Sorry this is a lengthy (in fact is long) post but I wanted to capture this experience accurately and ask for help in letting AC know about the unacceptable service and rude agents at Toronto YYZ.

I will send this to AC customer relations and post it on any travel site board to warn others but would like to hear from anyone that can help me ensure that this does not become just another customer complaint with AC. I was unable to get the gate agents name nor the manager.

I am able to ensure that the USAir agents are recognized and hopefully rewarded for the professionalism and superior customer service.

The story!:

I was re-accomdated by USAir from my original flights #3763/#1565 ("O" Class upgrade) YYZ-PHL-FLL on March 10, 2011 to AC 918 YYZ-MIA. This change was done since I would miss my connection in PHL due to a late departure from YYZ. The gate agents in YYZ (Renee and Eduardo (sp?)) reviewed my connection and provided me with the option on the AC flight to MIA since the FLL flight were FLL. I agreed to be re-booked on the AC flight to MIA and USair provided me with transportation to FLL. Renee had reserved a "AC J" class (business) and gave me the choice to stay on the USAir flights and try to make my connection to FLL or to take the AC flight. I choose the AC flight and was given a confirmed reservation ticket confirmation that had to be ticketed by an AC customer representative.

Both Renee and Eduardo were accommodating, courteous and professional and provided service above my expectations!

I proceeded to the AC Customer Service area in YYZ Terminal 1, US International, near Gate 160, for ticketing and to obtain a seat assignment. The Customer Agent, Anne, accessed my reservation in the AC computer system said she was "downgrading" me to coach and that she would only place me on "stand by" for a coach seat since as she claimed at that time "the flight was completely sold out" and made no explanation. When I inquired about my confirmation made by USAir she rudely said "USAir was breaking the rules by placing me in "First Class" and she was "tried of it" and was re-booking me to stand by. My assumption is that since I had a "Y" coach USAir ticket, although upgraded to First for my connection, she was saying that the rules AC follows were that I could only be placed in a coach AC seat since my USAir ticket was for a coach seat. This may be true but I have several times with AC and other airlines when re-booked been placed in a First Class seat. I asked if I had a "J" reservation and she then claimed "no" and she repeated that she would only place me in "stand by" in coach. I proceeded to show her my confirmation and confirmation number that USAir provided and her statement was "it is what the computer" and the reservation did not mean anything. I then requested that I did not wish to be placed in stand by, and only wanted a confirmed reservation. I informed her that I would return to USAir to see what other options I may have to get to FLL/MIA. I continued to not be rude back and at that time understood that USAir would need to accommodate me. Before I left she eventually confirmed that I had a reservation in "J" but that only her manager can approve it and she would have her manager call USAir since she was sure it would not be approved.

I then returned to USAir and explained the situation to Anne who confirmed that I did have a reservation on the flight in "J" class and that USAir could place passengers in AC "J" class. We waited for the AC manager to call, and Renee called the AC agent to inquire when that would happen, but as I got concerned that the AC flight would leave before the managers call I went back to AC and Anne to inquire when the manager would call USAir. Anne then confirmed that there was a coach seat available (in the 15 minutes since I left her) and that she would put me in a coach seat and not on stand by. I told her I would wait for her manager to call USAir about the "J" class. I went back to Anne at USAir to see if the AC manager had called yet. Renee called AC again and tried to understand why Anne would not honor the reservation and was told that only a manager could "override" the policy and that an AC manager will call. As the departure time approached I again went over to the AC agent and inquired about the managers call. She then informed me that the manager called her (and did not call USAir not did she call USAir to let them know even after Renee had called her twice so she knew we were waiting to hear) and OK'd the reservation and handed me a boarding pass. She again remarked how this was breaking the rules. I let Renee know that I now had a seat and was proceeded to the AC gate where a USAir agent would meet me so I could obtain a transportation voucher to FLL from MIA. USAir again was exceeding my expectations in re-accomdating me while AC continued to ensure my experience with them was not even close to be being customer focused. If I had not decided to return to the AC counter to inquire about the managers call I would have missed the AC flight.

Anne and Eduardo both were concerned and apologized that I was getting caught in the in the middle of what I understand had been a continued customer service problem with the same AC customer representative and USAir.

I went to the AC gate and wanted to change my FF# to USAir DM (I did not want to ask Anne at AC since she had continued to be rude to me and I wanted no further interaction with her). When I presented my boarding pass to the AC gate agent said she "she was waiting for me" was putting me back in coach since Anne had called and told her it was not a legal upgrade. I told her that the AC manager had approved it and I had a boarding pass. At this time the USAir rep joined us and also tried to explain that the AC manager had approved the reservation. She told me that only the VP for Ticketing, who was in Montreal, could approve it and she had called him (I think she mentioned the name Ted) and would only honor my ticket and boarding pass after he called her. When I asked why the local AC manager approval was not valid she said "only the VP can approve it" and her years of service she knew the rules. She stated that "there are AC passengers who paid full fare for a "J" ticket and were waiting for my seat". I asked if these were AC upgraded status seats and she again repeated that people had paid for these seats. I would understand if a AC frequent flyer was denied an upgrade would be upset since I think I would be under similar circumstances. When I asked how someone could "pay" at that late time (one needs to be through security 60 minutes prior and we were less then 20 minutes for departure) and wouldn't that cause "J" class to be oversold since I had a seat? She told me she was too busy to answer any of my questions and I had to sit and wait until the VP called since she had others waiting " No one was in line nor came up to the gate and she turned and picked up the phone. It was clear that Anne had called her and had asked her to get me out of "J". The gate agent was then called away and a new agent came on and I boarded and never heard if the VP actually called or what happened to the AC "J" class passengers that so called "paid" for their seats I took if they even existed.

I found the AC's customer rep and gate agent very unprofessional, not telling the truth nor acting on behalf of their managers and took it upon themselves to make my experience very stressful. Although I can fully understand that each airline may have policies these agents were trying to enforce, I found the fact that after a AC Manager approved the "exception" that these two agents continued to see how they could use their "power" to override their own management. In doing so they resorted to what I can only predict were lies.