So finally unpacked and laundry clean, folded and put away. Here's the update on Air Canada I said I would post.
We booked a flight using our AM's from Kingston to Toronto to avoid the possibility of bad weather, winter driving on the 401. Flight was on Feb 23rd at 6:55 to Toronto. I had my sister drive us to the airport and she dropped us off at about 5:30. We checked in, went through security and took a seat. My son and his family decided to drive up and they left at about 4:30. We were sure we would beat them but then came the delays. We didn't actually take off thill 8:15 which put us in T.O. at 9:15ish. Not bad but the son did beat us. We went to our room for the night then off to Mexico the next day. Would not recommend the hotel in Mexico BTW.
Now it gets better for the way home. Flight from Mexico landed at terminal 3 at 6:30. Our flight to Kingston was from terminal 1 at 9:30, plenty of time. The luggage came off the plane very quickly, I kissed my son and his family as they loaded their car and we then went to catch our flight.
We very quickly went to terminal 1, passed through security and had plenty of time to catch up on news, sports, all the good things. At 9 we started to wonder when they were going to board. At 9:30, take off time, they had an announcement that the flight was delayed to 9:50, plane issues. We were able to watch out the window as they tried to fix the plane. 9:50 went to 10:05, 10:15, 10:40, 10:50, 11, 11:15, 11:30 11:40. Then an announcement that we had a gate change and we all had to move to a different gate. At that point they told us we would leave at 12:00, we finally left at 12:15. Yeah, on our way home. They flew to Kingston and circled the airport twice then made the announcement that they could not land, we were heading back to Toronto. Back at Toronto just after 2, off the plane and line up for hotel assignments. That took a really long time and I felt so sorry for the agents who were doing their best. They assigned hotels, gave us $30 each in food vouchers, airport limo tickets to get us to and from the airport but they could not tell us when we would get our flights home. They told us to watch our email, we would get notified that way, it was being worked on. I never did get an email.
So, off to the hotel which was not really close. It took almost a half hour to get there. By the time we got there and got into bed it was just after 4 AM. I didn't really sleep because I had to keep checking my email for the reviesed flight time. I finally just got up at 6:30 and we got ready to go back to the airport. In the mean time I called AC on the phone, I was able to leave a message for call back, the one where 'if you want to hang up you will keep your place in line' and they actually called me back in less than 20 minutes. The agent told me we were not rebooked anywher and the flights for Tuesday were completely full, he could however book us for 9:30 PM on Wednesday. Pffttt, not exceptable and I argued with him till he gave me another option. Did you know that if the airlines can not keep their promise of a flight they can, and do, give you vouchers for Via Rail? Ran into another person in the lobby while waiting for our ride back to the airport and he asked how we were making out, he was on his cell to AC and been waiting to speak to an agent for over an hour. I gave him the information we received and he went off to the airport as well.
At the airport we spoke with an agent who said she could get us on a flight that day at 9:30 but there was no gaurantee that that flight would actually take off. No thanks, lets talk about Via Rail.
We ended up getting travel vouchers for UP to take us from the airport to Union station, then vouchers for the train fare home. I called Via Rail while we grabbed some lunch and made the reservation. Was on the train at 3:40 and home by 6. It was a really long few days but I'm now rested and ready to go
Sorry this was so long, its actually a shorted version, but I thought I would tell you all how this fight went. We had a flight booked last year with AC to get us to Miami but they changed the flight times a few months out and it would not get us to where we needed on time so we canceled that flight and went with Air Transat. I'm just not having a lot of luck with AC. We have another Kingston to T.O. booked for October with AM's but DH seems to think we should look at Via Rail instead. We'll see.
Everything is extremely over priced. We did enjoy the Wolf gang puck restaurant though.. But definitely not cheap. 
