Normally, going from downtown Montreal to the Pierre Trudeau takes about 15-20 minutes. I usually leave the hotel about 40-50 minutes before check-in deadline, which is more than enough. Last Thursday I left the hotel about 1 hour and 20 minutes before check-in, since the hotel threw me out. After driving for a while, I realized I’d forgot my hat. I went back to the hotel and got my hat. The second time I left the hotel, I had an hour to check-in.

Damned hat

Five minutes after getting on the highway everythings stops. After another half hour I see why. Two of the three lanes are shut-off for several miles due to road work. Although I fail to see even one road worker for all of the shut-off. I call the airline. After some switchboard bouncing, I end up with someone that seems to know what she’s talking about. “I’m on my way.” “Allright sir, I’ll let them know.”

I park the car at the rental return exactly on check-in time. It takes about four minutes to return the car and run to the check-in desk. “Sorry sir, check-in is closed.” “But I called…” “Sorry sir, but check with ticketing, they might help you.” Ticketing send me to the check-in desk which sends me to the ticketing which sends me to the check-in desk. Finallt, I get the check-in lady to follow me to the ticketing desk. However, they won’t let me on that plane, although there’s still 50 minutes until take-off. I look for alternatives. London? Full. Paris? Full. Munich? Full. There’s a flight to Frankfurt the next day. This is the very same day that AIK will play the last game of the series, with the chance of winning the chmpionships. Only that I’d arrive after the game. Yeah, sure…

AIK

The ticketing lady can only see Star Alliance flights. She directs me to Lufthansa, that sold me the ticket. I call Lufthansa. “Yez, der ist one flight zu Paris widd Air Franze tonight.” I hang up and goes back to the ticketing lady. She directs me to Air France. I run to the Air France desk. The flight is overbooked, and they put me on a waiting list. If the plane doesn’t get filled, I’m on it. 20 minutes before deadline all of the economy class is full, and they start to upgrade passengers (moving economy passengers to business class seats). Five business seats still available. My plan B is a flight to Toronto an hour later, and than from there to London. From London to Stockholm everything is full, but I guess that problem will be easier to solve than the Montreal-to-Europe problem…

15 minutes to deadline – three business seats available. The worst 15 minutes of my life. 10 minutes – two seats. Five minutes – one freaking seat! Deadline! One seat! My saet! Thank you. “That’ll be $3 982.77.” “Say what?” “That’ll be $3 982.77, sir.” “Ehum…” And I couldn’t use the Lufthansa ticket without a Lufthansa stamp on it, and Lufthansa have no office at Pierre Trudeau. How to spend $3 982.77 in three minutes, without any reason to do so. Damn that hat!

But the trip was nice. I had a lot of champagne.

/P

Update: AIK won the game, but didn’t win the championships. But I didn’t know that in advance. And besides, AIK wins the championships every 12 years in average, and $3 982.77 in 12 years is $27.66 a month. That’s nothing!