Checking out the Atlantic Provinces has always been on my
bucket list, but I thought I’d like to get the more exotic destinations off the
list before I tackled something so close to home. For all my world travels I’ve only seen about
two thirds of my own country – not having ventured much beyond Montreal.
Many of our friends have visited the Maritimes and speak
glowingly about them. My wife, Michele, expressed
a desire to “maybe” take a trip with me to see them. She said “maybe” because she still has
memories of the last major trip we took together – our honeymoon – some forty
years ago. With Michele bad memories die
slowly. However upon further
consideration she concluded that if I could travel around the world for more
than ten years and still return in one piece she might chance another trip with
me - particularly since it wasn’t too far from home.
Michele likes to research things incessantly – so she googled
everything Maritimes. Our plan was travel
after Labour Day when crowds have abated and rates dropped. We’d fly to Halifax, rent a car and drive
around for a couple of weeks, then head back to Halifax and home.
While Michele researched the” “must see” sites I tackled
the rent-a-car situation. After a lot of
on line research at the usual sites: Priceline, Travelocity, Expedia, Etc., a
friend informed me the best deal is to book through Costco. Of course you need a Costco card –which I
just so happen to have. I checked out
the rates on line at
Costco for Alamo, Avis,
Enterprise, and Budget. Costco’s online
site lets you compare each companies’ rates for comparable cars. All of the quoted rates were less than
anywhere else and I was pleasantly surprised
to find Budget’s rate for a Kia Rondo was
less than any of the others.
There was one question I couldn't find an answer for
online. The other car rentals included a
second driver – there was no mention as to whether or not Budget offered the
same. I called the help number on the Costco site and was told by
Daina, the Costo representative ,that a
second driver was included – if it was a spouse. I asked for a moment to confer with my wife
to find out if she still considers herself my “spouse,” and after a few moments
she ceded that she still might be.
Daina wanted to know if I wanted to book with her. I told her if she could meet or beat the price
I’m currently saw on my computer I would.
She asked if I had ”something else” she could work with.
“I’m a member of the auto club,’ I offered.
“So is everybody.”
She replied.
I tried several other clubs and associations. Finally in desperation I said.
“I’m a senior.”
“Aha!” she replied. “Now that’s something I can work
with. You qualify for the geezer
discount.”
She worked through the math, and when she finished the
quoted rate for the Kia was actually 40
percent less. Truly amazing.
“Book It, Dano.” I said.
“My name is Not Dano, it’s Daina.”
“Whatever.”
“There’s just one thing, I have to tell you.”
“I knew there was a catch.”
“To get that rate you have to prepay in full now. However if you can’t make it, you can get a
full refund if you let us know 24 hours in advance.”
I told her I thought that was reasonable and gave her my
credit card information, along with all the other pertinent information. She also asked for our flight number in case
the plane should be delayed.
During the next several weeks Michele and I poured over
books and Brochures, trying to decide what to see. We immediately realized that two weeks wasn't
much time to see four provinces.
The first thing to go was Newfoundland. We decided that it required a trip of its own. We were also worried about the weather on the
Rock in September – it could be great or horrid. So Scratch Newfoundland. That left us with three provinces: Nova Scotia,
New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
We couldn't fly direct from Vancouver to Halifax so we
opted for a quick stopover in Calgary.
What we hadn't counted on was an unseasonable early fall snowstorm in
Calgary. Who would expect a full scale
winter blizzard on September 7
th?
The snowstorm played havoc with Calgary’s power grid and the airport
experienced a power outage as we made our final approach. For half an hour we flew loops around the
airport before power was restored and we could land.
We arrived in Halifax an hour late and I headed over to
the Budget booth to pick up the car and that’s when the fun began.
What kind of a car would you like, sir?”
“I don’t know,” I replied surprised that he would ask
since I already had booked a car. “What
kind of cars have you got?”
“Oh all sorts, Beemers, SUV’s, sport convertibles.”
“All for the same price I’m paying for my Kia?” I asked
amazed.
“Oh, no sir,” he replied. “They’re more – starting at
only ten dollars a day more.”
“No thanks,” I said.
“I’ll just take the Kia I reserved.”
“Oh I’m sorry sir.
We don’t have that car anymore.”
“What?” I replied.
“Oh yes, it’s gone.
We had to release it. You were an
hour late.”
“Fine.” Then you can fix me up with another car. The common practice is to upgrade me to the
next car you have available if you don’t have the car I booked.
“Certainly, sir. We can get you out of here right away.
It’ll be only ten dollars more a day.”
My temper began to rise.
“Listen, you don’t understand.
That was my car you let
go. I prepaid for it. It’s like a
hotel room you prepay for. It doesn’t
matter if I check in late. It’s mine for the period I rented it - even if it
sits in the lot. You had no right to
release it. “
“You were late,” he replies not giving an inch. The line behind me is growing longer by the
minute. “Besides the lady who took my order in Vancouver asked for the flight
number which you have there on the monitor in front of you. You knew the flight was an hour late.”
“I’m sorry sir.
But we can get you out of here for just ten dollars more.”
“Have you heard of bait and switch?” This is against the law. I want the car I reserved.
A large sigh.
“Okay, but I’ll have to have one brought in from Halifax. It will takeat least half an hour.”
“Fine.”
Michele and I retire to the side and begin to wait. The next couple steps up to the front of the
line and the same story is repeated over and over. This seems to be a standard ploy by Budget in
Halifax to get more money out of you.
The crowd of unhappy customers begins to grow beside
us. Finally after forty minutes I’d had
enough.
I took a business card out of my wallet and sidled up to
the front of the line and handed it to the attendant.
“Here. You might
want to give this to your boss. I’m an
international travel writer and he might want to keep an eye out for an article
in the papers next week.”
He studies the card for a moment and picks up the
phone. Within 60 seconds my Kia is at
the door. He also hands me a bunch of
coupons for discounts on future rentals (like I’m going to ever use Budget
again). On the way to the car I hand out
the coupons to the other unhappy customers.
So after an hour at the budget booth we’re finally on our way.
Lesson Learned: Which ever company I book with in the future
(and it probably won’t be Budget) I will ask point blank what happens if I’m
late. Do they hold the car? If so for how long? What happens if the car I booked was not
there? What’s the policy then. I’ll then make sure I have the person’s name
and employee number.
By the time we pull out of the lot it’s dark and Michele
is driving since my eyesight isn't what it used to be –especially on rainy
nights. I pre-booked our first night at
the
Cambridge Suite Hotel in downtown Halifax.
The hotel has glowing reviews in tripadvisor, is reasonably priced and they
threw in two nights parking for eight bucks.
I take out my phone and program Google maps to the hotel
address and off we go. The route takes
us over a pay bridge. I look for a guy in
a booth collecting tolls, but all there is a bucket you throw a toony in and
the arm lifts and off you go. How many
million dollars did we spend here in Vancouver to find an automated transit fare system? They could have bought the Halifax system for
a dollar fifty.
Google routes us through a series of dark one way streets
finally bringing us to a dark strip mall and announces: “You have arrived at
your destination.”
I don’t see anything that looks remotely like a hotel
lobby - but there is a light on in a doorway. I tell Michele to pull up to it and I’ll go
and see what’s doing.
Once inside the doorway I discover a small lobby so I’m
in the right place. I walk up to the
registration desk and announce myself.
I’m pleasantly surprised that the attendant is the same guy I talked to
on the phone when I booked the place.
After a pleasant check in he hands me the keys, tells me how
to get to the hotel parking lot is, and suggests
a place for dinner.
I go out to give Michele the info. I open the door, step into the car, sit down
and turned to Michele. Then it hits
me. This is not my wife sitting next to
me.
“You’re not my wife,” I exclaim to the startled woman.
I look up and see Michele in the car ahead laughing her
head off.
Evidently while I was inside another car pulled up behind
her and she moved ahead a bit to make room for it. I simply blindly got into the car in front of
the door.
After a hasty apology we find the parking lot, unload and
head up to our room. It is now quite late
and after a long day of travel and fighting with the rent-a-car people we aren’t
in the mood to start looking for restaurants.
The check-in guy had suggested the hotel restaurant and I
suggest we go there. How bad could it be?
Actually it turned out to be quite good – excellent in
fact – one of the best dinners we had in the Maritimes. Evidently the hotel recently snagged a
renowned chef and had won a slew of awards.
Not only that the prices were extremely reasonable. If you’re in Halifax I’d recommend it – even
if you aren’t staying at the Cambridge Suites.
We head up to the room to plan the next day’s activities
and hit the sack.
NEXT: CAN GOOGLE FIND THE "PERFECT" OYSTER?