Why Abbotsford, you ask? This was Ben's first question for my upon my return. I assured him that my first instinct when in Abbotsford is to leave immediately.

I booked my flight to Toronto on Harmony about three months ago, with some very specific dates in mind. I also added my mom to the same flights later on when she decided they would work for her, too. Then one week before we are set to leave, the flight is cancelled, and instead of leaving Vancouver at 06:30, we can leave around 15:00, basically losing a whole day on the other end. Not cool. Lucky for us, WestJet bailed us out with a seat sale and we were able to dump the Harmony flight. Then, while we were away, so with maybe three days' notice, they cancelled the return flight as well. So I've learned my lesson and will not stray from WestJet again.

My new flight, however, had to be booked through Abbotsford, as the Vancouver flights at the same times had all been gobbled up, no doubt by disgruntled Harmony customers. Getting to Abbotsford for a 07:00 flight means leaving really early, but thanks to a late but fun night before, I woke up at 04:30 without having packed. I made it from my door to the check-in counter in one hour flat, which is something I would actively discourage you from trying.

I should mention that YXX, the airport in question, is very pleasant. Parking is abundant and cheap, and the only line-up for security is almost sure to be for your flight. This also means no waiting on the runway for other flights to take off, minimal wait for baggage when landing, and as there is no fancy over head landing tube, they use two flights of stairs for you to get on and off the jet (and you thought that rear door was just for show).