recreationaltimetraveller

In the wake of a disastrous 24-hour flight delay primarily due to operational challenges, I'm starting to reassess the value proposition of Air Canada and its status offerings in 2023.

Operational Issues:

Air Canada appears to be struggling to regain its operational efficiency post-pandemic, especially with the YYZ and YUL eastern hubs. These hubs, essential for most Transatlantic travel, frequently result in unpredictable delays and missed connections. The airline seems ill-prepared to handle routine issues such as aircraft towing or overnight maintenance, persistent baggage handling problems, let alone weather related IRROPs. In my opinion, an airline's primary duty is to deliver reliable travel. Today, an SD attempted to compare today's travel woes with those of steamships a century ago, but that comparison falls flat when other airlines, many of them Air Canada's partners, appear to handle on-time performance more effectively.

Employee Apathy:

While many Air Canada employees exemplify excellent service, I've also encountered a disappointing number who display apathy and a lack of initiative to rectify problems. An organization riddled with challenges can only overcome them if the majority of its workforce is willing to contribute positively towards improvement. Unfortunately, phrases such as "That's not my job", "I’m sorry I can’t help you", and "You’re right but that’s the way it is" seem all too common.

Communication Shortcomings:

Air Canada tends to either withhold information about issues or provide inaccurate updates. An alleged 20-minute delay often turns out to be significantly longer, something easily verified via FlightAware. This lack of proactive and honest communication could mean the difference between a comfortable wait in the lounge or at home and an irritating delay at the gate or on the plane.

Inconsistent Onboard Services:

There's room for debate about the quality of Air Canada's aircraft fleet. The narrow-body fleet's Wi-Fi services are seriously lacking - 737 Wifi still completely absent, and 32x wifi being barely usable ATG. This inconsistency, coupled with frequent aircraft changes, makes it challenging to anticipate if work can be accomplished during the flight.

Lounge Overcrowding:

Despite the recent changes aimed at reducing overcrowding in the lounges, they remain too packed due to longer dwell times and less frequent scheduling. This diminishes the tranquility these spaces are supposed to offer amid the airport chaos.

Flight Pass Pricing:

As a Canadian living in SOCAL who travels frequently to central and eastern Canada, flight passes have historically been a great option for flexibility and pricing, however with recent pricing changes they are much less competitive. Why would I buy a $495 latitude flight pass credit LAX-YWG (connecting in Vancouver) in the hopes of upgrading it (AC not offering any advance R space on a lot of LAX-YVR flights) when I can buy LAX-YWG in J on WS for $340 and travel in 2/3 the time.

Competitiveness:

Despite these negatives, Air Canada and the Aeroplan program still have commendable aspects. Business priority rewards, or latitude with instant upgrades, and concierge services provided to Super Elite status members like myself do add value. Their hard product (aside from wifi) on the whole, are competitive, especially when compared to other North American carriers.

However, the question remains - are these benefits sufficient to overlook the numerous issues plaguing the airline? Is Air Canada still a viable choice for those residing outside Canada or in hub cities with significant international travel, when compared to other alternatives? With most flights going full do they even care to fix the issues when it's not hurting their bottom line or the stock price?