There have been lots of threads about how poorly AC handles delays and the lack of information and I have basically given up that they will ever get it right. Often we leave on time but if there is a short delay it is almost always a creeping departure delay that often could have been predicted, e.g. the plane is schedule to arrive within 2 minutes of departure.

As a Canadian I find myself embarrassed for our national carrier and have run out of excuses for my friends that know I fly them often. Case in point... yesterday on AC877, prior to flight aircanada.com posted a 30 minute delay to 17:30. This delay never showed up on any monitor in the airport and was never communicated. I asked the lounge to confirm the delay, they confirmed we would board at 16:30, but did not acknowledge the delay. At about 16:35 they loaded the crew into a bus and took them to our plane - most at just shown up as they knew there was a delay. At 16:40 they started cramming us into 3 buses and parked us all next to the plane while we stood and watched it fuel and waited for the crew to prepare it. 15 minutes later they opened the doors of all three buses and everyone ran for the plane.

Everyone eventually found their seat and we left more or less as predicted at 17:31. AC could have done this right, they could have posted and communicated the delay with an apology, loaded the crew at T-55 (as they did), loaded us in buses at T-40 and we would have left at the same time with some order and I wouldn't have felt embarrassed once again by AC.

I'm not going to officially complain and I understand these circumstances were far from horrible, but what I'd like to know is what is it that is preventing AC from actually doing it right. Is it the staff? Is it technology? Is it irrational optimism? ... or do they just not how to do it?

looks like 30 mins is becoming the new 10-15 mins

have to say its a lot better than some US Carriers

I think the people who should feel most embarrassed at FRA, are the Germans! The place is a zoo by all accounts. Boarding time = Survival of the fittest, and that's when the stupid rotating doors don't jam.

Miscommunication about the delay could have been the fault of the terminal management and/or lounge attendants, of which I would not be surprised at FRA.

I strongly agree. My previous German flying experience had been exclusively out of MUC, and there were never any problems. A fantastic airport all around. Then, I had the pleasure of flying FRA - YUL a few weeks back, and it was as much of a zoo as described above.

-RS.

I would always prefer a connection through Munich rather than Frankfurt. Frankfurt is a horrid dingy airport.

Munich is so bright, modern and much more passenger friendly.

It still puzzles me how FRA is so reliant on busses. CDG can be like this too but I'm finding that it's a rarity to get an actual bridge at FRA. Heck - in recent times I've probably been on the fast moving walkway at YYZ more times than I've gotten a bridge at FRA.

My last FRA departure was from the LH FCT, so missed all that bus and remote stand fun. Aside from that, I have had some real cattle truck transfer experiences, and I agree that if ac.com showed a delay but the terminal screens did not, it's a Fraport problem.

At least the buses in FRA are air conditioned. I had a similar remote stand/bus experience in DUS - bus arrives at aircraft, special needs pax being boarded, so we wait in the bus in stifling conditions for the stairs to clear.

Actually, I would disagree. At least with UA, I've seen some 2 hour delay's off the bat that rang correct in the end. Not that seeing a 2 hour delay is great, but definitely beats a two hour delay announced 15 minutes at a time.

I'll give you that the screens in FRA could be an airport problem, or a communication problem with the airport. There were certainly other delays posted; however, maybe the systems were not talking. However, there were lots of people at the gate and on the airplane that could have communicated the delay and did not. I've been on shorter delays that were explained at the gate and apologized on board.

Most people crammed on the bus at 16:40 naively thought they were leaving at 17:00. Only a few of us had done that math and realized that we were going to be standing there for a while.

There may have been other pressures to get us out, but the decision to load up the buses early seemed to be driven by the gate agents.

I'll give you that it was air conditioned, but very sardine like as they crammed the first bus full. No worry on the special needs as those on crutches and in leg casts helped themselves down the stairs at the gate and boarded the plane with the mob when they opened the bus doors.

No disagreement that FRA is a horrible airport that should be avoided, but unfortunately if you need to connect and don't want to lose your whole day, FRA and LHR are the only options for a late afternoon flight and although a little better LHR is not exactly a picnic either. AC.com tends to favor FRA on many routes so hard to build via LHR.

If you have some extra time in MUC take the guided airport tour or visit the small aircraft museum where you can see that flying today is a vast improvement over the old days!!!

If you are a photography buff the museum is a great place to take photos of take-offs and landings.

BTW - there are buses as well in MUC but J and F pax get to ride in the limo.

Flew FRA/YYZ last July and was amazed at how poorly the Germans were managing the AC flight departures.We were bussed and I commented to MRS acysb87 on boarding at rear of a/c for J cabin that the steps were not tight to plane and an accident wating to happen.Unfortunately we read about that event a few days later.
This past Monday,I was again transiting FRA with my SO.We were asked to confirm documents to speed up processing once flight called.What a freak show that turned out to be.
Transit MUC if at all possible until the gates are ready at FRA

BTW,we left approx. a half hour late.

I am heading to MRS in Oct and will connect in MUC.

Last transit through FRA was a zoo and departure from FRA from basement gate and buses was not pleasant at all.

That basement gate @ FRA is awful and entails an additional x-ray security because the machines just happen to be there. If the AC flights leave from gates 40 and higher, there is no x-ray security there. And then the buses, of course...

cant wait going to FRA today

Sorry, this is not a FRA problem. It is an AC problem. It happens all the time, most recently to me in YUL, YYZ and SFO. The plane is not there, any flight tracker service will tell you it is an hour late, and some gate agent that couldn't care less announces a delay of "a few minutes".