Here is the really good news: This year we got round trip tickets, non-stop from Oakland to Oslo for a great price!
And here is the really GREAT news: we are not flying on Air Canada! I was looking for tickets on 4 December 2014, just to get a baseline price. No intention of buying until at least January or later. Throw in some fooling around, trying out various ideas, a couple different websites, and just plain luck; POOF! I found round-trip, nonstop tickets on Norwegian Air, "voted Europe's best airline 2014." Oakland to Oslo for $891. Yup. I didn't even hesitate, I just bought them on the spot. And yes, the price includes advance seating assignments, meals and luggage (though we will just have carry-on, as usual). I knew for a fact that, once on the European Mainland, I could pick up connecting flights, as needed, on the cheap. So that's what I did. Once I had the tickets to Europe, I figured out the connections: Copenhagen to Rome, Malta to Venice, and finally Düsseldorf to Oslo and our total airfare comes to only $1140 per person. I told my friend Charles about this, and he got online and picked up two tickets, same flight, but leaving in September and coming back in October. His cost? Both tickets for $890 total! My neighbor is also taking Norwegian Air, San Francisco to Stockholm, and got a similarly great price. I wish you could buy tickets a few years in advance. You know, like you invest in oil or corn futures? I would invest in "Travel Futures." Anyway, check back on this page in a couple weeks, and I will let you know how the flight really was. Updated on 11 June, from Oslo: The flight over was good. Read about it here. With Air Canada You Are On Your Own... Sad but true.
See those Air Canada tickets advertised for the good price on Hipmunk, Kayak or Priceline? You might want to think twice, and count the real cost before hitting the BUY button. When Air Canada fails to deliver you to your destination on time, they will not help you, leaving you stranded... Then they will refuse to reimburse you. What they will do is blame the weather. Then blame you for not hustling fast enough, then retract that and blame the travel agent who sold you the ticket for not giving you enough time. Then again they will blame you for not purchasing travel insurance. But at no time will they admit that they, Air Canada, delayed you; that they are responsible for your missed connection. So perhaps you should heed their "admonition," and purchase travel insurance to cover your flight, since they are by default admitting that they not sure you will actually be delivered to your destination on time. The price of ticket insurance is about $400 (I just checked: it ranged from $250 lowest to $1100 highest). Using their own advice, add that $400 to the price of their tickets, and see if they are still the "low price leader" when you search for airline tickets. It might be well worth it to just ignore Air Canada, and spend the $50 to $100 more to get a reliable flight on a good airline. You still come out money ahead. That's what I will do from now on. It's a shame. Companies used to care about satisfied customers and repeat business. Now it seems Air Canada has joined the long list of corporations that instead look at customer loyalty and are willing to take a certain percentage of loss in the name of higher profits. I think long term this strategy will backfire on them, big time. WHAT IS THIS POST ABOUT? Quick summary: Air Canada stranded us at Gatwick Airport in June. They first denied responsibility, then offered us one night's hotel voucher (worth about $85 USD) but only if we spent approximately $85 USD to go get it at Heathrow airport. The return to Gatwick costs another $85. So they offered us one, $100CAD voucher, but it would cost us £100 to get it. No meal vouchers were offered. And, they would not get us a connecting flight out for two days. Bottom line: I spend $700 for a room, meal and 6am connecting flight the next day. Read about it here. To see what I have done about it so far, click on Getting Recompense under categories -> or this link. Sound crazy to you? Please take the time to contact Nick Careen by email (click his name), tell them you read about this on my blog, and you are disappointed in the Air Canada customer service response. |
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