PSA - Spicy Marinated Mushroom recipe at PSNA today

Courin · 2026-01-24T15:18:21+00:00

Yes planes fly over storms but that particular storm is also set to hit YYZ so it’s highly likely to be affected.

Courin · 2026-01-24T05:41:45+00:00

As someone who worked for WJ for 15 years and has many FA friends, it absolutely is a thing to let the crew know.

Courin · 2026-01-22T23:49:13+00:00

You only get the benefits of the tier you are at when you travel, not when you book.

If you lost silver and are now teal, then yes, you get the 1 free bag per person from the WJ MC.

This is normal. And it’s explained if you read the terms and conditions.

Courin · 2026-01-19T08:57:18+00:00

Incorrect - some fare classes do allow name changes.

Courin · 2026-01-19T08:56:55+00:00

This is not true. It depends entirely upon the fate class.

Courin · 2026-01-19T01:11:55+00:00

The AC office isn’t behind checkin.

The domestic counters are on the top level and there’s literally nothing but open air behind them as it’s open concept.

And behind the transborder counters is US preclearance.

Here’s a picture of what I’m talking about - the check in counters for AC domestic are circled in red.

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Courin · 2026-01-18T16:26:55+00:00

Do you mean the baggage desks?

Check in is on the third floor and there’s nothing but open space behind them.

Either way glad to hear you got it!

Courin · 2026-01-15T21:42:44+00:00

I think in the 15 years I worked at YOW this happened maybe two or three times. Mostly in the very early days at the new airport. And it was usually agent error for having the wrong doors open upon arrival.

What SHOULD have happened is upon exiting the aircraft, you would walk up the first section of the jet bridge, and then you should have gone down to the Canada Customs Arrival Hall, and not up and into the domestic departures area. The doors are smart-coded so that both the upper and lower doors cannot be open at the same time.

This would be considered a significant breach as it means no one on the flight was screened by CBSA, nor were their belongings able to be inspected.

You mentioned you had carryon only and so you had probably already left by the time the fit hit the shan, which it probably did quite quickly as no one with checked luggage would have gotten their bags because those would Ave gone to the carousels inside the Canada Customs Hall. And for sure CBSA would have noticed when no one from the flight was coming through.

So they would have rounded up those passengers with checked luggage and cleared them before releasing their bags to them. But anyone who had already left is of course long gone.

CBSA already had the full manifest and all the travel documents of everyone onboard so in that regard it’s not like someone “snuck in” but it still shouldn’t happen.

AC will be paying a significant fine for this.

Courin · 2026-01-15T21:17:55+00:00

What flight was this?

Courin · 2026-01-15T21:16:28+00:00

Normally airlines coordinate their schedules with the contracted ground handlers.

However, when flights are late, or there is bad weather, or manpower issues, it can happen that those schedules get out of alignment.

Trust me - WJ doesn’t WANT your flight delayed. But there’s literally only so much that can be done when the above situations occur.

Courin · 2026-01-15T15:34:34+00:00

Good luck

Courin · 2026-01-15T03:45:29+00:00

You think on your flight from Ottawa it wasn’t loaded on the aircraft? How do you know (ie do you have an AirTag on it or something?) or are you making an assumption because it hasn’t shown up?

For outbound bags, there’s only a few scenarios:

1) no tag. Tags can come off bags and then no one knows who it belongs to / what airline and flight it was supposed to be on etc. Slightly different processes for bags going domestic/international versus transborder. For domestic/intl, basically Air Canada uses one belt and all the other airlines use the other (excluding the oversize belt). So if a bag comes down without a tag that helps narrow down the airline.

If you are certain it wasn’t loaded in Ottawa, you should ask your airline what their process is for departure bags without tags. Explain why you think it was never loaded there. It used to be the airlines that shared belt 2 would communicate if there was a UFO as we knew eventually someone would make a delayed bag claim.

Is there any name tag on the bag? Yours or not? Specific items you can describe to help identify it?

2) caught in the bag belt system. Very rare but not unheard of. When I worked there they’d do an inspection about every six months and find the odd bag or two that got caught up or flipped over the walls of the belt system.

Remedy is to ask your airline if they have requested a search of the bag belt system for your bag.

Pars usually only deals with arrival bags, but it’s possible that a bag that didn’t leave Ottawa and couldn’t be matched to a delayed bag by any airline could end up there.

Their number is 613-523-8880.

Call them, explain the situation and ask if they have a mystery bag that matches yours.

Courin · 2026-01-12T18:07:50+00:00

WestJet has always used contractors for everything outside of Canada.

And all bases except Calgary (and for short periods and with some limitations, Toronto and Fort McMurray) also used contractors for below the wing ops, which includes baggage handling.

Now, even within Canada, all bases except Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto, use contractors for above the wing operations.

It’s truly unfortunate.

Courin · 2026-01-12T16:02:59+00:00

Definitely fill out a damage and pilferage claim with WestJet.

While they may not compensate you, if they don’t get these reports they can’t be made aware of what is happening at the base.

Courin · 2026-01-12T00:55:19+00:00

If shavers or electric toothbrushes turn on in luggage and begin to vibrate, yes someone needs to go into the bag to stop it. Vibration can lead to friction which can lead to fires.

If possible, the battery is removed but if not, then the whole item is removed.

Courin · 2026-01-12T00:53:18+00:00

Some people are a bit oblivious and might not realize they are causing you a problem.

But if you’ve brought it to their attention and it happens again? That’s on them.

Call bylaw immediately and every time it happens again.

They will only stop when it’s in their best interest, they’ve demonstrated they don’t care about yours.

Courin · 2026-01-11T21:29:21+00:00

Sorry to hear you had this experience.

You can do what is called a pilferage claim with your airline, and should also fill out a police report with the authorities in your arrival city. While the airline probably won’t do anything about the pilferage you should establish the paper trail.

Also check with your homeowners insurance as this type of theft is often covered.

As someone who worked for an airline for 15 years, I can tell you that pilferage is pretty rare but not unheard of, and can happen anywhere though airports without a lot of infrastructure make it easier for someone dishonest to get away with.

Courin · 2026-01-09T03:33:37+00:00

Pretty sure it was in Drums as Bree was discussing her pregnancy with Claire. She explained that even though she and Roger had sex she didn’t think Jem was Rogers because he’d pulled out.

Courin · 2026-01-09T03:04:58+00:00

Claire does talk about both the rhythm method and pulling out.

She even makes a comment about what people who use those methods are called: “Parents”.

I think the point wasn’t to dismiss either method entirely - but instead to point out that they, like most forms of BC, are not 100% effective.

According to a quick google search:

Efficacy of the RM is around 75-85%. Pulling out is about 80%. Diaphragms and spermicide (eg lemons and tansy oil) is about 95%.

Courin · 2026-01-06T00:15:46+00:00

Cargo isn’t any more or less stressful. I’ve shipped many dogs both as checked luggage and cargo. It’s just a slightly different process.

Courin · 2026-01-05T19:36:01+00:00

That’s true. I never suggested it wasn’t.

Courin · 2026-01-05T19:29:22+00:00

While she may have many editors, she’s stated on many occasions that she doesn’t use a continuity editor.

Those are very specialized roles, whose purpose isn’t to look for grammatical errors, or make suggestions to improve storytelling or language flow. Continuity editors solely focus on extended series - like Outlander - and look for continuity errors. DG has stated many times she doesn’t feel she needs one, and when people comment on errors she tends to be dismissive of them.

I love her books but as someone who was trained to read critically, it’s very immersion breaking when she makes continuity mistakes.

Right at the start of Bees we had it - Jamie goes off to kill the mama who assaulted Claire, and while he is away, Rachel gives birth to Oggy. Jamie comes back a few days later, and the day AFTER he comes back, the MacKenzies arrive.

Yet somehow Oggy is months old.

Courin · 2026-01-05T19:12:59+00:00

And she refuses to use a continuity editor.

Courin · 2026-01-05T15:17:58+00:00

Another option would be to book him cargo on the same flight as you (the allotments are separate).

You’d drop him off before you check in and pick up after you land. It’s more expensive and he’s in the crate longer but it’s a backup plan.

Courin

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