Originally Posted by
CapitalC
I understand the rationale, but:
1. If the plane and crew just go back and forth YYZ-MSP-YYZ those other 6 segments would have been canceled anyway. Instead of being stuck in MSP they were twiddling their thumbs in YYZ.
2. If the decision is to keep the plane in YYZ because of the domino effect it might have on subsequent flights, that is a business decision. That is not a weather cancellation. Maybe it is rational to disservice 50 pax to benefit 300. But you ought to compensate the 50 for their sacrifice.
"We decided to strand you because we might need that plane for something else" or "it's for the greater good" isn't that satisfying to me, when I'm out of pocket for non-refundable bookings at the destination and AC opted not to fly me there because it's less expensive than the alternative.
Also, it sounds like I will only get a partial refund. Original itinerary was YUL-YYZ-MSP-YYZ-YUL. I will end up flying YUL-YYZ-YUL with two days stuck in YYZ. AC/AE is arguing that they fulfilled part of my itinerary even though they did not get me to my destination and caused me to waste my weekend somewhere I had no interest in being. Does that make sense?
The plane and crew does not go between YYZ and MSP all day. The plane would turn at MSP and come back to YYZ, then likely onto another Canadian or US destination. Jazz (and AC) schedules the aircraft for maximum efficiency, not to go back and forth between the same destination. Possibly back to MSP - yes. But likely, onto another destination.
Crew does not stay with a specific aircraft, either. Crew scheduling is very complicated, especially in irrops. Likely, the FA returns to YYZ, then may very well be scheduled on a later flight on a different aircraft. Ditto with the pilots. So in essence, if the flight doesn't make it back, you have a plane that was supposed to go, to say, BDL, that can no longer run it, an FA that was supposed to go, to say, YQR and a pilot that was supposed to fly the flight, to say, CVG. Now, they need to figure out a way to deal with all this, either through finding another crew for affected flights for staff, and equipment for those affected flights. This is only talking about the first set of flights for all this. You can see how this can snowball and become even more problematic very quickly.
As for your trip, did you book a connection or a stop over? If it was a connection, then call back and tell them this was a trip in vein, and as such, you are entitled to a full refund.