yyz-kin

I went to check in for my flight and instead of being at the front of the plane in a comfy seat, I noticed that I was in a middle at the back of the plane - so much for a confirmed upgrade.

As a newly minted SE, I am ticked that nobody contacted me. I am also really ticked that the agent flippantly said "Equipment change and yes, you are in economy." No offering of an earlier flight or a later flight. I think that as a P I got better service than that - at least then I was given an apology.

I can appreciate that equipment changes but shafting the top tier? Also I had to enquire about the alternate flights. Great service.....not.

ylwae

What was the route, and what was the equipment change?

yyz-kin

YVR-YYZ

Originally it was a 330 and it was put down to a 767.

I can see how there is a difference in the number of J seats and I understand this. What really gets me is nobody offering an alternative to an unfortunate situation......

pmax

Was it YVR-YYZ yesterday? XM 767-300 changed to non-XM 321 on the 1pm flight. I was on standby and was told "you can have a broken seat in the back or you can stay with your original flight and sit up front". Guess what I chose...

pmax

Aha! YVR was a mess of broken equipment recently. I picked up 2 MCO for fin 633 both ways across the pacific this week. No IFE, no lights for 9+ hours.

zorn

Sorry about the downgrade.

Please clarify: did you ask for an alternate arrangement, but were turned down? Or, did you not ask for an alternative arrangement, but expected one to be offered while you passively stood there?

In the former case, that's not good. In the latter case I don't have any sympathy. If you want something, ask for it.

The difference between P and SE is not that everything falls into the lap of the SE (sometimes they do, which is great, but that takes a proactive AC employee, and they are not all like that). The difference is that when you ask for something you are much more likely to get it, and you have access to much greater resources than everyone else.

You had access to the SE phone number. You also had access to the concierges. Next time, if you don't get what you want, get on the phone to some people who might give it to you.

Or, just take what you are given and complain to a bunch of strangers on the internet.

Shareholder

Was downgraded yesterday when more revenue Js showed up and they had to reverse some cert upgraders who had been confirmed earlier in the week, like me. Gate agent offered me choice of a row where the centre seat would be left empty but also encouraged me to take 14F on a new XMd A321 (to LAX). While E is normally a middle seat, she noted this was the emergency exit row and the now-non-existent D is that fold down FA seat used during takeoff and landing. She assured me she would block the window seat so I'd have an almost as good seat as sitting up front. Also included the LAT meal notation on the new boarding pass. So how could I say no?

Then after they closed the doors, so chatty Kathy ager decided to move from her centre seat two rows up into the window seat! Then proceeded to try to have a conversation. I was royally pissed off so when she asked, "and where are you from" I told her it was none of her f'ing business and she said narry another word to me for the next five hours. However, as soon as the FA took the seat at both take off and landing, she blathered on and on and on... (Oh well, suppose she was marginally better than the 400 pounder who too the empty seat beside me on my UA flight from FRA-LAX just as the doors were closing and whose flab flopped over the armrest and took up 1/3rd of my space, blocked the IFE controls for the whole 11-1/2 hours! Not a good week of seat mates!)

Oh well, at least earlier in the week my B763 red-eye from YVR-YYZ was an XM instead of the original non-converted ex-CP variant. When I checked in I was told "sorry we've had an equipment change..." but this time it was good news as my upgrade stood.

llbean

This is unfortunately not an uncommon experience on AC. I dont understand why continually every 3rd or 4th experience with AC staff is so miserable. This is as an SE..

Yesterday I checked in via the priority line for my flight. I asked for an EE row - about 2 hours before flight, so I realize very low chance.

THe agent looks at me
"Did you pre-book it?"
"No."
"Then why are you asking? "
"I have never heard of pre-booking an EE on AC before. Is that now possible?"
"Where are you staying" - without looking at me in the face
"Sorry, can you now pre-book an EE?"
"WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?" - again with no look up
"I'm staying at XXX. Again, can you now pre-book an EE?. I always thought it was assigned only at check-in when the staff can see your able"
"Well then you should have showed up earlier."
"Thats fine ...but why did you mention pre-book"
"your just playing with semantics...NEXT"

Now I have no problem with not getting the EE but really why this attitude and service? This from the ELITE check in!

ANd to be clear clearly there are some EXCELLENT AC employees but why does this occour every 3rd or 4th experience.

How can AC improve on this service?

ylwae

Fairly large cut in number of seats available, but interesting still. Must have been a lot of paid J / SE on high fares on the flight.

Agree you should have called the SE desk if the agent was not in a helping mood.

The reassignment to a middle seat was poor. My only downgrade experiences have been those in which a/c with an exec cabin was downgraded to one without. I've been stuck in the back of the plane with my reassignment, though someone will usually try to reassign for me.

ylwae

Somehow show the employees that they care about their efforts to keep customers happy? Assuming that AC management cares a lot about that.

1st Class Gekko

That's bad news about the seat mates but you accepted the downgrade. Also from an Evangelist I expect a higher standard. You should not be making fun of other PAX on this form.

Get some sleep it seems like it's been a rough one for you

mikeyyz

I have all the city concierge numbers on my Blackberry/Outlook. I'd suggest this, the concierges have more power than GAs and I'm sure they could have figured something out for you... Make sure to send a quick note to Customer Solutions - I think downgrade is 15,000 points - it was to HKG for my wife last year (x2)

I can sympathize Shareholder - I was on NZ a few years ago and as a *G they said - "oh, we have a pretty empty flight! I'll block you off a row to yourself so you can stretch out". As soon as we took off, some guy came and sat on the aisle seat. I told him the row was blocked for me, and asked him if he would mind moving after the meal service so I could sleep, and he said "can't you sleep across 3 seats?". No. I'm tall! He stayed there and we didn't say another word to eachother. ugh.

zorn

The key is do-it-yourself seat-blocking.

If I find myself in a block of three seats to myself, I take the middle seat and, if necessary, keep something on the aisle seat. I do this during the critical seat-shifting phase of the flight.

As far as the lady taking the window seat and trying to talk to you, another approach would have been to take the middle seat, right beside her. Order as much alcohol as possible at the first drinks service, and set up your tray with all the drinks set out. Then immediately pretend to fall asleep and feign collapsing on her for the duration of the flight, always catching yourself at the last minute. Sometimes people need to be actively punished, not simply ignored.

margarita girl

Or do what the guy next to me did on the flight from YYZ-DEN 2 days. As soon as you sit down, take your shoes off, and cross your legs or put your feet up in such a way that your smelly feet are no further than 3 ft away from your seatmate's nose. Make sure you start snoring loudly when you fall asleep. Then when you wake up plug in your head phones, and start humming loudly with the music. Trust me, if I could have moved I would have!

payam81

humm he was probably gay, othewise he would have started hitting on you