5400 Air Miles points + $250

When lemons make margaritas!

In September I booked my flight. I used 5400 Air Miles points…which during the low season will fly me anywhere halfway around the world from Canada…basically that gets me anywhere in Europe, North, Central and South America. Coupled with using those points, I paid $250 cash for the taxes. That’s a small price to pay for a ticket to Colombia when usually those tickets in December run around $800-$1000. I felt like I hit the jackpot being able to cash in with those Air Miles points (Thanks Mom and Dad for sharing those ). That was almost two months ago. Over the course of the two months I received a few email updates with slightly modified scheduling which was always just 5 minute adjustments. Nothing to raise an eyebrow at.

5400 Air Miles points + $250 + $100

How the worst news is actually the best

Yesterday, I received one of those typical emails with a slightly modified schedule adjustment…no big deal. Until 1 hour later…

An hour later, I received another email that said “Schedule change. Call us to discuss”. If I could raise a single eyebrow that would be the moment that would happen. So I picked up the phone and I called Air Miles and they delivered the news. “Air Canada doesn’t seem to be flying to Colombia anymore.”

I said “What?? I am looking at flights right now on Expedia and Air Canada is INDEED still flying to Colombia. It does however look like they are flying to Bogota now instead of Cartagena and then I need to take a connecting flight to Cartagena.”

After plenty of discussion, I had my marching orders from Air Miles. I needed to call Air Canada because since the connecting flight in Colombia is not an Air Canada flight, Air Miles can’t handle the connection and I needed to deal directly with Air Canada (spoiler alert, that information was not accurate). Equipped with that information, I called Air Canada and reiterated the message verbatim.

Turns out, this was just the start of the run around….but being the eternal optimist that I am, I have faith that things will work out. After all, my two months of AirBnB is already booked and paid for, so even if I have to swim….I am getting my butt to Colombia and not a day late.

Sigh! Air Canada said no ma’am, there is nothing they can do because the ticket purchased was a ‘bulk ticket’. I don’t even know what that means. But Air Canada is for sure no longer flying to Cartagena direct from Toronto. So, my revised marching orders are to call Air Miles back and tell them “As per schedule change rules….you need to rebook my flight and get me where I am going.”

In the meantime, I have been googling flights and have discovered that I can literally fly from Vancouver to Cartagena (via Bogota) for $450. Remember when I said I paid 5400 Air Miles + $250? Ya, that seems crazy now. Especially now that I know that Air Miles can rebook my flight but only as far as Bogota, then I need to book and pay for the final leg to Cartagena. The additional flight is $100. So…if you are following along, I am now having to pay nearly the exact same amount of cash as if I just booked a whole new flight BUT I also contributed 5400 Air Miles, which now seems like I just gave them away.

5400 Air Miles points + $250 = Flight to nearly anywhere + $450 Flight to Colombia

How does that make a margarita?

8 hours worth of phone calls and hold times and it turns out that the world has a plan for me and I am loving its plan…hiccups and bumps included.

Basically, I have to accept a flight credit to be used within 2 years, a credit that can fly me from Canada to Nordic countries or Eastern Europe or Baltic Countries, half the world is my oyster.  AND I have rebooked my new flight for a cheaper rate.

The margarita part of this story…in order to get a cheaper flight, I get to leave two days earlier. That’s right…when I woke up this morning my trip was 29 days away…and now, when I go to bed, I am only 27 days away from my epic new life.

It’s almost a BOGO deal…not quite 2 for 1, but darn close

The plan is solid, the plan is good, and the plan is still 100% a GO!