Aug 14, 2014, 5:11 pm
Air Canada rouge Flight Report and Feedback Thread
Jan 3, 2015, 9:01 am
#76
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 132
Toronto-Las Vegas Rouge
Over the Christmas holiday I flew YYZ to LAS via Vancouver. I wanted to avoid Rouge as much as possible given all that I heard on this forum. I booked J class on an A330 with pods to YVR and connected there with an A319 onward to LAS. The fare on this routing was very little more than travelling J on Rouge direct, and even though it took twice the flying time, having the luxury of five hours in a J class pod made it worthwhile. It was quite a comedown to transfer in YVR to the 319 (my first time flying Rouge) and I was expecting the worst from all that I have heard about this new class of service, however, it was not as bad as I expected. I didn't like the economy type seats (the middle one is unsold) but since I had the row to myself it was tolerable. The on-board service was very good, as the FA's were very attentive, always making sure that my refreshments were topped up. I had a choice of three meals, just one less in J to YVR and the short flight (over two hours) certainly made this Rouge flight tolerable.
Returning from LAS to YYZ, I decided to fly J non-stop (four hours) in a Rouge B767. Although the seats seemed wider, I did not care for the leg room (I'm 6'2" 215 pounds). Main line J service is certainly better, however, once again excellent on-board service with three choices of meals and the FA's were very attentive regarding beverage service.
One other criticism, there are no closets on Rouge aircraft, so I had nowhere to put my winter overcoat and suit jacket except on an empty seat (fortunately a seat was available).
In conclusion, I would only take Rouge for no more than about four hours, not acceptable for anything longer (I'm talking business class here, Y would be totally unacceptable).
One final comment, the IFE consisted of I-pads, and the quality of both video and sound definitely inferior to regular IFE offerings.
Returning from LAS to YYZ, I decided to fly J non-stop (four hours) in a Rouge B767. Although the seats seemed wider, I did not care for the leg room (I'm 6'2" 215 pounds). Main line J service is certainly better, however, once again excellent on-board service with three choices of meals and the FA's were very attentive regarding beverage service.
One other criticism, there are no closets on Rouge aircraft, so I had nowhere to put my winter overcoat and suit jacket except on an empty seat (fortunately a seat was available).
In conclusion, I would only take Rouge for no more than about four hours, not acceptable for anything longer (I'm talking business class here, Y would be totally unacceptable).
One final comment, the IFE consisted of I-pads, and the quality of both video and sound definitely inferior to regular IFE offerings.
Jan 3, 2015, 9:13 am
#77
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: OGG, YYC
Programs: AA, AC
Posts: 3,697
Jan 3, 2015, 10:09 am
#78
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Programs: VIA Rail - Premier, Fairmont, Cunard - Diamond, AC - Mere mortal
Posts: 212
Luxury is relative. We are talking about an aeroplane, after all. I quite like the pods and have flown in them many times, but never overnight fortunately. They are not luxurious when compared with truly civilised travel, such as a drawing room on VIA Rail's "The Canadian" across Canada or a Queen's Grill stateroom - or even a basic cabin - crossing the Atlantic on Cunard. But considering the horror of flying "behind the curtain" the pods are delightful.
Last edited by tcook052; Jan 3, 2015 at 11:45 am
Jan 5, 2015, 12:40 pm
#79
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 3
Rouge Premium
Just returned from a Rouge Premium flight to and from San Diego. The flight, the staff, the food were all the same as I would expect from Business Class on an AC flight. My beefs? Like other flyers - the lack of overhead space. We were row 1, seats A and C, were the second people on the plane and we had nowhere to store our (very limited) carry-on luggage. They really need to deal with this issue. My second complaint is the Air Canada app to be used with their or your own iPad. It is not worth the energy to launch the app, limited and old supply of selection. Air Canada big-wigs should fly British Airways some time and find out how it should be done.
Can't say I'd never fly Rouge again - it's the only direct flight to San Diego from Toronto and I go frequently to visit family.
Can't say I'd never fly Rouge again - it's the only direct flight to San Diego from Toronto and I go frequently to visit family.
Jan 9, 2015, 9:02 pm
#80
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 545
Flight/Origin-Destination: SFO-YVR
Date: Jan 9, 2015
Cabin: 3C, PR (Gate eUp)
Status: SE
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? No. Although granted, first flight was UA segment. Requested seat-adjustment to row 4 hadn't happened or didn't stick. Emailed concierge again in the morning, row 4 full. R0 at T-24 and at T-4. I was not looking forward to this flight when boarding SLCSFO.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Zonal boarding was in effect, but I arrived at gate when they were at zone 4.
Onboard - Premium rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes. Although I missed the cute hat.
Did the IFE work as expected? I was pleased to see at least 50% of the movies of the mainline. But iPad distribution after 10,000 ft is still sub-optimal. VERY annoyed that ads are not "ffwd"able on the ipad. I've made a mental note to self not to open any IFE for the next month, as I just keep lowering my movie standards... Can I suggest you provide e-readers on loan?
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes.
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? Yes, distribution on the ground. When captain announced position #7 for take-off meal orders were collected. Started with E35k in 3D, then myself working forwards. They went to collect additional meals from the back after completing a count in the galley when orders were in.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected)
How was the quality of all the meals? Beef overcooked, but that is by now "meets expectation".
Did the cabin crew continuously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Not required.
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time?
No. Flight was at the gate 13.30. I went to immigration, got an updated work permit and still luggage belt was not moving. My priority tagged bag (label still on) came out at 14.10, well after the bulk of the other luggage.
Overall experience/any other comments
There are no good options on YYC-SLC (other than DL) so I decided to make an early start on AQM... In the back it's on par with flying UA E and just that little better with the eUps that have to be burned.
But why o why does revenue have to set R0 from T-48 up to T-4, have R1 at T-1 and then leave with three empty PR seats??? Please quit playing games.
Date: Jan 9, 2015
Cabin: 3C, PR (Gate eUp)
Status: SE
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? No. Although granted, first flight was UA segment. Requested seat-adjustment to row 4 hadn't happened or didn't stick. Emailed concierge again in the morning, row 4 full. R0 at T-24 and at T-4. I was not looking forward to this flight when boarding SLCSFO.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Zonal boarding was in effect, but I arrived at gate when they were at zone 4.
Onboard - Premium rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes. Although I missed the cute hat.
Did the IFE work as expected? I was pleased to see at least 50% of the movies of the mainline. But iPad distribution after 10,000 ft is still sub-optimal. VERY annoyed that ads are not "ffwd"able on the ipad. I've made a mental note to self not to open any IFE for the next month, as I just keep lowering my movie standards... Can I suggest you provide e-readers on loan?
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes.
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? Yes, distribution on the ground. When captain announced position #7 for take-off meal orders were collected. Started with E35k in 3D, then myself working forwards. They went to collect additional meals from the back after completing a count in the galley when orders were in.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected)
How was the quality of all the meals? Beef overcooked, but that is by now "meets expectation".
Did the cabin crew continuously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Not required.
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time?
No. Flight was at the gate 13.30. I went to immigration, got an updated work permit and still luggage belt was not moving. My priority tagged bag (label still on) came out at 14.10, well after the bulk of the other luggage.
Overall experience/any other comments
There are no good options on YYC-SLC (other than DL) so I decided to make an early start on AQM... In the back it's on par with flying UA E and just that little better with the eUps that have to be burned.
But why o why does revenue have to set R0 from T-48 up to T-4, have R1 at T-1 and then leave with three empty PR seats??? Please quit playing games.
Jan 12, 2015, 1:50 pm
#81
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
Posts: 5,691
Flight/Origin-Destination: YUL - LAS
Date: January 4 (scheduled) // January 5 (actual)
Cabin: Economy
Status: E50
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Check-in was problematic because the flight left on the day *after* it was scheduled to leave, so my boarding pass had the wrong date on it. Managed to get through security before almost being turned back by CBP. Eventually got let through because I only had carryon luggage.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes and yes. No issues with zone boarding except trying to not block any zone 1ers.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? Thankfully we knew about the delay before going to the airport. The flight was subsequently delayed on the 5th without anyone telling us about it.
Onboard - rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Well groomed, yes. Professional, not so much. They genuinely came across as kids trying to figure out which way was up.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? They apologized for the long delay.
Did the IFE work as expected? I didn't try it.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? Reasonably quickly, no more than 1 hour after takeoff and it was complimentary -- a nice gesture.
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Chicken wrap was OK, hummus was great.
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? Yes.
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? No checked bags.
Overall experience/any other comments Was pleasantly surprised with the legroom and general comfort in row 15.
Flight/Origin-Destination: LAS - YYZ
Date: January 10, 2015
Cabin: J
Status: E50
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Yes
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes, it was offered. No, it wasn't efficient (see this report)
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? No delay.
Onboard - Premium rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? No.
Did the IFE work as expected? Didn't use it.
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? I was offered a newspaper and given the wrong menu (breakfast instead of lunch). Meal orders were taken in the air.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected) Meal for my side of the aircraft inexplicably started after more than 2 hours, was completed about 40 minutes later.
How was the quality of all the meals? Salmon was quite good.
Did the cabin crew continiously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Yes.
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? No checked luggage.
Overall experience/any other comments
I was as disappointed with my Rouge J experience as I was surprised with my Rouge Y experience. There's essentially no room for carryon luggage in the J cabin with the FAs' equipment taking up an entire bin. The SEMM next to me had to check his carryon while a couple others needed to fetch their bags in row 13 upon landing. At least the staff cluelessness factor is the same between Y and J. They really, REALLY have a lot to learn before they're proficient at their jobs.
Date: January 4 (scheduled) // January 5 (actual)
Cabin: Economy
Status: E50
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Check-in was problematic because the flight left on the day *after* it was scheduled to leave, so my boarding pass had the wrong date on it. Managed to get through security before almost being turned back by CBP. Eventually got let through because I only had carryon luggage.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes and yes. No issues with zone boarding except trying to not block any zone 1ers.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? Thankfully we knew about the delay before going to the airport. The flight was subsequently delayed on the 5th without anyone telling us about it.
Onboard - rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Well groomed, yes. Professional, not so much. They genuinely came across as kids trying to figure out which way was up.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? They apologized for the long delay.
Did the IFE work as expected? I didn't try it.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? Reasonably quickly, no more than 1 hour after takeoff and it was complimentary -- a nice gesture.
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Chicken wrap was OK, hummus was great.
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? Yes.
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? No checked bags.
Overall experience/any other comments Was pleasantly surprised with the legroom and general comfort in row 15.
Flight/Origin-Destination: LAS - YYZ
Date: January 10, 2015
Cabin: J
Status: E50
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Yes
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes, it was offered. No, it wasn't efficient (see this report)
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? No delay.
Onboard - Premium rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? No.
Did the IFE work as expected? Didn't use it.
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? I was offered a newspaper and given the wrong menu (breakfast instead of lunch). Meal orders were taken in the air.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected) Meal for my side of the aircraft inexplicably started after more than 2 hours, was completed about 40 minutes later.
How was the quality of all the meals? Salmon was quite good.
Did the cabin crew continiously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Yes.
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? No checked luggage.
Overall experience/any other comments
I was as disappointed with my Rouge J experience as I was surprised with my Rouge Y experience. There's essentially no room for carryon luggage in the J cabin with the FAs' equipment taking up an entire bin. The SEMM next to me had to check his carryon while a couple others needed to fetch their bags in row 13 upon landing. At least the staff cluelessness factor is the same between Y and J. They really, REALLY have a lot to learn before they're proficient at their jobs.
Jan 25, 2015, 11:55 am
#82
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,282
Flight/Origin-Destination: SFO-YVR
Date: January 25 2015
Cabin: J
Status: S100K
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? I find SFO check-in to be very hit or miss in the priority line. It wasn't a long wait, but I don't think I saved any time by using priority check-in over regular. A concierge showed up to help just as I was finishing though, so it probably sped up.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes. Only two of us came up for zone 1 boarding. The next person who came on the plane was in Y, but there were six of us in J.
Onboard - Premium rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes.
Did the IFE work as expected? The Android app connected to wifi, and I was able to find a movie I wanted to watch, but it wouldn't play. The FA wasn't sure what to do, so she gave me an iPad.
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes.
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? No newspapers were offered. Menus were distributed and meal orders were taken prior to pushing back. There was no noticeable meal priority, but I got what I wanted.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected)
Takeoff at 0740
First drink received at 0804 (24 minutes)
Meal at 0810 (30 minutes)
All items collected at 0823 (43 minutes)
How was the quality of all the meals? Good.
Did the cabin crew continiously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? I received one refill of my mimosa, but was not offered anything else.
Overall experience/any other comments
Once again, the person in front of me in row 1 decided to put their bag under their seat (i.e. my area). This time I just asked him if he could put it in the overhead bin. He was about to comply, but the FA came and moved it under 1D, as there was no one in 1D or 2D. I just don't understand why this happens on rouge. I have never seen it happen on mainline at a bulkhead, but it's happened on about 25% of my rouge flights.
Please get rid of the ads in the rouge player app. I understand you get paid for them, but I'm sitting in a premium cabin, and I see these ads all the time. They get very old, very quickly.
Date: January 25 2015
Cabin: J
Status: S100K
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? I find SFO check-in to be very hit or miss in the priority line. It wasn't a long wait, but I don't think I saved any time by using priority check-in over regular. A concierge showed up to help just as I was finishing though, so it probably sped up.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes. Only two of us came up for zone 1 boarding. The next person who came on the plane was in Y, but there were six of us in J.
Onboard - Premium rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes.
Did the IFE work as expected? The Android app connected to wifi, and I was able to find a movie I wanted to watch, but it wouldn't play. The FA wasn't sure what to do, so she gave me an iPad.
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes.
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? No newspapers were offered. Menus were distributed and meal orders were taken prior to pushing back. There was no noticeable meal priority, but I got what I wanted.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected)
Takeoff at 0740
First drink received at 0804 (24 minutes)
Meal at 0810 (30 minutes)
All items collected at 0823 (43 minutes)
How was the quality of all the meals? Good.
Did the cabin crew continiously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? I received one refill of my mimosa, but was not offered anything else.
Overall experience/any other comments
Once again, the person in front of me in row 1 decided to put their bag under their seat (i.e. my area). This time I just asked him if he could put it in the overhead bin. He was about to comply, but the FA came and moved it under 1D, as there was no one in 1D or 2D. I just don't understand why this happens on rouge. I have never seen it happen on mainline at a bulkhead, but it's happened on about 25% of my rouge flights.
Please get rid of the ads in the rouge player app. I understand you get paid for them, but I'm sitting in a premium cabin, and I see these ads all the time. They get very old, very quickly.
Jan 28, 2015, 11:06 am
#83
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: YTO
Programs: AC, WS, DL, Marriott Silver
Posts: 30
Flight/Origin-Destination: AC1851 YYZ-LAS
Date: January 24, 2015
Cabin: Y (rouge Plus) on 763
Status: none
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? N/A - checked in online
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? N/A and yes
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A - flight was on time
Onboard - rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes and yes. Also very friendly and looked like they were having fun.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? N/A - flight departed on time
Did the IFE work as expected? N/A - did not use
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? Within an hour
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Breakfast sandwich was piping hot
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? Came by once
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? N/A - no checked bags
Overall experience/any other comments
35" rouge Plus seat had acceptable legroom, no comfort issues other than maybe the bottom cushion being a bit short.
------
Flight/Origin-Destination: AC1852 LAS-YYZ
Date: January 25, 2015
Cabin: Y on 763
Status: none
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Yes - at kiosk, no lineups
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? N/A and yes. GA started boarding ~20 min early.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A - flight departed on time
Onboard - rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes and yes.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? Yes - captain indicated we would be arriving late due to unfavourable winds.
Did the IFE work as expected? N/A - did not use
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? Within an hour
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Ordered chicken soup. FA gave me the heads-up that there would be a delay as they could not serve hot beverages whilst the seatbelt sign was on. Onboard hot water did not seem hot enough to properly soften noodles.
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? 2nd drink service was offered
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? N/A - no checked bags
Overall experience/any other comments
Same comments as other posters w/r/t the general comfort of the 30" rouge seat : slimline + short pitch means you feel the knees of the person behind you wedged in your back. Also means you're doing exactly the same to the person ahead of you.
Equipment box on aisle seat was extremely intrusive. From the SeatGuru review I was expecting something like the box on a WS 737 middle seat. The box placement on Rouge was more annoying.
I hope these aren't the same type of slimline seats that are going to be used on mainline when they deploy the 737 MAX.
Date: January 24, 2015
Cabin: Y (rouge Plus) on 763
Status: none
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? N/A - checked in online
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? N/A and yes
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A - flight was on time
Onboard - rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes and yes. Also very friendly and looked like they were having fun.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? N/A - flight departed on time
Did the IFE work as expected? N/A - did not use
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? Within an hour
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Breakfast sandwich was piping hot
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? Came by once
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? N/A - no checked bags
Overall experience/any other comments
35" rouge Plus seat had acceptable legroom, no comfort issues other than maybe the bottom cushion being a bit short.
------
Flight/Origin-Destination: AC1852 LAS-YYZ
Date: January 25, 2015
Cabin: Y on 763
Status: none
Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Yes - at kiosk, no lineups
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? N/A and yes. GA started boarding ~20 min early.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A - flight departed on time
Onboard - rouge cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes and yes.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? Yes - captain indicated we would be arriving late due to unfavourable winds.
Did the IFE work as expected? N/A - did not use
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? Within an hour
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Ordered chicken soup. FA gave me the heads-up that there would be a delay as they could not serve hot beverages whilst the seatbelt sign was on. Onboard hot water did not seem hot enough to properly soften noodles.
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? 2nd drink service was offered
Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? N/A - no checked bags
Overall experience/any other comments
Same comments as other posters w/r/t the general comfort of the 30" rouge seat : slimline + short pitch means you feel the knees of the person behind you wedged in your back. Also means you're doing exactly the same to the person ahead of you.
Equipment box on aisle seat was extremely intrusive. From the SeatGuru review I was expecting something like the box on a WS 737 middle seat. The box placement on Rouge was more annoying.
I hope these aren't the same type of slimline seats that are going to be used on mainline when they deploy the 737 MAX.
Mar 26, 2015, 9:08 am
#84
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 67
(Preamble: I had actually planned to post these remarks several days ago (before the recent incident involving Germanwings) and was reflecting on the best way to phrase my comments. I realize the format doesn't follow the suggested template but my purpose is not to report on all aspects of the trip, only the events that I felt were worth reporting.)
All of my flights are essentially 3 hours gate to gate and approximately 2hr40min in the air. On the vast majority of my mainline flights I rarely see anybody leave the cockpit and they are usually only out for a few minutes to use the washroom. The general procedure is that the SD draws the curtain and is present in the galley during that time. I can't comment on the status of what the other pilot is doing or wearing because obviously I can't see that. When this situation occurs I don't get worried or nervous but I do seem to have a heightened sense of awareness for some reason.
I don't want to impune the integrity of the flight crew or suggest that their actions were not professional or in accordance with AC standards but I did observe on a recent Rouge flight that at least one of the pilots was in the galley chatting with the SD and other FA's for a significant part of the flight (enough that I was starting to get uncomfortable). There were a number of young female FA's in the galley laughing and chatting with the crew members and they were constantly in and out of the flight deck.
I had no concerns about safety prior to the flight because other posts have indicated that the 763 crews are actually highly-experienced AC mainline pilots who moved over to Rouge. My assumption about the social gathering in the galley was that a quick hop to MCO on a clear, sunny day was a relatively easy mission and they were just enjoying the day ("all parties end up in the kitchen").
I was left with the impression, however, that Rouge has a more laissez-faire attitude with respect to protocol for the SD, FAs and flight operations in general. They were younger employees who are presumably just starting their careers, however, I've also observed young staff on mainline who very effectively followed standard procedures at a completely different level (and I have never seen the degree of pilot socializing in all my years of flying that I saw on this Rouge flight).
All of my flights are essentially 3 hours gate to gate and approximately 2hr40min in the air. On the vast majority of my mainline flights I rarely see anybody leave the cockpit and they are usually only out for a few minutes to use the washroom. The general procedure is that the SD draws the curtain and is present in the galley during that time. I can't comment on the status of what the other pilot is doing or wearing because obviously I can't see that. When this situation occurs I don't get worried or nervous but I do seem to have a heightened sense of awareness for some reason.
I don't want to impune the integrity of the flight crew or suggest that their actions were not professional or in accordance with AC standards but I did observe on a recent Rouge flight that at least one of the pilots was in the galley chatting with the SD and other FA's for a significant part of the flight (enough that I was starting to get uncomfortable). There were a number of young female FA's in the galley laughing and chatting with the crew members and they were constantly in and out of the flight deck.
I had no concerns about safety prior to the flight because other posts have indicated that the 763 crews are actually highly-experienced AC mainline pilots who moved over to Rouge. My assumption about the social gathering in the galley was that a quick hop to MCO on a clear, sunny day was a relatively easy mission and they were just enjoying the day ("all parties end up in the kitchen").
I was left with the impression, however, that Rouge has a more laissez-faire attitude with respect to protocol for the SD, FAs and flight operations in general. They were younger employees who are presumably just starting their careers, however, I've also observed young staff on mainline who very effectively followed standard procedures at a completely different level (and I have never seen the degree of pilot socializing in all my years of flying that I saw on this Rouge flight).
Last edited by PlainEnthusiast; Mar 26, 2015 at 9:09 am Reason: corrected typographical error
Mar 29, 2015, 4:03 pm
#85
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 319
(Preamble: I had actually planned to post these remarks several days ago (before the recent incident involving Germanwings) and was reflecting on the best way to phrase my comments. I realize the format doesn't follow the suggested template but my purpose is not to report on all aspects of the trip, only the events that I felt were worth reporting.)
All of my flights are essentially 3 hours gate to gate and approximately 2hr40min in the air. On the vast majority of my mainline flights I rarely see anybody leave the cockpit and they are usually only out for a few minutes to use the washroom. The general procedure is that the SD draws the curtain and is present in the galley during that time. I can't comment on the status of what the other pilot is doing or wearing because obviously I can't see that. When this situation occurs I don't get worried or nervous but I do seem to have a heightened sense of awareness for some reason.
I don't want to impune the integrity of the flight crew or suggest that their actions were not professional or in accordance with AC standards but I did observe on a recent Rouge flight that at least one of the pilots was in the galley chatting with the SD and other FA's for a significant part of the flight (enough that I was starting to get uncomfortable). There were a number of young female FA's in the galley laughing and chatting with the crew members and they were constantly in and out of the flight deck.
I had no concerns about safety prior to the flight because other posts have indicated that the 763 crews are actually highly-experienced AC mainline pilots who moved over to Rouge. My assumption about the social gathering in the galley was that a quick hop to MCO on a clear, sunny day was a relatively easy mission and they were just enjoying the day ("all parties end up in the kitchen").
I was left with the impression, however, that Rouge has a more laissez-faire attitude with respect to protocol for the SD, FAs and flight operations in general. They were younger employees who are presumably just starting their careers, however, I've also observed young staff on mainline who very effectively followed standard procedures at a completely different level (and I have never seen the degree of pilot socializing in all my years of flying that I saw on this Rouge flight).
All of my flights are essentially 3 hours gate to gate and approximately 2hr40min in the air. On the vast majority of my mainline flights I rarely see anybody leave the cockpit and they are usually only out for a few minutes to use the washroom. The general procedure is that the SD draws the curtain and is present in the galley during that time. I can't comment on the status of what the other pilot is doing or wearing because obviously I can't see that. When this situation occurs I don't get worried or nervous but I do seem to have a heightened sense of awareness for some reason.
I don't want to impune the integrity of the flight crew or suggest that their actions were not professional or in accordance with AC standards but I did observe on a recent Rouge flight that at least one of the pilots was in the galley chatting with the SD and other FA's for a significant part of the flight (enough that I was starting to get uncomfortable). There were a number of young female FA's in the galley laughing and chatting with the crew members and they were constantly in and out of the flight deck.
I had no concerns about safety prior to the flight because other posts have indicated that the 763 crews are actually highly-experienced AC mainline pilots who moved over to Rouge. My assumption about the social gathering in the galley was that a quick hop to MCO on a clear, sunny day was a relatively easy mission and they were just enjoying the day ("all parties end up in the kitchen").
I was left with the impression, however, that Rouge has a more laissez-faire attitude with respect to protocol for the SD, FAs and flight operations in general. They were younger employees who are presumably just starting their careers, however, I've also observed young staff on mainline who very effectively followed standard procedures at a completely different level (and I have never seen the degree of pilot socializing in all my years of flying that I saw on this Rouge flight).
Mar 29, 2015, 4:15 pm
#86
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
Posts: 5,691
Mar 29, 2015, 4:34 pm
#87
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Mar 29, 2015, 11:27 pm
#89
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Jul 1, 2015, 8:19 am
#90
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,098
Just flew YUL-LAS in Premier Rouge. Here are my comments from this 5 hours flight:
Lounge:
Since this was an 8pm flight the lounge had nothing left, no food etc. I was pretty disappointed. I know there were only 7 flights left yesterday evening however come on, even the chips and salsa were looking sad..
Seat:
I would easily say one of the nicest seats I have flown on within NA. The new retrofitted seats are a significant upgrade to the blocked middle seat. This is a significant upgrade to the seats on mainline AC (non-int).
Food:
Warm nuts, 3 choices of main meal (Pasta,Beef or Chicken) I would say easily on par with what is offered on mainline AC (non-int). Tiramisu for desert was pretty good as well. The food on AC beats most US airlines hands down. I know others will disagree
Drink:
The wine choices were pretty impressive, cannot remember exactly however I was pretty satisfied.
Service:
This is where I was most impressed. The FA was great, she was walking through every 10 mins to make sure everything was ok and asked if we ever needed anything. My experience with NA airlines is that this does not happen enough. They go through the motions and that is it. The FA was great and made the flight much more enjoyable
IFE:
I was worried about the IFE on rouge however it turned out to be great watched 2.5 movies and all were new releases.
I paid 25K points + $121. I was initially in Y however decided a couple of weeks out to upgrade to J. I was not sure if would be worth the additional points + $90 change fee, however personally it was worth it. Would I fly Premier Rouge again? YES, I am now very interested in flying down to LIM on Premier Rouge to see how that goes. Only 75K + $450 which seems pretty reasonable.
Lounge:
Since this was an 8pm flight the lounge had nothing left, no food etc. I was pretty disappointed. I know there were only 7 flights left yesterday evening however come on, even the chips and salsa were looking sad..
Seat:
I would easily say one of the nicest seats I have flown on within NA. The new retrofitted seats are a significant upgrade to the blocked middle seat. This is a significant upgrade to the seats on mainline AC (non-int).
Food:
Warm nuts, 3 choices of main meal (Pasta,Beef or Chicken) I would say easily on par with what is offered on mainline AC (non-int). Tiramisu for desert was pretty good as well. The food on AC beats most US airlines hands down. I know others will disagree
Drink:
The wine choices were pretty impressive, cannot remember exactly however I was pretty satisfied.
Service:
This is where I was most impressed. The FA was great, she was walking through every 10 mins to make sure everything was ok and asked if we ever needed anything. My experience with NA airlines is that this does not happen enough. They go through the motions and that is it. The FA was great and made the flight much more enjoyable
IFE:
I was worried about the IFE on rouge however it turned out to be great watched 2.5 movies and all were new releases.
I paid 25K points + $121. I was initially in Y however decided a couple of weeks out to upgrade to J. I was not sure if would be worth the additional points + $90 change fee, however personally it was worth it. Would I fly Premier Rouge again? YES, I am now very interested in flying down to LIM on Premier Rouge to see how that goes. Only 75K + $450 which seems pretty reasonable.
