How long before the Concierge Service is gutted?
Sep 29, 2013, 3:30 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Having been SE for many years, my experience(s) with concierges has been most variable. When living in Edmonton, I'd often get calls about flight delays from the concierge. Once in Toronto on my way to LHR, I was greeted and walked through security by one, much impressing my colleague. At the other end, CP's old concierge (David?) was the most amiable and helpful, and he appeared in the BBC series "Airport" and parodied in another British satire on the airport and an LCC. However, when I really needed help with tight connections or cancelled flights of late, they've been nowhere to be found to help. So losing them would not be a great loss in my opinion...particularly as I have decided to ditch AC generally.
Sep 29, 2013, 3:59 pm
#18
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 12,068
Having been SE for many years, my experience(s) with concierges has been most variable. When living in Edmonton, I'd often get calls about flight delays from the concierge. Once in Toronto on my way to LHR, I was greeted and walked through security by one, much impressing my colleague. At the other end, CP's old concierge (David?) was the most amiable and helpful, and he appeared in the BBC series "Airport" and parodied in another British satire on the airport and an LCC. However, when I really needed help with tight connections or cancelled flights of late, they've been nowhere to be found to help. So losing them would not be a great loss in my opinion...particularly as I have decided to ditch AC generally.
I am still with AC and the benefit can be very helpful. I call on them when required. No reason to use them in quite some time
To be fair ,I ditched UA, generally, quite some time ago.
Sep 29, 2013, 4:35 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
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Sep 29, 2013, 6:32 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: YYC
Programs: AC 50k 1MM, Marriott LT Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,402
In my experience, they are always there when you need them (except in YUL, where they are completely absent all the time). When the big snowstorm hit YYZ this last winter, they helped me get out on the first flight out. A minor miracle considering the state the airport was in. And they got my colleague on the flight too. Since the thread is pure speculation however, I'm not going to lose a lot of sleep over this.
Sep 29, 2013, 7:20 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 12,068
are destinations I cannot get to on AC direct.
Sep 29, 2013, 7:35 pm
#23
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: YYZ/DLC
Programs: AP, HHonours Diamond
Posts: 3,722
That would be a good indication where AC is taking the program. Holding on to Concierge Service doesn't quite fit in to the new defensive line of We're just falling in line with other airlines yada yada that AC spits out each time they've been dialling back benefits recently.
Sep 29, 2013, 7:46 pm
#24
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Sep 29, 2013, 8:18 pm
#25
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,798
Couldn't agree more with some of the previous posters. AC supervises Concierges' actions so they are paralyzed with fear of being reprimanded. I had one concierge tell me that if she upgraded me the way she used to 4+ years ago, she would have an email the next morning asking her to justify her actions.
Sep 29, 2013, 8:25 pm
#26
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: AC-SEMM, AA-Gold
Posts: 962
Yes, they have hired a replacement based in Montreal...a guy named Mark or Michael...did not pay close attention
Some Concierges in YYZ are wonderful, others not so much... Wish there was greater consistency
Best in YVR
Some Concierges in YYZ are wonderful, others not so much... Wish there was greater consistency
Best in YVR
Sep 30, 2013, 1:19 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: YYC - not the centre of the universe
Programs: AC*S100K 1MM, LH FTL, Hyatt Globalist, Accor Plat
Posts: 4,768
Yes, I've found varying levels in YYZ. Concierges can be extremely helpful if you know how to ask for things. For example, "there was a schedule change, can you please change my flights to... (something completely different)" works if that's true. SDCs are possible too sometimes further in advance than otherwise.
Sep 30, 2013, 1:48 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Although I tend to avoid YYZ, that is where I have had the best service from the concierge. I do think that the service is very variable, and seems to be less effective outside Canada.
I never really understood why I had a 'concierge'; I just want someone to help me to resolve an issue quickly and efficiently, and to be able to do more than just protect me on a later flight with the same routing. For that the UA staff are generally great.
I never really understood why I had a 'concierge'; I just want someone to help me to resolve an issue quickly and efficiently, and to be able to do more than just protect me on a later flight with the same routing. For that the UA staff are generally great.
Sep 30, 2013, 2:02 am
#29
Original Member
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Location: Vancouver, Canada
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Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9780; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.666 Mobile Safari/534.8+)
I'm guessing you've never been to SYD.
Originally Posted by exbayern
Although I tend to avoid YYZ, that is where I have had the best service from the concierge. I do think that the service is very variable, and seems to be less effective outside Canada.
I never really understood why I had a 'concierge'; I just want someone to help me to resolve an issue quickly and efficiently, and to be able to do more than just protect me on a later flight with the same routing. For that the UA staff are generally great.
I never really understood why I had a 'concierge'; I just want someone to help me to resolve an issue quickly and efficiently, and to be able to do more than just protect me on a later flight with the same routing. For that the UA staff are generally great.
Sep 30, 2013, 3:17 am
#30
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
I think that the question is more having used their service rather than having been somewhere or having needed the service. 98% of the time I don't need their services. I only need them during irregular ops or odd situations. I've never seen a need for this group otherwise.