occasional bug? i do not think so. on my last 6 AC flights, reboot at least once on 5 out of 6 and two 40 minute full system reboots.

Cross country escapades
 

Flight/Origin-Destination:
YYJ - YYZ - YHZ
Date:
12 Mar 2011
Cabin:
Executive / coach
Status:
Elite

Pre departure
This is my first bad experience. Upgraded at the 4 hour window for both segments, discovered that the new computer AC uses won't allow me to upgrade the second segment before it's own 4 day window. Instantly cleared first segment upgrade, waitlisted for second. did OLCI at the 24 hour window, it would not allow me to check in as all segments had not hit the 24 hour window. Waited all day for the second flight window, it would only allow me to check in for the second segment, called AC, web help, technical support, nothing. I went to the airport and checked in at the machine, which only printed the first segment. gave up and checked in with a real person.

No priority lane at YYJ, used priority twice at YYZ when I left for a couple smokes. no wait either time.

YYZ lounge was good, love the self serve drinks, elevator is very slow. only chips and veggies.

Priority boarding went well both times, some gate lice were in the way at YYZ. Upgrade never cleared, the flight was full.

Onboard - J cabin:
It was comfortable, good service, attentive crew, IFE worked, neither power outlet not working seat 2F AC190 YYJ-YYZ. pre departure OJ/Water offered. waffles were soggy, the chicken sausage was kinda sketchy. Beverages were flowing.

Onboard - Y cabin:
It was like walking into hell after coming from executive on the first segment. There should be a rule that once you sit in F, you are never subjected to Y again.
In all seriousness, it was ok, E175 jet, clean, IFE, good service from attendants.

Bags arrived quickly, nothing damaged.

Overall experience/any other comments
I believe that there is a computer glitch for OLCI if you have a segment waitlisted for upgrade, Hopefully it will not occur on my return trip.
I want a pod this time!

Flight/Origin-Destination:AC146 YYC-YYZ
Date:16-Mar-2011
Cabin:Y
Status:E

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? OLCI didn't give a BP. E line was quick.
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? Nexus lane was closed.
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? Cookies and drinks were fine. Internet speed continues to be TERRIBLE; far, far worse than the free airport wifi.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yup, well done.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A

Onboard - Y cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yup.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? N/A
Was the IFE activated on the ground? Yes. No problems with it during flight.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? This was brutal. They came around 20 minutes in the flight to those of us who had purchased meals to say that they had no meals on-board, only snacks (something the website fail to mention when booking), and to take our order. It took another 30 minutes after that to receive some cheese and crackers. Ridiculous.
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Cheese was fine.
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? No. Only once, immediately after the first go through the cabin.

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? N/A
Overall experience/any other comments
Honestly, it was one of the poorer experiences I've had on AC this year. In addition to the above mentioned slow service, they then didn't ever come around to pick up garbage (even after announcing they were going to do so), and when I tried to give it to the FA she just told me to put it in the seat pocket. Feel bad for the cleaners after that flight.

Flight/Origin-Destination: AC902 YYZ-TPA
Date: 16-Mar-2011
Cabin: J
Status: E

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? N/A In-Transit
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? Yes. Easily saved me 30 minutes.
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? Yup. Food and drinks were good as always.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes. They started boarding earlier than normal (good choice for a child filled plane), and we pushed pretty much on time.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A

Onboard - J cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? N/A
Was the IFE activated on the ground? Yes
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes
Did crew offer to hang your jacket? N/A
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? Yes to both. Meal orders were taken in the air by status.
Did crew offer a hot towel prior to the meal service? Yes
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected) 1 hour
How was the quality of all the meals? Great
Did the cabin crew continuously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Yup, constantly.

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? N/A

Overall experience/any other comments
A great flight.

Flight/Origin-Destination: AC903 TPA-YYZ
Date: 20-Mar-2011
Cabin: J
Status: E

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? OLCI didn't give BP. No line at the counter however.
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? Yes. Shaved a bit of time off.
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? No. AC needs to work on lounge access. At both TPA and LAS (and probably more) there is a lounge near the gate, but we aren't allowed in it. Not wanting to pay Delta for an the *G use is one thing, but there needs to be something worked out for people flying paid J.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes. They started boarding earlier than normal (good choice for a child filled plane), and we pushed pretty much on time.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A

Onboard - J cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? N/A
Was the IFE activated on the ground? Yes
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes
Did crew offer to hang your jacket? N/A
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? Yes to both. Meal orders were taken in the air by status.
Did crew offer a hot towel prior to the meal service? Yes
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected) 1 hour
How was the quality of all the meals? Great
Did the cabin crew continuously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Yup, constantly.

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? N/A

Overall experience/any other comments
A great flight.

Flight/Origin-Destination: AC145 YYZ-YYC
Date: 20-Mar-2011
Cabin: J
Status: E

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? N/A In-Transit
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? Nexus line was great.
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? Food and drinks were good as ever.
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes. It was crap. That plane had more than 50% of the people pre-board. I think there needs to be a adjustment to boarding procedures on SE/E heavy routes. Waiting behind 50 people to board, when there are only 9 seats in J is kind of ridiculous.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A

Onboard - J cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes. A familiar crew, nice to see them again.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? N/A
Was the IFE activated on the ground? Yes
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes
Did crew offer to hang your jacket? N/A
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? No newspapers offered. Menus offered, and orders taken, on the ground by status.
Did crew offer a hot towel prior to the meal service? Yes
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected) 1 hour
How was the quality of all the meals? Great
Did the cabin crew continuously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Yup, constantly.

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? N/A

Overall experience/any other comments
Pre-boarding needs some work, but otherwise it was a good experience.

Lastly, I need to ask this:

Is anyone official still tracking this thread?

Absolutely. Me along with our colleagues at in-flight service are actively reading this thread and taking actions where needed. So thanks for all this and please keep them coming.

A couple of in flight suggestions:

1. On 777's when the middle door is the one opened by ground crew it would be nice if the economy section was held back until all J pax are off. The chaos of pax scrambling to be first in customs line creates confusion in the aisles with J pax still tying to get stuff down from the overhead bins and being run over by people rushing forward from the back.

2. On smaller planes in particular it would also be helpful if the FA's watched the overhead bins in J as I regularly see people seated further back stuffing their bags in the front cabin bins.

These issues are not purely AC ones as I see the same thing on other carriers but in general other *A carriers do hold back the Y section on long haul international flights. This would once more separate AC from the other carriers with their premium service levels.

Item # 1 - It is done, as I (and others) incorporate it into our briefings. Obviously it needs to be reinforced to occur on a more consistent basis.

Item # 2 - It's a group effort, and with limited bodies on board, we do our best to monitor that issue. When flying on the Embraer, it's easier to monitor that situation because of proximity between my boarding position (the door at L-1) and the front cabin.

Flight/Origin-Destination: AC982 & AC983 YYZ-MBJ-YYZ
Date: March 13 & March 20, 2011
Cabin: Y
Status: SE

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Yes in both locations
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? Yes @ YYZ// N/A @ MBJ
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? Yes @ YYZ / (Margaritaville @ MBJ!)
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A

Onboard - Y cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? N/A - on time
Was the IFE activated on the ground? Yes but on both occasions shut off and reset prior to departure.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? 30 minutes approx.
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Wrap & sandwiches good; Flatbread pizza - not that great.
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? Yes

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? Yes!!

Overall experience/any other comments

Thanks to IKK - six reward tix in Y on a completely full flight!

Note to self - give plenty of time to check in at MBJ in the future. AC was very fast but the emigration and security lines were insanely slow. We got there at 12:15 for a 2pm flight and were one of the last to check in. Still made it in time for a Red Stripe at Margaritaville prior to boarding though :D

Flight/Origin-Destination: YUL-NAS AC940
Date: Mar 26/2011
Cabin: J
Status: AC*E

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Yes
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? Yes, first time. Not all AC staff know that we can use it.
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? Yes. Please more gluten-free food
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes and Yes
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates?
N/A
Onboard - J cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? Yes and Yes
Was the IFE activated on the ground? Yes
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes
Did crew offer to hang your jacket? No, but they did for all others. They must have correctly assumed I was cold
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? Yes. Meal order taken in the air. I had a special meal and the FA was aware
Did crew offer a hot towel prior to the meal service? Yes
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected) aprox 90min
How was the quality of all the meals? Merely ok. I don't understand why I don't get the same fruit salad and yogourt as everybody else. My meal was also smaller than everyone else
Did the cabin crew continiously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Yes

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time?
Yes
Overall experience/any other comments
Especially pleasant FA which really enhances the experience.

Cross country flight
 

Flight/Origin-Destination:
YHZ-YYZ-YVR-YYJ
Date:
25 Mar 11
Cabin:
J-J-Y
Status:
E

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient?
Waitlisted at 4 day mark for both flights, OLCI not working, checked into Y at the airport, Upgrades cleared at the gate for both flights.
Did you use priority security
Yes in YYZ, avoided some line up. In YVR not available. 2 very old people with canes, walker, medical issues ahead of me. I was saddened by security forcing the old guy with a walker to hop through the detector on his own without walker only to watch it beep and have to do a wand/pat down. He is old and I would assume full of metal. NOT AC's fault, just a sad commentary on life these days.

Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks?
Yes, just veggie trays/chips/small bread slices available. Drinks were good. I appreciate self serve drinks as in the RCC they have a bartender who would like to be tipped for opening my free beer. I would like to see something hot, meaty, filling offered. (perhaps a fridge with microwavable burgers and hot dogs. nothing fancy, just something a little more filling than chips and veggie trays)
Was priority boarding offered?
Yes, I love priority boarding. although half the YHZ-YYZ flight was priority.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates?
Yes, slight delay YVR-YYJ, GA explained why, was not much of a delay.

Onboard - J cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed?
Yes, looked sharp as always
Was the IFE activated on the ground?
Yes
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground?
Yes, OJ or water
Did crew offer to hang your jacket?
Yes
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)?
yes, menus were passed around, order taken on ground YHZ-YYZ, in air from YYZ-YVR (longer flight)
Did crew offer a hot towel prior to the meal service?
Yes
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected)
1 hour all together.
How was the quality of all the meals?
Beef was good. The chicken (second flight) was soggy. the skin and i assume a layer of fat was thick and hard to cut. Not bad, just not a skinless chicken breast like you might find in a store. The knife offered was not sharp eanough for the meat. Would it be wrong to include a steak knife in the cutlery? (really, with the cockpit door securely locked, what can a person do with a steak knife that one couldn't do with the butter knife currently provided?)
Did the cabin crew continiously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight?
Yes

Onboard - Y cabin:
It was a 16 minute Jazz connector, I am trying to forget it so i don't diminish my memory of executive first service.

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time?
Yes, Bag made it. Bag only contained my dirty laundry, you would have done me a favor by losing it actually.

Overall experience/any other comments
Excellent day of flying. I got home on time, no real delays, great service. I need a better job so that I can fly J more often.

Flight/Origin-Destination: AC855 LHR-YVR
Date: March 25, 2011
Cabin: J
Status: SE

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Yes
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? Yes,
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? Yes –SAS lounge is great. I really like the food selection
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Yes
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? N/A

Onboard - J cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes, excellent. First time that the SD has shaken my hand as well as introduce himself
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? Yes there was a 1 hr mechanical delay and we had frequent updates.
Was the IFE activated on the ground? Not sure – didn’t use it
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin? About an hour, maybe less for the nuts and drink.
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe? Great! I think there is a new menu – the salmon with melon salsa starter was amazing. The lamb was very good (they ran out – I heard the SD patiently empathising with a pass who could not order it as there was none left. Fortunately my order was taken first.)
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight? Yes

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? Yes

Overall experience/any other comments: Very pleased with every aspect of this flight (except for the baggage handler who made a dent in the cargo door and led to the 1hr delay!)

Flight/Origin-Destination: C620
Date: Mar 27
Cabin: J
Status: SE

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? NOT REALLY. There were at least 10 upgrades just lying out at the gate so as each of us came forward, the GA tried to find our names. Again, the upgrade is supposed to be a perk, isn't it? So when the GA says "I've been calling your name for the last 15 minutes, do you still want the upgrade?" it kind of takes away from the whole experience. I arrived at the gate at the posted boarding time......and really, with so many upgrades, why weren't they released earlier and emailed.
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? In transit from YYC
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? Fine
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? The signs were there but the gate agents did not follow them and nor did the PAX. Wouldn't this be someting relatively easy to quality control?
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? n/a delay occured after boarding

Onboard - J cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? yes
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? yes BUT the oh so often confusion with senior GA staff comng on the plane with radios and walking up and down and trying to find passengers.......wouldn't it be better to have them available to help during the boarding process, rather than to come in at the end and try and sort out the problems? We had 5 pax that they thought had boarded (they kept calling out their names) but who hadn't....plane was delayed by 20 mins
Was the IFE activated on the ground?
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? no!
Did crew offer to hang your jacket? yes
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? orders taken on the ground but no order was followed in terms of status
Did crew offer a hot towel prior to the meal service? y
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected) 1 hour
How was the quality of all the meals? good
Did the cabin crew continiously top up the beverage of your choice yes throughout the flight?

Onboard - Y cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed?
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates?
Was the IFE activated on the ground?
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service/Onboard cafe to begin?
How was the quality of the meal/Onboard cafe?
Did the cabin crew offer water regularly throughout the flight?

Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time?

Overall experience/any other comments Overall experience on the plane was good. As has often been my experience, the boarding process and GAs can really be challenging......

perhaps I am just tried and overly negative tonight.