Just had the most annoying experience yesterday/today. I was booking my flight to Newfoundland in July for which I am using a free companion ticket from any fare reward (from 1999 SE threshold bonus). I could have done this all on the web had it not been for V fares (so I can get my upgrade) and the free ticket.

After I figured all my flights out on the web, I spent about half an hour on the phone with the SE desk getting my reservation. As my friend hadn't made up his mind about going to NFLD, I waited another day to make his booking. I spent another 20 minutes doing that. Great I thought, now I can just go in and pick up my tickets at the AC office downtown.

Wrong. I get there and they have merged Canadian and AC into one office. There are six agents -- great I thought, shouldn't take long to get through this line.
Wrong. Pick a separate number for CP or AC bookings, 3 agents for CP and 3 for AC. OK not so bad, the people in here are evenly split.
Wrong. Most people were flying AC. I waited half an hour then had to leave to go get my daughter. I came back a half an hour later and was at the front of the numbers!. OK so now I can get my tickets?
Wrong. The agent had to do something in the computer to spit those tickets out so I spent another half hour waiting for that to happen.

Now I know some AC agents read this board. What exactly does reservations do on the phone? It seems to me that once I have made my booking they should just have to press a button at the city ticket office and out comes your ticket. Why does it take another half hour? I can ticket myself on the internet for this routing in about 10 minutes (including my search time). I could have spent almost 2 and a half hours of my time getting these two tickets from AC! BIZARRE. You can't be making money doing this. Are you really trying to make us dislike dealing with real people?

Thanks for allowing me to rant. Time for a polite but constructively critical letter to Ms. Fournel.

Geez, I knew you had an interest in animals and wildlife, but I never realized you were one of the four horseman of the apocolypse. Surely this post is a clear indication that the end is near.

It sounds like they haven't really merged the CP and AC ticketing offices. They now just share office space.

Two months, 18 days, and counting.

I ticketed over the phone last week, went into the AC office in Ottawa and was out 10 minutes later. 5 of that was waiting for an agent. All the agent did was "press a button" verify my credit card and pick up the ticket from the printer.

Do I detect different service levels in the East and West?

No KH. The last sign of the apocolypse is when you and I agree on something.

The issue here is the companion ticket.

Companion tickets have to be booked in revenue inventories. You buy V, your companion gets V.

(By the way, BB, I'm glad I'm not your companion! You get to upgrade, and your companion gets to languish in the back!)

Anyway, when you tkt to paper, you have to separate them, because the form of payment differs. One the former you take the card authorization and on the latter you put in the voucher number.

And as for the agent thing--let's be fair. They have been telling us that the computer systems reconcilliation is a huge obstacle.

If AA hadn't dragged CP out of Gemini into Sabre this would not be an issue, since the computer systems would already have been merged. But No. AA had to bleed CP dry on transaction fees.

Let's apportion blame here campers.

AC*SE ----- you rock!

KH....you really gotten lighten up! I have been involved in 5 mergers of far less scale and they were some of the hardest days ever in our company. After years we still have the lingering effects!

Dorian!

Actually AC has been really good on those companion tickets. Even though they have not allowed upgrades at time of reservation, they have always upgraded my companion, even when he/she was not travelling with me (ie different return dates). We just talked nicely to the agents and Voila! I don't expect it but it has, so far, always been a positive experience.

But remember it wasn't just the companion ticket, the first booking took considerable time and for the Calgary agent to spit out MY ticket, took the a significant part of the time in Calgary. Then she worked on the companion ticket. I could go into excruciating detail on that process (we are supposed to be on the same itinerary, but somehow she got us on different ones) but won't.

To be fair to Air Canada, let me tell you about my experience last week, when I had to book a free Aeroplan ticket at the last minute:

I arrived in Zurich Monday morning, ex Toronto. Got to the office, my wife called that night, was having a huge health crisis, wanted my back right away. Like, NOW.

I called AC's reward ticket desk at 11 PM Monday from Zurich and told them my problem. 5 minutes later, they found me a seat (Y only) on the flight leaving 10 hours later. Asked me when I wanted to return. Told them I didn't know. They said don't worry, we'll can't leave the ticket open, but we'll book you a return next week and you can change it if you want. Went to the airport in ZRH Tuesday morning, the staff saw me coming and gave me the ticket (30 seconds for the pickup).

Got to the gate, the cabin crew noticed me in the boarding area while they were walking to the plane, and asked what was happening (they were the same crew I came over with 26 hours earlier). When I got on the plane, the cabin crew gave me an upgrade to row 1, without me even expecting it.

Got to Toronto. A AC VIP person was waiting at the little tunnel leading out of the plane, to fast-track me through customs. I asked her how she knew I was in a rush - apparently the cabin crew had phoned ahead to Toronto during the flight and made arrangements. Total time from the airplane door opening to me getting in a cab - about 8 minutes. (No baggage).

Next day, wife's health crisis is solved, with a happy ending. Now how to get back to work??? Called AC and asked if I could go out to the airport and stand by for the flight back to ZRH Wednesday evening. 3 minutes later, got told there was no need to stand by, I had a positive seat in Y.

Went to the airport in Toronto to check in. Gate agent recognizes me from Sunday evening (3 days ago) and asks what is going on. He figured this was a little too much travel, even if I was a frequent flyer. Explained the problem, gate agent then asks me if I would prefer J class, to get a little sleep, no coupon needed.

Ladies & Gentlemen, I could not have got faster, better and more compassionate service if I had chartered a private jet. And I know what I am talking about, because in my professional work, I am the training manager for a European airline that operates private jets!

In every case, I had outstanding service along the way. And, in every case, this came from genuine personal concern and care from the AC employees - not from policies.

Next time something goes wrong - long lines, late plane, staff shortage, whatever - I think I'll just think about what AC did for me when I really needed em - and that will put the temporary problems of the moment in perspective.

Max,

I figure that counts as a trip report on its own.

It's engouraging to read the good with the bad.

I thought one of the benefits of Elite/Super-Elite is non-capacity controlled reward seats in Y, so this is not really all that surprising, is it ?

I would be astounished if they bumped a revenue passenger for a E/SE reward ticket. I wonder which airline does that for their VFF ? I know AC does it for revenue VFF, but I don't think they do it for a reward VFF.

You were treated well MaxPower. They definitely went beyond "normal operating procedure". I think it deserves a letter. I send letters of compliment as well as complaint (in fact my last latter regarding the above subject was both). Since my sister in law is an AC Flight Attendant, I am sensitive about being balanced in my approaches.

Glad that the health crisis was solved--I went through a similar experience when I was in New York in February.

Hsi Chang,

AC*SE have no capacity controls in both J and Y , but once a flight is oversold (even with more existing capacity), the privilege stops, even if there are still available seats in J or Y or both. Doubtless in this case, J was sold out, and MP lucked in with a no-show.

On the revenue side SE have guaranteed reservations on S,Y fares (S are the big seats on domestic 767 to GLA/MAN) up to 6 hours before departure.