It became very important to us this year to be bold. To live life to the fullest making adventure, travel & family our top priorities.
It was those priorities that prompted us to take a multi-generational trip to Ireland and Scotland with my mom & dad in the Spring of this year; to travel on a#Road2Bliss to get to know bloggers and influencers across this awesome of country of ours and to head to Amsterdam, Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, then to Zanzibar to relax for our 10th anniversary.
Being avid travellers we’ve had our share of good and bad flights. This year, our stars have aligned and we have encountered some of the best experiences we have ever had with a level of customer service that seems to no longer be the norm.
And for that they deserve a little list of love.
Aer Lingus
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This was our first experience flying Aer Lingus and we loved it. Taking the kids back to the homeland meant a stopover in Dublin for a couple of days while the folks kept on to Scotland. We had booked separately but after 1 call (which by the way was picked up within 5 minutes (again not the norm), Aer Lingus helped us connect our tickets with my parents so that on the way over the 6 of us managed to travel together. So easy and SUCH a good deal.
On the way back, our flight had been delayed and we arrived just as they were about to close the doors. One of the kindest Aer Lingus agents ended up running to the other end of the terminal with us to help us make the flight complete with carrying my daughters backpack as we ran.
KLM
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We booked our trip to stop in Amsterdam for just shy of 24 hrs on our way to Africa. At the airport, we were offered to upgrade to Economy Comfort. The cost is not crazy and the extra room made life with my bulky shouldered man FAR more palatable on the way over. The experience feeling so luxe it almost felt like first or business class.
Now here’s the kicker. On the way back, I spent an awful 8 hr trip from Nairobi to Amsterdam with a screaming little girl kicking the back of my seat. I appealed to her mom to make it stop but the child was having troubles travelling and I always vowed to try to be understanding of parents and kids on flights. Hello Pot. This is Kettle. You’re Black.
Like it hasn’t at some point happened to you?
We approached the customer service desk of KLM in Amsterdam and appealed to the man to see if there was a possibility of upgrading again to Economy Comfort. They were sold out but DID have two World Business Class seats at a discounted price. I might have sold my first born for a more comfortable flight home so we used our 10th Anniversary as our excuse and did it.
Not only were we UPSTAIRS on the plane (so cool) , we each had our own pod allowing for a full sleep, exquisite dining, a first class kit that included face mask, socks and a toothbrush, champagne and so much more.
I am seriously in LOVE with KLM and now actively look for their flights as the option of choice for international travel.
West Jet
God love them. West Jet has always been my preferred carrier of choice. They actively respond on social media, and when we tweeted at them to see if they could help us bring masks and gloves to the victims of the Calgary floods, they waived the charges and helped us deliver 3 big boxes from BC to Calgary.
I recently discovered and fell for West Jet Plus. When you look at the cost of the upgrade, especially on cross-Canada flights it becomes well worth it. From the extra leg room, the free drinks and food, the tablet and more, it just makes sense. So much sense to upgrade to Plus and so much love for WestJet.
And besides, did you see what they did this year for their Christmas miracle?