We left for a vacation just before omicron became a thing, and we returned with it in full swing.
Our return flights were in full emergency mode. The originating airport could not load them with food or water because nearly the entire ground crew had walked. The flight had already been delayed for an hour because of this, but of course the staff at our pickup airport decided to only let us know ten minutes before boarding. “You can go to to Chili’s, I guess, if you wanna. Thanks for choosing WestJet!”
When we went through the customs hall at our transfer point in Toronto, they hustled us through faster than I’ve ever seen. A quick glance at our passports and shouts at thre crowd of “Go! Go! JUST GO! Don’t stop moving!” There was no asking about our test results, our declarations, they only wanted to get us through as quickly as possible.
With three hungry hours to wait until the next (delayed) flight, we tried to go to our 24/7 lounge… closed. Restaurants? Closed. Quick serve? Closed. Not by any government order (ours has decided that government shouldn’t be in the business of public governance) but because everyone who works in the airport is sick.
When we finally arrived home, my luggage didn’t make the transfer… no ground crew. It ended up getting delivered by a random guy in a hatchback late on Christmas Day. I watched a travel segment on the news later where they approached the CEO of the airline for comment on the latest travel advisory, and he cheerfully told would-be travellers that despite the government’s advice, travel is safe and they’re not experiencing any disruptions. What an asshole.
