Westjet Does it Again

November 12, 2007 | Category: Personal, Random Thoughts, Travel

I have just returned from a business trip to Calgary and decided this time I wanted to take Tara, my dog with me. As much as I can I fly Westjet as they are superb. Since Tara has never flown before I was a little nervous as the day approached. I had purchased a soft kennel to ensure I could take Tara on board the plane with me. Leading up to the day of our flight I tried to get her used to being inside the kennel so it would not be so traumatic for her. The reason I wanted to take her with me is I planned to visit family in Edmonton so I wanted to bring her along and I really do hate leaving her at home when I travel.

So Thursday morning we got everything ready and headed to the airport, we were flying out of Abbotsford so the trip to the airport was quite quick. Once at the airport I put Tara into the kennel or at least I tried to put her in. She put all four paws on the outside and would not let me put her inside the kennel. Every time I tried a different way to put her in the kennel she seemed to find a a way to squirm and push the kennel away. After about 10 minutes I was finally able to get her inside and we were off to the terminal. Inside I went to check in and the first thing that happened was the Westjet clerk leaned down and said ‘Hello’ to Tara. I should mention at this time that when I booked the flight I was asked for my dog’s name which caught me off guard. So when I said the clerk said hello to Tara he addressed her by name. So we went through security and I had to carry her through the metal detector so I figured it would be more of the same trying to get her back into the kennel but surprisingly she went right in. After waiting for a little bit there was the pre-boarding call and I decided I would board now so I could get Tara and myself settled on the plane. Again as I boarded the plane the flight attendants addressed Tara and myself by name and welcomed us aboard. As soon as I got to my seat a flight attendant came over and gave me a briefing on what to do in case of an emergency and just some pointers in case Tara got a little restless. The flight itself was quite uneventful and we made it Calgary.


The trip home was quite different, as I entered Calgary Airport and checked in again Tara was addressed by the Westjet clerk and a few of the other people and clerks came over to talk to me and her. Again through security but this time I decided to carry her in my arms to our gate as we had about 90 minutes to kill. The thing that amazed me was the number of people, almost all women who approached me and talked to us. A lot of the conversations were about the fact I was taking Tara into the Cabin with me and few just came over and conversed with us probably because she is just sooo cute. Can you say instant Babe Magnet, I have never experienced that much attention before. (Not that I was looking for it, I just did not want to put her into the kennel until it was necessary)

After our time at the airport we boarded the plane again with the greetings from the flight attendants and then we were off. On the flight to Calgary Tara was fine and did not make any noise, on the flight to Abbotsford we experienced some turbulence and then as we started to descent the wind bounced us all over the sky and made the landing very bumpy and a little scary. Tara was crying and barking for most of the descent but she was fine once we were on the ground. After the flight the flight attendants again checked to see how Tara was and if she was alright.

I have said it before but I cannot say it enough Westjet is Simply the Best and no matter who is traveling they care about the well being of all passengers both the two legged and the four legged ones. Thanks Westjet you have again surpassed my expectations and made flying an enjoyable experience

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