Yukon Chatter Bug

How I wish the world was filled with airline service that compares to that of Air North‘s. Whether you’re in the air, at the ticket counter, or on the telephone, the service provided by Air North is always outstanding. If you have a problem, a question, or a concern, it’s just a matter of picking up the phone and voilà! Whatever needs fixin’ gets fixed.

Before I go on, let me assure you that I have no affiliation with them or any of their employees.

Yesterday, I spent a good part of the afternoon trying to arrange travel to attend my brother’s wedding in northern Ontario. After trying to book the “other” airline’s portion of the flight online a couple of times and getting a message that, “Your request cannot be processed at this time. Please try again,” I decided to call their reservations centre. They would not (or in their words, could not) match the price I had on my screen, despite the fact that the online system wasn’t letting me book the darn thing. They even admitted that, yes, the online system at their end was down. The lower online price was due to my opting to travel without checked-in luggage.

While on the phone, their online system came up again, but of course, the price of the selected flights was now higher. I was in a catch-22 situation. If I booked through the web, I pay much more than my initial quote; if I stay on the phone and let them book it, they can’t give me the initial discount. Regardless of my choice, I was still paying more. GGggrrrr!!! In the end, I decided to book a different day altogether to avoid paying the higher cost.

Coming back to Air North’s service, according to the reservations page on their site, they will do their best to match other prices, and they came through for me. I could go on and on about many instances where they came through, but I think what sums it up is that they have common sense! The people who work there have common sense! How’s that for a first in customer service? If you have a request or a concern, ask yourself if it’s reasonable or if the issue is a matter of common sense. If the answer to either question is yes, then it’s a matter of making one phone call and, voilà, everything’s taken care of.

Please feel free to post your comments about your positive experiences with Air North, because as far as I’m concerned, they deserve it!

First, it was Joe’s Free Pour.* That was the one place that any Cheechako* had to be initiated to upon arrival in Whitehorse.

“It’s the first time I’ve been served a see-through Ceasar!” I exclaimed when my aunt and uncle took me there for the first time.

I don’t drink beer or hard liquor, and the place didn’t sell wine. It was an old-fashioned bar with good old-fashioned service, no frills attached. Walking into that place was like stepping back in time, both in decor and in atmosphere. The live entertainment consisted of good conversation with old Yukoners, friends, and, of course, Joe, who is a friend of my uncle’s.

If a good blues’ band is what you were after, it was a matter of walking a few blocks south, down to what the locals still call “The Taku” (the current name being The Discovery Bar). Another landmark in Whitehorse, apparently they’re closing their doors in a year’s time. There’s talk that the whole place is being purchased by a well-known group (who already own half of Main Street) and the building will be converted into offices, and who knows what will be on the first floor, but it definitely won’t be the pub.

These last couple of years, however, my visits to The Taku tended to be at the hour of the after-work crowd. The only entertainment was either chatting with some of the regulars, people-watching, and meeting people during the terrorist tourist season. I love the small pub feel of the place; it’s the only bar in town like it.

That leaves the downtown core with four bars that I can think of. One is a “joint” that, though busy, has, shall we say, a reputation. The other two are half the size of a football field each; no small pub atmosphere there. And that leaves the Gold Rush. Yup, fairly small, but that building, too, has been recently purchased by yet another local corporation. Will they keep it going? Probably. Will it be the same? Who knows! Oh, I almost forgot about the Roadhouse. Boy, has that place changed and for the better! (Nice outdoor patio, good food!) Hhmm… I wonder where the Taku regulars will end up going.

It’s funny how things change; in the case of local bars, most of the changes have been positive. My aunt and uncle talk about the old days when people could literally (and legally) walk from one bar to the next, drink in hand, then stumble into their car and drive home at the end of the night. Thank goodness we don’t see that anymore. But seeing more little spots that are congregating points for old (and new) Yukoners closing their doors one after the other is another thing. Because of archaic laws, no small business person can open a little pub because you have to have x number of rooms attached to the place. That leaves the door open to huge chains of hotels to set up shop. I’m not against free enterprise, but it wouldn’t surprise me of one or two of these eventually replaces the small individually owned places, making Whitehorse look more and more like any other city. We’re already seeing this in other sectors – just look to your right next time you drive up Two Mile Hill. Now, that I have a problem with!

(*Note: Hyperlinks added April 3rd, 2007)