rankourabu

Remember the only reason they are getting a 2/10 average score (worst airline in the world - worse than Spirit and Ryanair) - is that you cannot give less than 1/10 when putting in a review

pinniped

OK, an even *more* simple question: is this airline reliable? Are the crews and planes Air Canada?

Should I expect any given BCN-YYZ flight to operate as scheduled? I guess I can't complain about the details given that this was *the* only way to get 5x30k award seats together on either Star or Oneworld anytime in late July / early August, but I hope I'm not asking too much by expecting a safe, well-maintained airplane that operates relatively on-time.

I'm used to a variety of crappy airlines duct-taping old DC9's and 727's together and hiring some kids right out of flight school to fly short-haul, but this will be the first time I've flown something like this long-haul. Is it a professional operation?

rankourabu

The 767s are between 18.8 and 21.3 years old.
http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Air-Canada-Rouge

The crew are all new hires, and have nothing to do with Air Canada.
A new AC FA earns $18500, and rouge FAs earn less.
Remember this unit was set up to lower costs for AC.

winnipegrev

11.8 to 21.3 years old for the 763s. But they all have brand new seats within the last year. They all have the same maintenance contracts as AC mainline.

Professional depends on how you define it... if you've flown WestJet vs. AC before, it will be something like that difference.

If you're worried about the crew being safe, let's just say they are paid more and the pilots are far more experienced than the US regional carriers operating so many flights in the US.

superangrypenguin

I actually prefer the crew on Rouge (For the two flights I have done). I found them enthusiastic, albeit young (although I'm not knocking young folks as I am one myself). Plus, they were the IFE for me...

As far as the pilots go, they are still making a heck ton of money...don't worry about the flying part for sure.

BlondeBomber

Well finally I am no longer a Rouge virgin

"Fortunately" flew in Premium Rouge--don't know why I say fortunately as the seat is painfully the same but just more distance in front of you.

The hammocking of the seat is noticeable. I stuck a pillow under my butt to reduce the effect but the results of any attempts to seek comfort were always thwarted. I found the best was to put my feet under the middle seat space and sit sideways somehow but it didn't take long for pain to develop. Whoever developed those seats should be charged with a violation of basic human rights. (ok I know a bit over the top . . . )

Crew was fine, if a bit inexperienced, food was OK but those seats have to go! I will fly on AA, US, DL other than my last 4 SW pass flights.

aCavalierInCoach

Do *G member enjoy full benefits (e.g. baggage allowance) on rouge?

Thanks.

yvr76

All Altitude and *Alliance mainline benefits transfer to rouge.

FlyerJ

Identical benefits to what a *G member would get on mainline Air Canada.

Exercise extreme caution if you've booked a Rouge flight through United (ie a UA flight operated by Rouge, with your ticket on UA stock.) In Y class, UA will always sell the lowest fare class by default... which won't come with advance seat selection on AC or Rouge. If there's any plane where you don't want to be stuck in a middle seat, it's these awful Rouge 319 slaveships.

And if your ticket is on UA stock, you can't even pay Air Canada for advance seat selection ... much less purchase extra legroom seating for yourself. (It's an AC IT glitch. They can't figure out a way to charge you for the "frill" of seat selection when your ticket is on UA stock). You'll be left to choose from the slim pickings remaining at T-24 hrs check in. And being *G (or even with AC Altitude status) won't make any difference.

Better yet, just avoid Rouge at all costs. It's an awful experience.

smoothride

To answer your question in regards to pilots and aircraft; the planes are essentially Air Canada planes, undergoing the same maintenance, and line maintenance, as Air Canada mainline.

The pilots are Air Canada pilots, represented by the Air Canada Pilots Association, and can switch between mainline and rouge positions throughout their career, as if it were any other pilot position in Air Canada.

You have the same experienced and professional pilots up front as you do on mainline, all coming from either the Embraer 190, Airbus 319/320/321, or the 767 at mainline. The average captain experience is probably anywhere from 15,000 to 25,000 hours at rouge. A First Officer would most likely have a minimum of 10 years flying experience outside of Air Canada, plus whatever experience they have acquired within the company. All pilots are trained in the same simulators at the same facility, and by the same team of instructors, be it rouge or mainline.

maradori

I (unfortunately) do SFO-YVR runs quite often and now I'm stuck with rouge. I've flown ACr quite a lot now and basically for me it sums up to this:

- no difference with ground service
- I kind of like their outfits
- I also like that the FAs are quite young uhu :3
- I kind of like their food more than mainline (omg dafuq? blasphemy!?) -- I like the mousse cake dessert thing .__.
- I like the big red pillows in seats 123BE
- I like the iPads -- one day, I will find a way to unlock the "do not use" apps
- I will probably only fly A319 rouge if my seat number is 1-4. I don't dare try to experience 29" pitch

- I am meh with safety video vs live demo
- I am meh with the fake forced "chummy" verbiage

- I vehemently dislike YVR airside connections to USA

Calliopeflyer

I don't mind the FAs or even the IFE, but the total lack of anything close to comfort is unacceptable. I decided I will do almost anything rather than take a Rouge flight ever again.......take another airline (even if it means several extra stops and hours), take a train, drive to or from a nearby airport, or even drive the entire route.

I'm one of those odd folk who actually like Air Canada and have received generally good service from them, but the changeover to Rouge on many of their routes makes me furious. I still like flying mainline AC (compared to many other North American carriers), but I'm starting to have to put up with US carriers, because even they are better than Rouge.

(No, I'm not a frequent flyer by any means - only about 3 round trips a year - but I still fly enough to know what I'm missing when I fly Rouge.)

no3putt888

I avoided using the term "never" but I will certainly try to keep off Rouge in my future travel.

I travel to/fr Orlando about 6 times/year and here are the comments on my last trip:

AC1868 YYZ-MCO: Check-in and boarding seemed all the same as AC. I had an exit row seat so there was lots of legroom. I also had a bag with 2 small boxes of duty free cigars which I put in the overhead bin along side my briefcase. The flight attendant told me that "all duty free has to be placed under the seats". I protested saying that the bag contained only 2 small boxes of cigars. My protest was in vain as the flight attendant told me that it was their "policy". I put the bag under the seat. One of the boxes must have fallen out of the bag during the flight as there was only one box of cigars remaining when I looked in the bag at the car rental in MCO.

AC1871 MCO-YYZ: I have status with AC. To get to the nearest UA lounge in MCO you have to go through security and take the train. To get back to your gate you have to take the train, go through security, and then take another train. What a PITA. I didn't purchase any duty free in MCO due to my previous experience. The other passengers merrily put their duty free bags in the overhead bins. The flight attendants said nothing. Apparently the "policy" had changed. My seat was not at an exit row. There was NO legroom. In fact there was NO KNEEroom.

The bottom line. I just booked my next trip to/fr MCO and it is all on United.

CloudsBelow

the biggest problem with mainline is you re not paying enough to entice the vendor to continue offering their service. annual losses for ac's shareholders, not for the customer

pinniped

It appears that I did receive seat assignments on my UA-issued ticket: I just cannot edit them, nor can I buy up to Plus. (Yet, anyway.)

On the AC site, my ticket type is listed as "Flex, X". Flex appears to be the category of ticket in AC lexicon; X is (I think) the Star Alliance partner award bucket.

So maybe this is one oddball case where booking an award is actually better than buying a revenue ticket? UA would have issued it and I'd see it as Tango(?) instead of Flex?

Thank you for that response...it's quite helpful. ^ Concern that an 22-year-old is flying my 767 is gone: now I can go back to worrying about the kids flying my regular United Express flights.