It never fails to surprise me..Somebody will read one article or watch one television show, and they think they know everything about UFOs, or the Kennedy assassination or the sinking of the Titanic..All issues, which need years, if not decades, of due diligence research. In-depth research, not just a drive-by..Do your 5,000, or 10,000 or 20,000 Beatles hours — a euphemism for mastering whatever craft you wish to master. Then, come and talk to me..Then, and only then..John, Paul, George and Ringo, obviously did theirs..So fast forward to today, and the water-cooler story of the day and it is a doozy..Canadian singer-songwriter and writer Jann Arden is furious after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre made an impromptu short speech on board a WestJet flight..As a result, she is threatening a boycott of the airline. A carrier struggling to get back on track after COVID-19..A carrier that employs a lot of people, not only in Alberta, but across Canada..OK, well … first off, WestJet is not the airline it once was. It’s not. Even the employees will tell you..Back in the day, WestJet could not do enough for passengers, kept it light and funny, was innovative, profitable. A good company to work for..I have reason to believe that is not the case anymore. But hey, all airlines are going down the same rabbit hole. It’s about making a profit and times are tough, especially after COVID-19.That’s why sitting in the Boeing Dreamliner headed for Paris is a nightmare, a sardine can, unless you are in rows 10 through 14. Those are livable..Secondly, it is not unusual for a celebrity to be on a flight and to interact with the passengers. .Unless you are Justin Trudeau, of course. Stranded in India, instead of taking commercial Business Class back to Canada — a cushy ride, folks — they sent another plane, spending tens of thousands of dollars, just to keep Funny Socks boy and his cronies happy..Let’s hope they bring enough booze and pretzels..Note, Jann isn’t saying anything about that, LOL!.A friend of mine was once on a flight, with The Greatest. That’s right, heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali..Everybody on the flight gathered around Ali and he entertained them with his amazing wit..He asked my friend where he was from. My buddy, a sportswriter, said Winnipeg..Ali’s eyes got big, and he looked directly at him..“You … came all the way from Winnipeg … to see me fight!?”.Yes, said my friend..Ali smiled, and said: “Then I MUST be the greatest!”.Everyone laughed. A great story, I love to relate..Thirdly, since when did Jann Arden, become an airline policy expert? Did she do her 5,000 Beatles hours, researching domestic or international airline policy..Or did she just have an epiphany, in the middle of the night, in her big, expensive ranch house?.Does she suddenly know how to do a CAT III approach and landing in a crosswind? Has she had a stitch of pilot, flight attendant or check-in training?.Has she ever owned, or run an airline? Been on the board of an operating airline? Studied ethics in airline studies?.A degree in transportation and logistic? Briefed in airline law or regulations?.How many hours has she spent in a sim?.Suffered the stress of a flight attendant in their daily job?.No, no and no again. She's just a done-and-gone singer, who thinks she’s still a big shot..Yes, she won her share of awards, Junos, MuchMusic and others. And that’s great, she earned it. Nobody questions that..We all know those awards are Toronto-based and somewhat incestuous. Canadian artists patting each other on the back..Still … that doesn’t make her an expert in this kind of scenario. She’s out of line here, and that’s all too obvious..Got a beef? Do like everyone else, file a complaint with the proper authorities..Don’t use social media to vilify a politician, or anyone else. Not cool, Jann, not cool..And yes, I was a pilot, a long time ago. And even I can’t tell you what is proper policy in a situation like that. Because I am not an airline expert!.As far as I’m concerned, my main issue flying from A to B (I am attending AUSA in Washington, DC, in October), is to get there safely and comfortably..And, yeah, a reasonable price. That’s all I care about..Well, and maybe a drink or two. And a lousy pasta entree. Par for the course, these days..If I don’t want to hear the announcements (I know, they are important), I put on my headphones and listen to my music..I shut out the world..And that music is definitely not Jann Arden. That much, I can tell you..Take a pill Jann, and apologize to WestJet, and their hard working staff..Your typical airline worker does the work of three people, they don’t live in million-dollar ranch houses in the foothills, cut them some slack..Do the right thing.
It never fails to surprise me..Somebody will read one article or watch one television show, and they think they know everything about UFOs, or the Kennedy assassination or the sinking of the Titanic..All issues, which need years, if not decades, of due diligence research. In-depth research, not just a drive-by..Do your 5,000, or 10,000 or 20,000 Beatles hours — a euphemism for mastering whatever craft you wish to master. Then, come and talk to me..Then, and only then..John, Paul, George and Ringo, obviously did theirs..So fast forward to today, and the water-cooler story of the day and it is a doozy..Canadian singer-songwriter and writer Jann Arden is furious after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre made an impromptu short speech on board a WestJet flight..As a result, she is threatening a boycott of the airline. A carrier struggling to get back on track after COVID-19..A carrier that employs a lot of people, not only in Alberta, but across Canada..OK, well … first off, WestJet is not the airline it once was. It’s not. Even the employees will tell you..Back in the day, WestJet could not do enough for passengers, kept it light and funny, was innovative, profitable. A good company to work for..I have reason to believe that is not the case anymore. But hey, all airlines are going down the same rabbit hole. It’s about making a profit and times are tough, especially after COVID-19.That’s why sitting in the Boeing Dreamliner headed for Paris is a nightmare, a sardine can, unless you are in rows 10 through 14. Those are livable..Secondly, it is not unusual for a celebrity to be on a flight and to interact with the passengers. .Unless you are Justin Trudeau, of course. Stranded in India, instead of taking commercial Business Class back to Canada — a cushy ride, folks — they sent another plane, spending tens of thousands of dollars, just to keep Funny Socks boy and his cronies happy..Let’s hope they bring enough booze and pretzels..Note, Jann isn’t saying anything about that, LOL!.A friend of mine was once on a flight, with The Greatest. That’s right, heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali..Everybody on the flight gathered around Ali and he entertained them with his amazing wit..He asked my friend where he was from. My buddy, a sportswriter, said Winnipeg..Ali’s eyes got big, and he looked directly at him..“You … came all the way from Winnipeg … to see me fight!?”.Yes, said my friend..Ali smiled, and said: “Then I MUST be the greatest!”.Everyone laughed. A great story, I love to relate..Thirdly, since when did Jann Arden, become an airline policy expert? Did she do her 5,000 Beatles hours, researching domestic or international airline policy..Or did she just have an epiphany, in the middle of the night, in her big, expensive ranch house?.Does she suddenly know how to do a CAT III approach and landing in a crosswind? Has she had a stitch of pilot, flight attendant or check-in training?.Has she ever owned, or run an airline? Been on the board of an operating airline? Studied ethics in airline studies?.A degree in transportation and logistic? Briefed in airline law or regulations?.How many hours has she spent in a sim?.Suffered the stress of a flight attendant in their daily job?.No, no and no again. She's just a done-and-gone singer, who thinks she’s still a big shot..Yes, she won her share of awards, Junos, MuchMusic and others. And that’s great, she earned it. Nobody questions that..We all know those awards are Toronto-based and somewhat incestuous. Canadian artists patting each other on the back..Still … that doesn’t make her an expert in this kind of scenario. She’s out of line here, and that’s all too obvious..Got a beef? Do like everyone else, file a complaint with the proper authorities..Don’t use social media to vilify a politician, or anyone else. Not cool, Jann, not cool..And yes, I was a pilot, a long time ago. And even I can’t tell you what is proper policy in a situation like that. Because I am not an airline expert!.As far as I’m concerned, my main issue flying from A to B (I am attending AUSA in Washington, DC, in October), is to get there safely and comfortably..And, yeah, a reasonable price. That’s all I care about..Well, and maybe a drink or two. And a lousy pasta entree. Par for the course, these days..If I don’t want to hear the announcements (I know, they are important), I put on my headphones and listen to my music..I shut out the world..And that music is definitely not Jann Arden. That much, I can tell you..Take a pill Jann, and apologize to WestJet, and their hard working staff..Your typical airline worker does the work of three people, they don’t live in million-dollar ranch houses in the foothills, cut them some slack..Do the right thing.
