Best Airport Layover Story

We flew back to Bellingham this week and had a delay in Seattle, fortunately a short one. But it brought to mind other trips that didn't turn out so simple. I'm used to the difficulties of airline travel, but traveling with my mother can make it a little more challenging. Mind you, she is a young 91, but getting through airports can be difficult.

On one of her first trips to our float cabin on Powell Lake we flew out of LAX, just the two of us. We took Alaska Airlines non-stop to Vancouver where we had to transfer to a smaller Pacific Coastal Airlines plane. It was just before Christmas, so we encountered some weather delays getting out of LAX. When we arrived in Vancouver, the baggage was delayed. By the time we got over to the South Terminal, we missed the last flight to Powell River. What a mess!

The Pacific Coastal gate agent saved the day. She called Alaska Airlines and made arrangements for us to get back to the main terminal where the Alaska agent gave us vouchers for an overnight hotel with free dinner and breakfast. You've got to know my mom. She grew up during the depression and anything free is very special. She thoroughly enjoyed her flying mishap and layover in Vancouver because of our "free" night on the town. In fact, I think she had more fun that night than our week's stay at the cabin (a whole other story).

This was about five years ago. I'm not sure if the airlines are so "free" with their vouchers, but thanks to that Pacific Coastal agent a traveling disaster with my mom was turned into an adventure she still talks about. Do you have any airline tales to tell? Let's hear them. -- Margy