Canadian Airlines Plus - Final Thoughts On CP??????

Now that the merger of the CP and AC forums are imminent, what are your last minute, final thoughts about just CP, and CPlus???
Good, bad, or indifferent, how does the loss of CP affect you, and how do you think it will reflect in AC's policies??
And what really caused the demise of CP (not as simple as "they lost money", please).
Now's the time to get it off your your chest, both good, bad, or sad, before this forum is closed forever.
So what are your thoughts????? And what will you miss the most??
bj-21.

[This message has been edited by blackjack-21 (edited 07-29-2000).]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again,
the thing that set CP apart from AC , and still does, is the caring attitude of their
employees. They really do provide LEGENDARY
service, and I believe most seemed to
genuinely realize that the passengers were
the ones paying their paychecks!! Time and
again either myself or one of my family
has had a CP employee go the little extra
to make my checkin, flight, etc. just that
much nicer or easier--that doesn't cost any
more wage dollars to the company!

Muskoka: My experiences with CP has been the complete opposite. I have found CP staff to be rude, indifferent and unprofessional.

I am saddened by the lack of cometition, however, CPs service leaves much to be desired.

The service by AC staff has been stellar and they have always gone the extra mile.

Will the last one out, please turn off the lights.....

Hopefully the best of CP will get integrated into AC. It would be a shame to lose the strengths of the brand. Although I flew very little on CP, my trips were always great. Thank you to the dedicated staff at CP.

I will miss Canadian's service most of all. The personnel were (almost) always friendly and courteous. Sure, of the years, there were few who were probably having a bad day but they were the exception. As I've now been forced to use AC to places where CP has been replaced by AC, I am amazed at how bad AC can be. I will, of course, also miss the convenience of Terminal 3. Terminal 2 is a zoo! On a recent transborder trip, now using AA, I'm disappointed by how crowded Terminal 3 has become. It was much better before.

This is my last post to the CP board. I'm off to Timmins for some camping, and there will be no internet. I'm in the T1 MLL right now, and I can't believe that Canadian is almost gone. It was a great airline! I just want to thank all the employees of CP who made me feel welcome over the years. Yes I am an an AC ELite, but that is no reflection of the true respect that I have for every single one of CPs team.

You were great! Thank you.

In the words of that well-known American poet/songwriter/singer, now buried in Paris: "This is the end, my friend, it is the end..."

Well, I'm neither a FF like many of you here in the board nor an experienced traveller. But personally, I'd really like to thank all the CP stuffs who went the extra miles to make my journey a lot more easier with joy. I know not everyone has the same pov and experience like I do, and I don't plan to convince anyone to agree on this, but CP will remain as the BEST airline in my heart for the years to come no matter whether it'll exist or not (under the AC brand). Once again, thank you CP for making me felt warm and cared.

[This message has been edited by Agincourt (edited 07-31-2000).]

Okay, it's 3 A.M. on the last day of this (CP) board. Since I started this topic, let me add my 2 3/4 cents to it before it's finally gone. I may not have time in the morning....
I think CP is (was) one of the better airlines on this continent, if not the world. Maybe we've been lucky, but my wife and I have never had a bad flight on CP. We always found their staff friendly, helpful, and very professional. Their inflight service was excellent, and their on time performance, at least when we flew with them , was very good.
They really shined, (along with their then partner, BA), when my wife and I had to fly
YYZ-BFS because of a family emergency, and their kindness and compassion during this time (my sister-in-law was dying-she died on Christmas Day, 1999), made us write a letter of thanks and commendation to BA and CP.
Hope AC can carry on CP's tradition of good service after they get their merger pains finished.
Was going to finish with my thoughts about why CP didn't make it, but guess it's a bit late for that--nothing will change now.
Besides, it would take up a page and a half of this forum--not necessary.
R.I.P.
bj-21

21 hours to go until until this forum is closed (merged??) into the AC forum.
C'mon CP'ers, let's have your final say. Get it off your chest, let it all hang out (figuratively speaking, of course). Tomorrow is too late!!!!
bj-21

[This message has been edited by blackjack-21 (edited 07-31-2000).]

Just http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

CP will be a welcome addition to AC. The routes, the aircraft, and profile will all serve to enhance Canada's presence globally.

But most of all, the people. Whatever great or horrible experiences we may have had on AC or CP, the reality is that they are two of the best carriers in the world.

Let us fervently hope that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That was certainly the case of the CPAir/Wardair merger. I see no reason why this should not be the case with AC/CP.

AC*SE

I wouldn;t go so far as to call CP or AC amont the bes airlines in the world. Among the better but not among the best.

That said, anyone interested in a wake in YVR later this year when CPlus expiry comes about?

As a die hard CP fans for 10 years, it's surely sad to see CP disappear just like that. They have treat their customer with nothing but respect. They always put customer in priority which is ultimately what brought them down.

I have promise myself to fly CP metal if possible until the last goose is turn into AC metal.

Let's hope one day AC will learn the good things from CP and incorporate them into AC's own good things and turn this airline into world's best and I really hope AC would keep the CP goose logo somewhere even though they are to merge.

Empress http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Empress you might get your wish. I just finished my yearly requalifying training at the"white house" as we call the building on Convair Drive. Word leaking from there is that ways are being discussed to keep the presence of the goose in some form or another. A combined logo is the most popular suggestion so far.

I too say goodbye to this board since it is where I cut my teeth with Flyertalk. My saddest day, nostalgically speaking, will be the day I wear and then remove my Canadian uniform for the last time. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I'd just like to thank CP for all the pleasureable trips I've had, and CPlus for all the goodies I've accumulated on the way. Although officially the program lasts 5 more months, I've stopped thinking of it as the good old CP.

We shall not see the like again, but at the going down of the sun (F28 on a short hop on a winter evening to YYZ) and in the morning (DC10 into LHR on a spring morning after an overnight from Canada) I shall remember them.

Thanks, and goodbye.

I will not miss CP at all....

I fly out of YYZ into the US constantly. Many of the flights were served by both AA and CP (codeshares and whatnot...)

I have sat in both First and Coach on CP and the service was never that good. Heck, I got better coach service on AA than in first on CP.

I found the attendents rude, the food mediocre (at best) and the gate agents not able to do a simple codeshare checkin. I now routinely connect through ORD, regardless of the fact that CP (and AC) offer nonstops almost everywhere I go.

It's very nice to hear all the kind words from everyone. CP will still live on in all our hearts as do my roots with Wardair. I look forward to working with and for you with the new Air Canada. Hopefully all your thoughts and recommendations will not be cast aside. You are the people who I get paid to work my best for. See you soon. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

To DrHowser:
Surprised about your comments about CP versus AA. Try getting a hot, full meal on an AA flight of 2 3/4 hours. We got served cold pasta (terrible) on a flight from ORD to LAS,
and a mini- pizza floating in grease on a flight from DFW to YYZ, and this was their "better meal" on a luncheon flight. Coffee was cold. Flight attendents on several flights on AA that we asked about poor food service said that most of the pax were complaining about the poor quality of the food on AA. We wrote to AA customer service in Dallas to complain about the food, and got back a letter saying that in response to numerous complaints, they were trying to develop a healthier menu. In order to have a healthier menu, the food has to be edible, so it is consumed. As far as we're concerned, there's no comparison between CP (and for that matter AC--how about a full hot meal on a red-eye leaving at 11:55 P.M.) for a four hour flight. When's the last time you saw that on an AA redeye???
Enough ranting on my part, this is for happier thoughts, if now fleeting, about CP.
bj-21.

With the closing of this forum any time... i would like to say THANKS CP again....!!!!

AMEN...... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Luckily I can still catch the 'last flight' on this board. I would like to thank all of the CP employees who have paid out their effort to provide such excellent services to all of us. I will never forget how Benson valued his loyal customers and his employees.

For sure everyone here will miss CP. Yesterday, when I was clearing up junk in my computer, I found a CP screen saver (the one that you saw in the Empress Lounge computers). The goose as well as the oneworld logo are there. Besides, I also found a few CP commercials real media files. It was even dated back to 1989, some were Chinese and some were English. These are all so invaluable to me.

Thanks so much CP!

Goodbye.

. . . the end of an era. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

and a hopeful new beginning. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

My gawd, it's August 1st and we're still here!

As I've posted many times before as "the end" of another milestone has come and gone -- and as others posting already have also expressed -- many thanks to all you dedicated folks at Canadian who have laboured to keep your "family" together, taking pay cuts and working with a spirit that earned you "best North American carrier" among other distinctions. While we will mourn the passing of Canadian as a distinct carrier, the first and foremost matter of importance has always been that you all have jobs in which you can continue to provide us with your best efforts day after day, and finally have some stability in your lives so you can lead normal lives once more. It is comforting to know that the faces will be the same when I travel in the future, and that is what really counts.

We have in the past seen you all bring the best of your respective predecessor airlines to make Canadian the carrier it was, so I am sure you will do the same -- and have the same impact -- on your new colleagues at Air Canada. And from experience, I know there are just as many positive professionals at AC who see this as a real opportunity to work towards this goal. The blending of two quite distinct cultures will be difficult, but our country itself is just such a blend of races and cultures which celebrate the best of each.

But enough of metaphors: just carry on like the friendly professionals you are... and thank you for letting me and many others explore the world using our Canadian Plus points, making trips we could only dream about before the program(s) started back in July 1984, exactly 16 years ago.

Ah, Canadian Airlines, you will be sorely missed. Hopefully, the people who made the airline what it is will continue to work their magic with their new employer, Air Canada:

Dorothy and the other staff at the Halifax Empress Lounge, especially the time when my award ticket was completely fouled up and they got everything sorted out for me by calling Canadian Plus and berating them on my behalf.

The concierges and Empress Lounge staff in Ottawa, for taking care of my parents when they travelled, both for joyous family occasions (weddings), and sad ones (when my grandmother was ill).

The staff at Canadian Plus, who may have messed up my tickets for a vacation, but went well beyond the call of duty, getting seats when none where available when my grandfather was in the hospital and when my grandmother died.

The check-in agents in Ottawa, who always had time to chat, even if they had to do it while keying information at the same time. And always smiled, even if pandemonium was breaking out.

Thanks for the great memories, CPlus!

Since I started my membership in Sept 1995, I have accumulated hundreds of thousands of points and have enjoyed accumulating them even more than redeeming them! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I have formed great relationships with some CPlus staff who are always eager to assist in any way they can - whether it be last minute award travel problems or a missing flight credit.

From the CPlus agent who got me seats to London for the Millenium (and secured BA seats to Edinburgh as well for Christmas)
to the check-in agent at YYC Empress Lounge who upgraded my parents to J class on their anniversary, I wish them all the best as they have faced a lot of challenges over the years.

As most of us have already mentioned, I hope that the best of CPlus is incorporated into Aeroplan for the benefit of all FFs.

Signing off...PointWeasel