Iam not English speaking person and if I make some mistakes please don't blame me for that.

Few month ago I put some comments here about Air Canada and Air Canada rouge. The story was..... I fly only Star Alliance since 9 years. I have never tried Air Canada before, so I decided to change that and finally try to fly Air Canada. My final destination was Alaska. I booked business class ticket to be only sure I get 100% miles into my account. After payment, few weeks later Air Canada changed my original ticket. Instead of flying Air Canada, my reservation showed me Air Canada Rouge AC1888 YVR-ANC. This is a huge problem for me as a other card holder of different Star Alliance millage program. I felt cheated. Air Canada tried to change also my booking class from Z to P but I couldn't let them do that. This P business class fare is another problem and another story. So, I didn't want to fly over Seattle or Chicago with United, because after my loong expirience with United this airline is out of my recommendation. I didn't change Air Canada Rouge connection and left reservation like that. Then I started google to get some more information about that new Rouge airline. At the beginning I started with Skytrax. What a surprise to see they are out of any classification together with Air Koryo. Many complaints and disappointments.

Also at this forum I read some terrible stories how awful that airline is. I also found link to TV channel how the people are suing Air Canada for downgrades and bad Rouge customer service. So I thought what a disaster, do I have to fly this ....? Under the next i put some pictures and some comments about my expireince with Air Canada Rouge, Premium Rouge Class.

Flight AC1888 YVR-ANC and AC1889 YVR-ANC.

Seats:

As European we all have seats standards like a Premium Rouge. LO, LX, LH, OS, SN, SK etc all of thier business class looks like Premium Rouge on European flights. Flights not longer than 2,5-3h. Amercians are taught to have First class bigger seats and we European are taught to have free of charge meal in Economy class
This is what I have seen:
3 standard economy class seats on both sides (one in the middle is always empty) Every passenger has big white cushion and blanket.





The space between seats is the same as their website says. I measured that space



Cabin crew

AC Rouge has young group of flight attendants.
Flight AC1888
During my boarding two girls welcomed me and other passengers. I understand that they want to make contact with a passenger but asking every second or third person where are you from? Holiday or work? etc. I think this kind of manner is useless. I wonder we were delayed that time.
Safety demonstration
Well done. Demo was understandable, both in English and French.
Service
These flight attendants were just hopeless cases. They are all not prepared to work with business class passenger. They were not available for Premium rouge passengers. Instead of focusing on job they just closed a curtain and they were giggling for the rest of the flight on the back side of plane or they all moved later to Premium Rouge.

Flight AC1889 ANC-YVR

After experience with previous Rouge crew this flight was 100% different. Just perfect. Stewardess Gabriell operated Premium Rouge. Fantastic, charming, modest girl. She knew exactly how business class code works. When she offered something to passengers she used thier last names. She was available during all flight. Curtain was closed but she always were in Premium Rouge to check if passengers have something to drink. She also gave us 2 kinds of Canadian newspapers which is not always common to give on whole Air Canada flights.



Other cabin crew were fine. But still some of them had problems with economy class passengers.

Meal

This depends if cabin crew can cook or not. I understand that all food is prepared in advance but at least you have to put it to the oven and DONT burn it or overcook it. Sometimes decor it too. So maybe I start commenting my returning flight AC1889 ANC-YVR because that was something different.
Air Canada Rouge has no access to Boardroom of Alaska Airlines the only one lounge available in Anchorage airport. After what offer i have seen in Boardroom on my last flight with AS I dont think so this is good idea to use it. Lounge is same worse as whole United lounges on this planet. I don't understand people who are paying for access to those lounges.
After very warm welcome, I was called by my last name and given something to drink ("champagne", water or juice) then we all got Rouge menu (I took salmon) and free of charge IPad with bad quality earphones. (Better use own if you want to listen a normal sound).







After order stewardess Gabriell brought me snacks. Famous Air Canada warm nuts and red wine.





Few minutes later I got full nice looking meal.



Fresh salad / whole wheat roll / vinaigrette dressing / butter / salt / pepper



Salmon / boiled rice / vegetables / dressing



There was absolutely no problem if you wanted change wine to a glass of white wine.





Dessert / Coffe






After meal before landing all of us got this nice Lindt chocolate




Meal on flight AC1888 Overcooked and tasteless.



This is what I have seen from Rouge window:











YVR









Good bye Rouge crew





Summary:

Air Canada Rouge as a young airline has a lot of work to improve their cabin crew skills. I always say. These all bad comments at internet are from people who got bad experience with cabin crew. Every flight with Air Canada is different. If you are lucky and your flight is operated by a real flight attendants who are always prepared for a flight they will be always a perfect label of Air Canada. That is why Star alliance Asian airlines are always on top. And If THAI or Singapore Airlines would fly to Canada, probably I would chose them as a first departure airline from Europe. In my opinion AC Rouge was much more better than one of the Air Canada domestic flights. For me Rouge problem has nothing to do with seats.

As I siad before, Iam frequent flyer of different millage program. Air Canada changed my reservation to AC Rouge. Thai airways told me AC Rouge doesn't belong to Star Alliance and I can't get miles but If Air Canada use this airline as own flight and own AC code I cant get my miles depends of booking fare. The other trick Air Canada used to cheat me again is: Air Canada Rouge code was changed from AC to ZX. ZX is not existing in Star Alliance.

Now who is telling true?: Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada, Star Alliance?

Air Canada Rouge says: but we belong to Star Alliance (that said all Rouge flight attendants plus you can see the symbol of Star alliance on thier aircrafts)





I understand that is no problem for you as a Aeroplan millage program members but for other loyal card holders there is a huge problem to get miles. As i siad before i booked Air Canada as a Star Alliance partner to get miles from these flights. Why they sold me a ticket and didn't tell me the true?

This question i think will answer me only Air Canada and Star Alliance.
The rest of my first time experience on Air Canada domestic/international flights can share here later or you can find them on my blog.


Thank you for reading
Comments welcome