Employer dumping AC
Jun 29, 2013, 11:18 am
#16
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Toronto
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Jun 29, 2013, 11:22 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,393
AC's on-time performance is improving because AC knew it had to improve. As Calin told the annual meeting yesterday, the YTD improvement is on the order of 30+%. (He had a precise number, but I'm not going back over an entire webcast to find it).
Generally speaking, corporate clients can negotiate deals with the airline, and it's possible the OP's company simply negotiated a better deal. It's entirely speculative on my part, but also plausible, that with WJ's push for business traffic they are amenable to larger discounts in private than they would admit to in public. Then, a company might turn around and tell it's employees the switch is for a multitude of reasons, not just cost savings, because some employees would resent losing AC status but might be a bit more understanding if they thought the company had been inconvenienced in other ways, like having employees show up late for meetings or have to pay fare penalties to keep on schedule.
Generally speaking, corporate clients can negotiate deals with the airline, and it's possible the OP's company simply negotiated a better deal. It's entirely speculative on my part, but also plausible, that with WJ's push for business traffic they are amenable to larger discounts in private than they would admit to in public. Then, a company might turn around and tell it's employees the switch is for a multitude of reasons, not just cost savings, because some employees would resent losing AC status but might be a bit more understanding if they thought the company had been inconvenienced in other ways, like having employees show up late for meetings or have to pay fare penalties to keep on schedule.
Jun 29, 2013, 2:16 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Toronto - YYZ
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The day I feared has come. My employer has dumped AC as a preferred carrier and is moving all spend over to WS and PD. Reasons stated were uncompetitive fares, weaker on-time performance, lack of credit transfer between employees, and ACs practice of overselling seats. It is truly a sad day because I honestly much, much preferred flying AC.
In a way this is liberating because I will no longer chase status and I can instead try a variety of new airlines both domestically, transborder and international. So I am looking forward to that, but I will miss the game of chasing status and being part of the Star Alliance - the best airline alliance, IMO.
I feel like I am part of a large corporate exodus from AC - or am I just imagining this because it is impacting me so directly?
In a way this is liberating because I will no longer chase status and I can instead try a variety of new airlines both domestically, transborder and international. So I am looking forward to that, but I will miss the game of chasing status and being part of the Star Alliance - the best airline alliance, IMO.
I feel like I am part of a large corporate exodus from AC - or am I just imagining this because it is impacting me so directly?
Continued safe travels.
Jun 29, 2013, 3:44 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 310
ACYYZ i believe you are misinformed. AC itself put out stats showing a big decrease in corporate business. So your several decades of experience seem to have failed you in this case. I know for a fact several corporations who have stopped using AC exclusively due to many factors. Please don't kick someone for stating what was said to them via a corp. My own travel is not economical on AC. it is about 1/3 cheaper to fly down to the USA and fly from there most of the time for my travel. It totally depends on your travel.
As for someone else comparing WJ. first not a WJ fan however AC had the worse on time performance in the industry last year. and as for missing bags mine were lost 4 times last year and once i never got them back and compensation has still not been paid. Not that I am arguing for it actually as I have given up.
the great thing about AC is the upgrades you receive as a FF. if you are below 100k the De-enchancement has really changed the game for you.
As for someone else comparing WJ. first not a WJ fan however AC had the worse on time performance in the industry last year. and as for missing bags mine were lost 4 times last year and once i never got them back and compensation has still not been paid. Not that I am arguing for it actually as I have given up.
the great thing about AC is the upgrades you receive as a FF. if you are below 100k the De-enchancement has really changed the game for you.
Jun 29, 2013, 4:20 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Toronto - YYZ
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>Clearly appreciative of this customer and his patronage - now and hopefully back in the future.
>Clearly stated that I have no data which translates to : I'm not an expert in this area.
>Just a few observations that business travel and travellers on business appear to be steady on the flights which I operate.
>Clearly nobody was kicked, but perhaps a pat on the shoulder hoping that whatever dynamics led to his company's departure can be reversed and hopefully have the privilege of earning their business in the future.
Jun 29, 2013, 5:51 pm
#21
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Did you actually read my post?
>Clearly appreciative of this customer and his patronage - now and hopefully back in the future.
>Clearly stated that I have no data which translates to : I'm not an expert in this area.
>Just a few observations that business travel and travellers on business appear to be steady on the flights which I operate.
>Clearly nobody was kicked, but perhaps a pat on the shoulder hoping that whatever dynamics led to his company's departure can be reversed and hopefully have the privilege of earning their business in the future.
>Clearly appreciative of this customer and his patronage - now and hopefully back in the future.
>Clearly stated that I have no data which translates to : I'm not an expert in this area.
>Just a few observations that business travel and travellers on business appear to be steady on the flights which I operate.
>Clearly nobody was kicked, but perhaps a pat on the shoulder hoping that whatever dynamics led to his company's departure can be reversed and hopefully have the privilege of earning their business in the future.
Jun 29, 2013, 6:17 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YYZ
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I thought I read that AC has better ontime than West Jet? Maybe that was just out of YYZ? Are these not published numbers somewhere?
Apparently my company pulled AC for its preferred carrier several years ago out of Canada (before my time), now just uses Star Alliance for large corporate meetings or trade shows. Outside of that you are on your own to find a good fare that will get you there, cheaply and on time.
Apparently my company pulled AC for its preferred carrier several years ago out of Canada (before my time), now just uses Star Alliance for large corporate meetings or trade shows. Outside of that you are on your own to find a good fare that will get you there, cheaply and on time.
Jun 29, 2013, 6:19 pm
#23
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I flew westjet the entire year. This year has been all AC. In my experience AC has had way better on time then WJ and AC has never lost my bags compared to three occasions with WJ last year (although its not a fair stat as I rarely check a bag now do to WJ last year). To be honesty, last year it seemed few and far between that a WJ flight pushed back on time.
AC in the last two months: 78%
http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight....do?airline=AC
WS in the last two months: 77%
http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight....do?airline=ws
PD in the last two months: 76%
http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight....do?airline=pd
Granted, AC has improved from their overall ratings in the 50%s a few months back.
Jun 29, 2013, 6:36 pm
#24
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Jun 29, 2013, 6:38 pm
#25
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Jun 29, 2013, 6:40 pm
#26
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Jun 29, 2013, 6:42 pm
#27
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Jun 29, 2013, 6:43 pm
#28
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Jun 29, 2013, 6:47 pm
#29
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Doubt they will put the new seats in them as I don't think they are going to be in service much longer. I do see the odd KL MD-11 flying overhead of work into YYZ still though. But wouldn't being scared of the aircraft you are on be part of the fun?:
:
Jun 29, 2013, 6:54 pm
#30
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The average age of Air Canada's 767 fleet is 19.1 years
http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Air%20Canada.htm
and overall average of AC's fleet is 12.9 years
The average age of KLM's MD-11s is 18.5 years
http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/KLM.htm
and overall average of KL's fleet is 9.9 years old
http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Air%20Canada.htm
and overall average of AC's fleet is 12.9 years
The average age of KLM's MD-11s is 18.5 years
http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/KLM.htm
and overall average of KL's fleet is 9.9 years old