On Sunday, I flew from Orlando, FL to Montreal. The plane left on time and arrived 15 minutes early. When we got to the customs hall there was a booth with no one at it and my wife and I sailed through in no time. The baggage carousel started turning just as we got there and our three bags were among the first half dozen or so off. We found a taxi immediately. Amazing! It will probably never happen again.
It’s good that you noted it. Now, whenever you feel like nothing ever goes your way, you have this to fall back on.
C’mon Hari. I believed you about the threesome you had with Kim Kardashian and Scarlett Johansson, but this is a bit over-the-top!
Everything? Were the flight attendants hot?
That explains it! On Monday, I flew from Dulles to Fort Lauderdale through Charlotte. The fligt from Dulles was two hours late. I missed my connection in Charlotte and had to take a later flight.
The entire Dulles to Charlotte leg, I was sitting in front of someone practicing her airport codes - a friend of hers would give a three letter code, and she would try to remember what it stood for. EVERY time, she thought Green Bay was in Michigan.
Clearly, it’s your fault, Hari.
-D/a
Now you know what it’s like to win the lottery.
It’s all downhill from this point, so to speak.
Wait. You got a taxi right away? Your French must be better than I thought.
The French word for “taxi” is “taxi” 
It’s actually getting home that might require the better French! Or did the OP post this from the cab outside the Dorval airport? 
Actually, in and out of Montreal I’ve had very few problems with regards to delays and customs lineups. Toronto, on the other hand… just awful.
I’ve told this story before, but my husband met a commercial pilot who, on his last flight out of Pearson, talked to the Departures controllers saying “I’m retiring, so this is the last one for me…you guys are the second best airport to fly out of!”
The controllers asked, “Thanks! Just out of curiosity, who is #1?”
“Everybody else!”
I had a flight like that once. Once.
This most likely means that fate has something truly NIFTY in store for you on the return trip. Fate was just trying to lull you into a false sense of peace.
That, I think, was why a recent return drive from Williamsburg VA to the Virginia suburbs of DC went so smoothly - quite literally the only time in my memory that there were no traffic jams. It wasn’t until we arrived onto surface roads that things went totally nuts (including a BUG in google maps!).
My last flight was very nearly perfect. I even upgraded to first class. I was the first person on the plane, and maybe the second or third off.
Getting home from the airport was another story. GPS led us in exactly the opposite direction. For an hour.
Welcome to Montreal! I hope you have a good time. I’ve also been pleased in the past with how quick it’s been to get out of Trudeau airport, especially when going through customs (eight bazillion lines, no waiting…)
Just a hint, though – I’m glad you got a taxi right away, but do leave extra time to get back to the airport; Highway 20 and the traffic circle near the airport are undergoing major reconstruction and can be a serious PITA right now.
Also, we now have a transit bus (number 747, har!) that goes from Berri and Lionel-Groulx metros and from various downtown locations directly to the airport. 747 YUL Aéroport Montréal-Trudeau / Centre-ville shuttle | Société de transport de Montréal It’s quite convenient, runs 24 hours, and costs $8 instead of the $35 a taxi from downtown will run you. (If you plan to do some running around by transit, note that the various transit passes – monthly, weekly, 3-day, and 1-day – can also be used to get on the 747 bus with no surcharge.)
Doesn’t Hari Seldon live in Montreal? Not that your advice is bad, but I’m sure he knows by now that traffic and construction in Montreal is such that you can’t actually go where you want to go when you want to get there! 
I thoroughly enjoyed the replies. Thanks all.
Yes, I actually live in Montreal. The trip down was also on time, but I had to get to airport over two hours early to get through security and US customs. And I witnessed a scene that could only be called child abuse. The woman ahead of us at security inspection was traveling with a child that appeared to be around 2 or maybe 2 1/2. The child was wearing crocs and when the inspector insisted that she remove them, she had a meltdown. She lay on the floor and was kicking and screaming. Finally, somehow, the mother got her up and through the metal detector without holding her hand (although the child was clearly terrified). Then the real troubles began for the mother was selected “at random” for a complete search. And no, the child had to stay outside the room. A second total meltdown and the child was inconsolable until the mother emerged.
I just got back from a typical 4-day trip of fun flying around the US.
Of 10 flights, we departed the gate on-time or a few minutes early on all 10. On 8 of the 10 we parked at the destination early. On one we parked on-time to the minute. On one we pushed back early but a thunderstorm arrived over O’Hare just as we were taxiing out. So we got airborne about 45 minutes late & also arrived about 45 minutes late.
That’s pretty typical for us. The previous trip I flew 7 flights. All 7 departed on-time or early and arived on-time or early.
I can’t speak to anyone’s experience with baggage, ground transportation, or the TSA / ICE. But if you stick with me, the odds are good you’ll be on time.
What airline did you fly? I only ask because they always get singled out if they do something wrong.
My last trip went pretty well, all things considered. I mean, there was me showing up on the wrong day (or rather, showing up on the right day. I booked the tickets for the wrong day.) Then the flat tire on the way to the airport the next day, almost missing my flight (made it by sprinting halfway across Wichita Mid-Continental Airport. Which, granted, isn’t a very long sprint if you’ve ever flown out of ICT), and of course, the ear infection which induced the mind-numbing pain and discomfort every time the air pressure changed in the cabin. Oh, and I got to ride in a cop car for the last leg of my trip, which all things considered was kinda cool.
I flew Delta. As much crap as they seem to catch, I’ve had good experiences with them every time (I prefer to fly American or Southwest though, but the price difference was too great on this trip. Plus Southwest doesn’t fly out here.)
I was once traveling back to SC from Anaheim, and somehow I had “disappeared” from my airline’s computer system. After a lengthy session on the computer, the airline rep at the customer service finally got me back onto my assigned flights. I thanked her profusely, and as usual, she said “All in a day’s work. Is there anything else I can do for you?”. I jokingly said “Sure, bump me to 1st class.”. She laughed while finishing up my boarding passes.
I didn’t check my seat assignment until I boarded my first flight. Seat 2A. First Class!
I checked my tickets for my other two flights. The second leg (the 5 hour one) was first class too!
Best long travel day EVER.