Originally Posted by
Stranger
I think it's more that "self-congratulating profitable airline don't see a need for providing basic services" as long as cheapening the product seemingly makes customers happier. If they would find out customers take their business elsewhere they would surely improve service... But it seems no matter how badly they are treated, they keep coming back anyway. So where is the incentive for airlines to provide better service? But no, it's not that I like it. Seems just to be reality. Plus, it's clear that the FT demographics don't fit in that category.
Can’t you see the rub there? If this was a competitive market and there were choices, then yes, customers would certainly be taking their business away from AC given the way they operate. I haven’t experienced any other airline that standard procedure is to basically abandon its major hub during IRROPS because it’s past 10pm, tell paying customers to use the phone, knowing full well it’s too busy to even get put on hold. Then ensure the first announcement on every flight is about how award winning they are 🤔
If you want to fly from YQX, YVO, YQU, etc etc etc anywhere not one of the top 7 or 8 airports in the country to basically anywhere outside Canada, you have few options. You can try to tag together some sort of Westjet/Delta/Skyteam partner ridiculous combination with 4 transfers in 3 countries taking 33 hours or you can drive a thousand kilometres (plus boat rides for some of us) to get to a place with even minimal competition which is directly reflected in pricing, or you can take the one price offered by AC for the only sensible itinerary possible. AC knows this and that’s why it’s often $1500 to fly for eg. YYT-YYZ-XYZ when the same YYZ-XYZ is $500. Or same flight as USA-YYZ-XYZ is $250. I’m all for market economics but with limited competition it’s just ridiculous. I don’t know the answer but I’m not obtuse enough to think it’s all hunky dory.
AC has us Canadians outside Toronto and other large cities held by the Cajohnes and it’s laughable when people who live in hub cities with actual other carriers try to tell a large portion of the population to just “take our business elsewhere”.