So, I got a bit bored this weekend and started thinking about Air Canada – now how desperate is that, eh
!
I am not an Air Canada apologist but cannot help wondering if complaining passengers are aware of how big and complex Air Canada really is?
According to Wikipedia, Air Canada has about 27,000 employees and flies around 75,000 passengers on 1,400 flights a day utilizing 200+ aircraft.
Now the chances off all those employees stepping out of bed on the right foot is pretty remote, pleasing all 75,000 passengers even remoter and experiencing a delay or two on 1,400 flights extremely likely.
I have managed a 300 employee IT department with a few thousand users and know it is not an easy task getting everyone to sing the same tune no matter how much effort my managers and I put into it.
I think Calin and his team are trying hard to improve Air Canada but maybe the flying public has unrealistic expectations.....
And while I am at it…
Sometimes I think – please don’t shoot me here
– that the introduction of frequent flyer benefits opened up a whole new can of worms for Air Canada and the airlines in general.
The benefits frequent flyers get are pretty good deal with priority check-in and boarding, concierge service etc, etc, though frequent flyers are not always able to use their upgrade certificates and have recently lost IKK privileges
When I lived in Toronto I took the subway three stops to work and back and usually home for lunch as well, so give or take 800 “legs” a year. I never got priority in the line-ups and competed with everyone else for seats even if they only took the subway once a year.
I bought three coffees at Tim’s every day = 600+ a year and never even once got a free coffee or donut – except when I had a winning roll up the rim cup.
I had five shirts a week laundered at the dry cleaning plus my suits, pants etc and never once received a frequent launderer discount.
Spent at least $200/week = $10,000/yr+ at Loblaws and never received priority check-out.
I was fortunate enough to be able to use my personal CIBC Visa card for work purchases. I must have spent lots as I accumulated over 1,000,000 AP points over the years but again no other benefits from Visa such as waving the $120 annual fee.
Ah, well – such is life and yet, despite all this and being bored this weekend, I am still very content with life!!!