A Friend’s Advice

April 17, 2009

in Delay/Cancellation Stories

My worst experience was some years ago. I wanted to fly to Sao Paulo, Brazil. A friend suggested VASP, a now defunct Brazilian airline. The plane was practically new, the food excellent and the stewardesses beautiful and very helpful. But….we departed Toronto with a stop at LaGuardia. We were taken off the plane, shuttled to what I can only describe as solitary confinement. This was done to clean and fuel the plane. A two hour delay. When we finally boarded again and were airborne, the pilot came on to advise that we would not be going directly to Sao Paulo as scheduled, but would stop in Rio first. Another 3 hour delay on the ground there. Finally arriving in Sao Paulo, 8 hours behind schedule.

But that’s not the worst of it. When I went to check in for my return flight, the girl at the counter had a quizzical look on her face, went into the back room area and returned to advise me that they no longer flew to Toronto. They had canceled the service only days after my arrival in Sao Paulo, and never notified me. The result was an hour of someone from VASP rushing around with me in tow to find an alternative flight home. I ended up on Delta and had to change planes in Atlanta.

I remember the friend who suggested VASP saying, “Once you fly VASP you will never want to fly anything else.” Yeah, so much for that advice.

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Hugh April 15, 2009 at 3:19 am

Did you stick a shiv in your friend?

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