There have been lots of threads about how poorly AC handles delays and the lack of information and I have basically given up that they will ever get it right. Often we leave on time but if there is a short delay it is almost always a creeping departure delay that often could have been predicted, e.g. the plane is schedule to arrive within 2 minutes of departure.

As a Canadian I find myself embarrassed for our national carrier and have run out of excuses for my friends that know I fly them often. Case in point... yesterday on AC877, prior to flight aircanada.com posted a 30 minute delay to 17:30. This delay never showed up on any monitor in the airport and was never communicated. I asked the lounge to confirm the delay, they confirmed we would board at 16:30, but did not acknowledge the delay. At about 16:35 they loaded the crew into a bus and took them to our plane - most at just shown up as they knew there was a delay. At 16:40 they started cramming us into 3 buses and parked us all next to the plane while we stood and watched it fuel and waited for the crew to prepare it. 15 minutes later they opened the doors of all three buses and everyone ran for the plane.

Everyone eventually found their seat and we left more or less as predicted at 17:31. AC could have done this right, they could have posted and communicated the delay with an apology, loaded the crew at T-55 (as they did), loaded us in buses at T-40 and we would have left at the same time with some order and I wouldn't have felt embarrassed once again by AC.

I'm not going to officially complain and I understand these circumstances were far from horrible, but what I'd like to know is what is it that is preventing AC from actually doing it right. Is it the staff? Is it technology? Is it irrational optimism? ... or do they just not how to do it?