Traveling to the wrong places

There is a funny article on CNN talking about how a guy from Germany booked a flight online, only to end up in Sidney Montana instead of Sydney, Australia. You can find the article here.

This reminded me of a similar experience that I had with a client of mine.

I was expecting a visitor from the United States who was coming to visit my company’s facilities. He told me that he was staying at the Fairmount hotel. So I went to the Fairmount hotel in Montreal to pick him up.

After looking around in the lobby I could not find the guy so I called him on his cell phone and asked where he was. He told me near the St-Laurent room. St-Laurent is a very common name here (there is a city St-Laurent and also a street with that name), so I went to the hotel reception and asked where the St-Laurent room was.

Reception: Sorry sir, no St-Laurent room at this hotel.

This is strange. So I ask them: is there another Fairmount hotel in Montreal?

Reception: No, this is the only one.

This had been going on for 45 minutes now so in desperation I call back my client and ask him to find the phone number of the hotel he is at so I can call his hotel directly and get the exact address.

He give me a phone number starting with 418. I almost dropped my phone. He was in Quebec city. It is 3 hours away from where I live- which is Montreal, province of Quebec.

Right province, wrong city.

I guess he was quite a bit luckier than the German tourist.

My client made arrangements for a flight the next morning to Montreal.

Thanks Roadgladiator for finding the CNN article.

Tags: Air Travel, business travel