we were told that we can’t take off because Saskatoon airport is under construction and the construction crew can only work at night. So we had to deplane.
John was travelling by wheel chair because his walking isn’t yet up to airport speed. DELTA was handing out discount slips to hotels. These were good if you could afford any hotel. We couldn’t . They gave us a voucher for Comfort Inn. A staff lady paid out of her pocket for our taxi to Comfort Inn. We were immediately told when we got to the hotel that they were full. DELTA keeps sending them people when they’re full. They don’t know why DELTA is doing this. John said that we have a voucher for this hotel . They weren’t interested . They let us use their shuttle to the airport. It was now midnight . As we got to the airport we met a staff lady on her way home.
She knew us from G9. She had given us the voucher for Comfort Inn. She immediately turned around, helped us to get through Security again, went back to her desk at G9 and started making phone calls. She confirmed that there was room at Fairfield Hotel and that we had a voucher. The taxi would be paid by DELTA. The taxi driver complained bitterly that a DELTA voucher is just like a free trip . Since we couldn’t do anything about his demand for a compulsory tip he wouldn’t lift out our luggage. Fortunately we travel on the assumption that I am going to have to lift what we take.
The Fairfield Hotels are lovely. It was now 1:30AM. I had asked the DELTA lady if she was getting overtime for this. She said no. “ I just didn’t want to leave you high and dry. “ I said that I am going to write a blog telling people what you did for us. I hope DELTA will somehow read it. Brenda probably got home at about 3: 00 AM.
The next morning we had a delightful breakfast at the hotel. We learned parents with their small children had stayed at the airport all night . An East Indian lady who could speak no English had slept on the floor with no cover other than her lovely but thin sari.
The plane left 12:40 pm. They put John and thus ,me at First Class, Up front. By now the fellow travellers to Saskatoon were not only familiar faces but friends whether or not we knew each other names.
Gay
P.S. Somehow in the quick stop at Comfort Inn, John had picked up a pen. It said
4 ChOICE.. Strange. A terrible abortion bill had passed in Illinois four days before.
