Turns Out Flying Isn't So Easy After All

I really mean it: today I spent ALL day on the phone. From the time I woke up until about 5pm. It was like I had a full time job.

*shudder*

Because after I called Air Canada this morning to arrange air transportation for the dogs (after all the hoops we'd jumped through just to get them accepted for importation by the Cayman Islands government) we were told that the dogs wouldn't be able to come to the Cayman Islands anyways.

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

And then we were all like, ok, now we can't GO, and THIS IS GARBAGE, and HOW COULD WE HAVE BEEN SO STUPID?

It was an oversight, you see.

We had assumed that Air Canada would be able to fly the dogs to the Caribbean. But of course, once we actually took the time to confirm this assumption, it turns out THEY COULD NOT.

(not the right size plane, don't do international live cargo shipping to the Cayman Islands, they hate us, etc.)

Thus began a frantic marathon of calling every single airline on the continent, asking (begging) them to please bring our shmuppy puppies to us so that they wouldn't be abandoned by their evil evil parents who'd already signed a work contract and were now obligated to travel for employment.

And then Delta said yes! ... but ONLY if the dogs could fit into crates that were a teensy bit too small. Meaning, of course, that if they didn't pass inspection on their way through customs, they could get turned away from the airport and not be allowed to fly because there wasn't enough space between their heads and the tops of the crates (supposed to be 2", and there would've been maybe .5").

So then we were all: BUT WHAT DO WE DO NOOOOOWW?

Because the risk was twofold: firstly that the dogs wouldn't be able to come to us, and secondly, that Mum and Robert would have driven them to the Buffalo International Airport (yes, Buffalo. Thanks, Canada), only to have to turn around and drive right back, dogs in tow.

So we figured, ok. We'll go up a crate size. But then it turned out that EVERY SINGLE PLANE IN THE ENTIRE AMERICAN NORTH WAS TOO SMALL TO FACILITATE OUR NEEDS. In fact, the crates required to safely and regulation-ly house our dogs on their cross-Atlantic flight wouldn't actually fit through any of these planes' doors. (I'm not exaggerating. It's true).

BUT, just when all seemed very bleak and we began to despair anew, we were able to book a flight with Continental (love you!), which is actually direct (so, better), and big enough to take all three giant crates. WHEW.

The only problem is that now they have to fly out of New Jersey.

And on a related note, I quite possibly have the BEST parents in the ENTIRE WORLD because Mum and Robert have agreed to drive the dogs to catch their flight. In NEW JERSEY.

Someone's a spoiled brat, and it isn't Innis ...

Comments

[Meredith]

Holy crap. Like several levels of crappity crap. And New Jersey. GAWD.