No trip is complete unless Air Canada is terrible!

You all know I have had my problems with Air Canada over the years/trips.  And of course, why break such a long streak.  But instead of focusing on how very, very much Air Canada sucks, let's all appreciate how awesome RBC Travel is.  

As you will remember from my December post (BUSINESS CLASS!!), I had points so I bought my amazing, business class tickets through RBC Travel.  I can't even remember if I booked them online or called the RBC Travel agent but I'm pretty sure I booked them myself to save the $10 'phone booking' fee.  But no matter that I didn't even pay that pittance of a booking fee, they still took care of me.  

On Wednesday, I got an email from RBC Travel telling me there was a change to my flight and I need to call them ASAP!  I had received a couple of other itinerary change emails where they changed the times of one or other of the flights, a few minute here, a half hour there.  No panic, the connections were still fine.  But this time, there were ALERTS! and red letters!  This is serious!  

We were scheduled to fly Victoria to Calgary, Calgary to Houston, Houston to Buenos Aires.  Freaking Air Canada cancelled the Calgary to Houston leg and didn't replace it with another flight!  

So, I called RBC Travel, expecting to be on hold for hours, the norm lately for calling any CSR for any business.  But Riha answered right away!  I assumed they just cancelled me because of my super-cheap Business Class seats but no, Riha said the entire flight is gone (shades of LOST).  She checked, the only other option was Calgary to Houston at 6am.  Which would have meant a hotel in Calgary.  

I suggested I am open to whatever combination of Victoria to any Canadian city to Houston she can find as long as we get to Houston in time to get our flight to Buenos Aires.  Off Riha went to her own experience of trying to get through to someone at Air Canada.  She assured me, as she put me on hold, this is Air Canada's fault and she will find a solution.  

I was on hold for over an hour, medieval lute music playing the whole time, before she came back on and said that she found a flight that works.  Victoria to Vancouver, Vancouver to Houston, Houston to Buenos Aires (this leg unchanged).  And still Business Class!  Book it I cried!  Already did, she exclaimed!  

I sent the info on my new flight to Amy.  Amy called her travel agent people, they fixed her up and now we are both good to go!  

Air Canada never sent me a notification.  I wonder if they would have if I had booked my flight through them.  Either way, I am pretty sold on travel agents now.  Even the cheapest ones available.  I hear horror stories about cancelled flights and dealing directly with airlines (and let's face it, I am asking for trouble with Air Canada AND United!).  I know, I know, travel agency is a dying industry, but this and my previous experience with a cancelled flight make me hope they stick around until I'm too old to travel (so another 47 years).