After two days in beautiful Vancouver, spent doing… nothin most of the time, I am on the road again for the next part of my trip, bound to Las Vegas.
I could not check in on line because of a strange thing of passport check, the Delta website advises me to get to the airport three hours ahead of the STD.
I'll do so as I had nothing better to do anyway, and it was a wise thing!
Here is YVR from the outside with its onsite hotel:
Delta and US zone:
A very friendly Delta agent apologized for the technical bug, that was due to me having a double name and no dash between my names. Check in was performed within minutes, and I received my BP's for my flight to Seattle and then onwards to LAS.
After a long wait at TSA (around 15 minutes) with only 10 persons in front of me. Very fast US Customs as you can pre-clear entry in Canada and they now use automated machnes which are very very handy.
A new stamp on my passport after, I am airside. I quickly head to Starbucks for my usual Salted Caramel Mokka. I have a look at the departure board and see following:
DL 4587 for Seattle ETD 11:22a > STD 02:00p DL 4476 for Seattle ETD 02:25p > STD 04:55p DL 4588 for Seattle ETD 04:10p > STD 05:15p
I am supposed to be on the last flight, and my connection in SEA is at 06:00p (and the last flight to LAS for the day). Given that you need around an hour gate to gate if the flight does not leave from the same terminal, that does not look good at all. It is 01:50p so I quickly head to the DL gates in hope for help.
I have no hope to catch DL 4587 but I know that there are alternate flights to LAS via other cities or even direct with WestJet or Air Canada.
At the desk another friendly DL agent takes care about me and offers me the direct flight to LAS with WestJet leaving at around 04:00pm. The problem was that WestJet does not have first class and my ticket is a first class ticket, and claiming the fare difference and seating in coach when I paid F/cl is not really my thing. I ask for the Air Canada flight that leaves at 03:05p given that they have first class.
She types a bit on her keyboard, prints a FIM (Flight Interruption Manifest) for AC, calls them to say I am coming and then calls the bagage hall for the ground staff to retrieve my suitcases and transfer them as a matter of priority onto the AC aircraft. She only hungs up when she gots the confirmation my bags have been located and are already on their way to my new A/C. This is what I call service. She then hands over all documents to me and wishes me a good flight and adds: You got to run, Air Canada is at the other part of the terminal, but your luggages will make it. I answer she's a star, thank a lot and begin to run to the A/C gate. It is now 02:30p.
I'll arrive as they are about to finish the boarding and the friendly (todat everyone was friendly!!) agent said that they were waiting for me and wishes me a lovely flight. Just for me the time to see that the flight is operated by AC Rouge and I'll enter it.
As I seat down the (friendly, what else?) purser offers me either a glass of OJ or water.
Then she hands over menues for lunch. What? It is 03:00p, for Delta, this is a non-meal time and the flight lenght is too short for DL for a lunch. But not for A/C. Nevertheless, there is a menu and three choices of entree. That bluffed me.
Push back on time, and a bit of spotting:
A lawn mower, dedicated to PAT62:
Purolator, never heard about it, with a Convair 580:
Superb BBJ, sorry not been able to make better pictures as we were taking off:
Private mad dog, already spotted at the same place last year:
Nice views of YVR and its region:
The menu, the cabin and the seat:
About the seat, it is not a real Business/First class seat, but a European like style with the blocked middle seat. But the pitch is really great and the recline goes well beyond regular seats. Furthermore, I have to say that this is a very comfortable seat.
I liked the fact to receive two pillows. A small white one and a big red one. Very nice.
This seat is not less comfortable that a Domestic First one, at the pitch and the recline are even beter. The only thing is the width of the seat that isn't that great.
Safety card:
Hot towels and complementary Ipads are handed out:
Still flying southbound :
Bacardi coke as an aperitive and hot nuts, nuts that were so hot that I burnt my fingers ^^
I pad:
Here's the meal tray, I took the chicken:
The chicken was really good, I did not touch the salad as the dressing was not my type. The dessert was good, although a bit industrual. There was hot bread as well but I declined.
I was a very satisfactoy meal, and the service was conducted in a very nice way.
Very short afterward, we begun our descent to Vegas, here some night pictures of Sin City:
On time arrival, bags were delivered only ten minutes after docking.
A small hotel bonus, here my suite at the Cosmopolitan. I have been upgraded to a two bedroom suite (more than enough space for me alone: three bathrooms, three toilets, two kitchens and two living rooms.)
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Verdict
Air Canada Rouge
8.4/10
Cabin7.0
Cabin crew10.0
Entertainment/wifi10.0
Meal/catering6.5
Vancouver - YVR
10.0/10
Efficiency10.0
Access10.0
Services10.0
Cleanliness10.0
Las Vegas - LAS
10.0/10
Efficiency10.0
Access10.0
Services10.0
Cleanliness10.0
Conclusion
The rebooking was handled in a very professional way. Thanks to the speedy reaction of the Delta staff, I was able to be in Las Vegas the same evening and even earlier than scheduled.
AC has a solid hard product and I was positively surprised about the catering. The staff was amazing.
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Wow, I'm really surprised that DL moved you to another carrier considering they could have moved you to flight DL4476 and you would have still made your connection. Maybe it was full or oversold. Either way it worked out great for you! Air Canada Rouge is an oddball in Business class for North America with an intra-Europe style Business class (i.e. coach seat with middle blocked). Hopefully it'll stay an oddball and not become a trend and spread to traditional carriers. On the other hand, I've said for years, that a Euro-Business style configuration would be a good idea for low-cost airlines that currently offer only Y....WestJet, JetBlue (except Mint), Southwest.
Great aerial pics throughout. The meal looks really good and definitely above average for a North American airline. Nice room in Vegas...what a view.
Thanks for your comment Kévin. They could not have moved me to 4476 as the flight was scheduled at 04:55, meant arriving 05:55 and my connection was at 06:00. I checked on the DL website afterwards and all flights were even more delayed, the sole flight that left on time was actually the flight to LAS from SEA :)
About the AC seat, I must say that I preferred this seat vs the F/C DL seat. The pitch was about the same as DL, but the recline was by far better. The only problem is the access to the window seat :(
Vancouver brings so many good memories. The conveyor belt Japanese restaurant, the salmon fishery, walking by the bay watching planes water land, taking the ferry, Sangria at the Spanish rest. bar and having locals insisting in driving me around the city, having a macchiato while people watching and listening to dozens of languages spoken around, bicycling around the park and turning the corner of a street to find famous faces filming a scene.
I guess that after finding the hotel upgraded you to a double suite you felt like repeating the Oscar accepting speech:This means you really, really like me. :)
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4 Comments
Great aerial pics throughout. The meal looks really good and definitely above average for a North American airline. Nice room in Vegas...what a view.
I checked on the DL website afterwards and all flights were even more delayed, the sole flight that left on time was actually the flight to LAS from SEA :)
About the AC seat, I must say that I preferred this seat vs the F/C DL seat. The pitch was about the same as DL, but the recline was by far better. The only problem is the access to the window seat :(
I guess that after finding the hotel upgraded you to a double suite you felt like repeating the Oscar accepting speech:This means you really, really like me. :)
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