Day 1 & 2 - Flight to Rome
"Would Walter Ciancuzzi please come to the Air Canada counter, Walter Cian-cuzzi to the Air Canada information counter"
What the f##k I'm thinking to myself? They want me? For what? Did they lose my luggage? Do they...GASP!! want to open my luggage, that I borrowed from Diana. What if, what if, what if... So off I trudged to the counter to see what they wanted, all the while thinking in my head... Lock? Yes. Keys?Yes. Contraband? No...
I reach the counter and announce I am he.
Him: Ah, Mr. Ciancuzzi, I see it's.. You are traveling alone...
Me: it's Chan-chew-see. Yes.
Him: yes, Mr. Ciancuzzi, we would like to switch your seat, we have a family traveling together... I can place you from isle 20 to isle 12.
Me: where is that, compared to where I currently am?
Him: on-top of or behind the wing. It's much smoother back there.
Me: Back there? I don't think so. You can move me to 1st class at your expense. And it's Chan-chew-see.
Him: No, that is not possible. All of 1st class is taken. You will be very comfortable in isle 12.
Me: How do you know 1st class is full? You haven't even checked your docket.
Him: looks at his docket and says, no. First class is sold out. You are good with isle 12 then?
Me: So, let me get this straight. You want me to move to isle 12? I have to keep my left leas extended as much as possible. Can you ensure that I will be as comfortable in 12 as I would be in 20?
Him: Well, no...but we have a family traveling together and...
Me: And what? Is 1st class available?
Him: No, but...family...
Me: So, because you have a family that wants to sit together because they booked obviously at the last minute, you want me to give up my seat and be compensated how, by moving to a s***tier chair,? I don't think so. These are your choices (a) A better seat than where I am currently (b) 1st class at your expense or (c) you can refund a portion of my ticket as compensation.
Him: All the chairs further up are taken, 1st class isn't available.
Me: Well, there's your answer.
Oh, he wasn't a very happy camper. And the family, I sat beside the mother. Her daughter was to her right and I imagine the father was in isle 12. She didn't say 2 words to me the whole flight. She was even more pissed when they served meals. Diana ordered a special meal in lieu of my allergies, something I totally forgot about. I was served dinner 30 minutes before they were. Different menu, different time. The food was bland but edible. I didn't have to worry too much if it had nuts or come in contact with nuts, cross contamination etc. Worth the time to do, until I got to the gluten-free cookie with nut traces. Cardboard tasted better!
Of course, to thank her for not talking to me, I pulled out my iPad and played Angry Birds until for 3 1/2 hours. Imagine listening to "weeeeeeeeeeeeee" for that period of time and the kid telling her mom "mom, angry birds, he's playing with angry birds". Naturally, just when they started to get reeally upset, I'd turn it off. And turn it right back on when they switched on a movie. Lol. I'm certain she was very happy to land.
The flight was relatively smooth. In typical Italian fashion, during turbulence, the seat belt light came back on, every one back to their chairs except the shooter Italian who just had to get his "some-ting" from the overhead. He wouldn't sit down after being told by two stewards, so il-capytan announced to the "man in the blue shirt" to sit down immediately.
I guess the plane hit some wind-shear cuz he quickly went to sit down after kabunking his head on the overhead. It was pretty cool. The plane just kinda dropped. Rest of the flight was good. Shortly there-after, we land in Rome and step back in time as I step off the plane onto the Tarmac, engine still spinning as we await the bus to take us to the terminal.
T minus 45 minutes to My Fiat Abarth rental. I cant wait!!