OH Canada! - Part 1

I do not know how many parts this will have - but this will be a bit of a break about Learning about Finland and be about our adventure to and around Canada (Nova Scotia to be precise).
Please note that this first part is mostly a monster of a rant due to delayed flights and us sleeping in the airport overnight.

We left Helsinki in high spirits and discovered that the Finn Air representative did NOT do her job properly.  She checked our luggage (including stroller - can anybody say sore shoulders?!) all the way to New York and that was fine.  However there was no indication as to which one was the stroller (needed to know for future reference) and we are pretty sure she screwed up which luggage was to go straight to Halifax.  Then she put them all to NY if I remember correctly...

We were given a boarding pass each and was sent on our merry little ways to Paris.  Thankfully Paris is only a 3 hour flight and we were issued an infant seat belt for V�in� - which I thought would be a pain in the ass (but necessary of course!) for V�in� to wear, in the sense that it would be uncomfortable for him - but he didn't mind it once he was buckled to me and nursing.  He also received a plastic soft book and a bib.  Great!  I am ecstatic about the service!
The cheese and tomato sandwiches - that's another story.

We arrive in Paris and have about an hour and a half to get to the next gate to board for NY.  We quickly use the bathroom and change V�in�'s diaper while he's awake (as he slept the whole flight) - and went off to the check-in area because the Finn Air representative did not give us our boarding pass from Paris to NY.  Well we were told the gates are closed an hour prior to departure so we had no way to get in.  After being bounced around between different representatives - we found Finn Air and firmly chewed off their heads (minus screaming as V�in� was in a good and happy).
They offered us the next flight at 5:25pm that night (it was about 9am in Paris at the time) and we would connect in NY and while Tim stayed in NY for a conference, the baby and I would arrive in Halifax at 1:15pm.  I don't know why I didn't think of the time difference and stupidly assumed it would be a smooth connection - because it wasn't.
We were given 2 dinner vouchers worth 15 Euros each and the Service Manager advised me "he doesn't have to do this for us".  Well we were thankful, hungry (crappy sandwiches on the plane remember?) and wanted to get things straightened out quickly.
The luggage was re-routed for us and that was great.  So we re-checked it in and that was that.

Then we looked at our new e-ticket and discover that we arrive in NY around 6pm or so?  Oh and the baby and I do not leave until 10:25am.
We were never once offered a hotel by Finn Air and I think that's awful that they were perfectly fine with letting us stay overnight in the JFK airport...and figured a couple dinner vouchers would shut us up.
Tim and my parents suggested the baby and I get a hotel but it was pouring out in NY and I just wasn't up for putting V�in� at risk at catching another cold (or me) and was beyond frustrated and exhausted.
V�in� slept through the whole Paris-NY flight too - so he had 7.5 hours and was the happiest kid in the airport.  I was cranky but surviving.
And there was no guarantee I would be reimbursed for my hotel by Finn Air.
I could not check in until 3:30am....so Tim graciously stayed with us until check in time.

We went up to see American Airlines to see if they could do anything for us and they recommended we file a complaint with Finn Air - and what do you know?  Those reps won't be in until 2pm the next day.  We'll be in Canada by then we advised her and stormed off.

During check-in a Jamaican lady ahead of us decided to flirt with me and Tim and ask if we were "overweight" while lifting an eyebrow to our luggage.  I advised her definitely yes...she wanted us to take her luggage!  What an idiot!  Doesn't she listen to the intercom which they repeat every 30 minutes saying not to take stuff from strangers?!

We finally arrive and all is well.  We fully intend on filing the hugest complaint to both Finn Air and American Airlines (they just have crappy service and were not helpful at all)....oh and not to mention, AA does not provide infant seat belts.  We were advised "to just hold the kid"...well a 20 lb child will have no problem flying out of my arms and down the length of a plane should we have gotten into an accident.

We've been to Walmart, Michael's (art store), Chapters and other places to see friends and family....it's good to hear English all around and read it too!!!

So if you're thinking of flying American Airlines, especially with an infant - think again!  And if you go with Finn Air - double check that you have ALL boarding passes.  Thanks for reading this blog post/rant - have a nice day and pleasant journey.

(Said in a cheery flight attendant voice).