How long before the Concierge Service is gutted?
#46
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Ottawa
Programs: AC MM SE; SPG Plat; Hilton Gold
Posts: 247
I worry about them dropping concierge as well. I have only used them when needed, but they have always come through (except once in Frankfurt where I did not get the help I asked for re a tight connection). LHR, YOW and HKG have been especially good.
#47
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In my case I wasn't held up (and deliberately did not call until I had reached security) and my boarding would not have delayed departure. Having said that, I agree that it is not a reasonable expectation to delay a flight for one DYKWIA - but I was pointing out that in the past it was something Concierges did.
#48
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: AC SE, Aeroflot Gold, Marriott Rewards Platinum, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 79
Was flying ORD-YYZ-YEG with an "illegal" short connection (45 minutes). Of course everething goes wrong... flight is about 10 minutes late leaving ORD, long taxi, takes off westbound, lands westbound on the runway at the north end of the airport (furthest from T1), stuck on tarmac, switch gates. Bottom line is door opens with 15 minutes until departure.
Breeze throguh customs thanks to Nexus and am in security line with 10 minutes to go. Phone the YYZ Concierge who tells me the flight is already closed - no offer to call the gate, nothing. Basically told you're on your own buddy. Show up at gate 5 minutes before departure with plane at gate and bridge still attached, but no joy today from AC. Get to spend 2 hours enjoying the MLL instead.
In the "old days" the concierges used to hold planes for SE's.
Breeze throguh customs thanks to Nexus and am in security line with 10 minutes to go. Phone the YYZ Concierge who tells me the flight is already closed - no offer to call the gate, nothing. Basically told you're on your own buddy. Show up at gate 5 minutes before departure with plane at gate and bridge still attached, but no joy today from AC. Get to spend 2 hours enjoying the MLL instead.
In the "old days" the concierges used to hold planes for SE's.
#49
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,798
True, but it's also much easier for fliers to search for options other than AC than it was 20 years ago. If it's so easy for me to see & choose competitors, AC needs to make it more compelling for me to choose them, particularly for transborder, TPAC and TATL.
#50
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
You have an "illegal" connection. The MCT is 1h 10m.
A delayed departure from YYZ may cause some passengers to misconnect at YEG, or late for their appointments.
If you add 25m (80m - 45m) to your 5m, you will have 30m and you will have made your connection just fine.
A delayed departure from YYZ may cause some passengers to misconnect at YEG, or late for their appointments.
If you add 25m (80m - 45m) to your 5m, you will have 30m and you will have made your connection just fine.
#51
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Platinum, hhonors Gold
Posts: 3,424
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.
Run of the mill UA agents seem to be able to do what it takes to make you happy even if it means changing your fare class to full Y to improve your odds at upgrading.
As for gutting the concierge service, that will be done "at the request of our loyal Altitude members ..."
Run of the mill UA agents seem to be able to do what it takes to make you happy even if it means changing your fare class to full Y to improve your odds at upgrading.
As for gutting the concierge service, that will be done "at the request of our loyal Altitude members ..."
The concierge certainly would have protected me on the next flight, but would have been waiting a long time for any compensation for AC. Maybe 10%, only after taking the time and effort to complain.
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,309
Have to agree with the MG on this. On Sunday, as just a *S on MP while my plane was in the process of going mechanical I called the priority reservation line and was able to protect myself on the next flight. When my flight was cancelled, I checked in electronically without a problem and was on my way with only a 2.5 hour delay. The next morning I had an email in my inbox apologizing for the flight cancellation with an offer of 10,000 miles or $250 flight coupon.
The concierge certainly would have protected me on the next flight, but would have been waiting a long time for any compensation for AC. Maybe 10%, only after taking the time and effort to complain.
The concierge certainly would have protected me on the next flight, but would have been waiting a long time for any compensation for AC. Maybe 10%, only after taking the time and effort to complain.
Glad it worked out... and that $250 coupon... its actually $250... unlike AC's 10% off, which is more like 3% off after surcharges.
#53
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
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5% off base fare of $5000 would be $250. It's easy to get $5000 base fare, especially when you put more than 1 person in a booking. (unless you're a bottom feeder, of course)
#54
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I guess everyone in this forum is a bottom feeder, because they've at one point or another spent <$5000 on a ticket.
I think you should tell that to the man that drops $1200 from YSB to PIT - clearly a bottom feeder, should be spending $5000 to be worthy.
I guess you'd rather have 5% in AC compensation than $250 straight out.... Even a grade school student could do the math at which one is more valuable to 99.9% of the population.
And $5k for a single ticket, lol, only a dumbass would pay that from their own pocket, I flew 150k miles this year for less than that, made 1K by August, and 70% of my flights were up front.
Even buying miles, a business ticket anywhere in the world would not cost more than $3k, and you still get the services of the magical whimsical concierge.
Last edited by rankourabu; Oct 1, 2013 at 6:58 pm
#55
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
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Posts: 4,396
Buying a few cheap tickets doesn't label one a bottom-feeder. ALWAYS buying cheap tickets does.
#56
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Whether I paid $500 and used my brain to upgrade, and someone else spent $5000 of their silver spoon money, we still get the same concierge
#57
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
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You're comparing reward tickets with revenue tickets. Apples and Oranges.
#58
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: YOW
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 968
Had forgotten Kelvin was on Airport so looked up some episodes with him.
Here's one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyA9MiHrVuw
The funny thing is that everyone thinks upgrades were better in the 'old days' but in the two I watched Kelvin managed only one upgrade and that was to only one of a group of travelers. The rest remained in the back.
Here's one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyA9MiHrVuw
The funny thing is that everyone thinks upgrades were better in the 'old days' but in the two I watched Kelvin managed only one upgrade and that was to only one of a group of travelers. The rest remained in the back.
#59
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: LGA
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Marriott Plat Prem., Hilton Gold, National Exec Elite.
Posts: 2,533
Try now!!!
They held the plane for me from YYZ to PHI when i went to the 25th anniversary last year. It was $100 cheaper to book YYC-YYZ-PHI, than just YYC-YYZ, and so I was dilly dallying at US customs (after YYC flight was delayed by an hour) when I noticed my flight was delayed by 20 min, and I got a call from a concierge telling me that she would meet me on the other side of customs to rush me to the waiting plane
Finally I put my foot down with these people and demanded they offload me from the flight because I was frustrated at the YYC delay, and then went through Canadian customs after grabbing my suitcase.
Worked out well though, AC gave me a free flight from YYZ to ROC the next day for having missed my PHI connection due to the YYC delay
They held the plane for me from YYZ to PHI when i went to the 25th anniversary last year. It was $100 cheaper to book YYC-YYZ-PHI, than just YYC-YYZ, and so I was dilly dallying at US customs (after YYC flight was delayed by an hour) when I noticed my flight was delayed by 20 min, and I got a call from a concierge telling me that she would meet me on the other side of customs to rush me to the waiting plane
Finally I put my foot down with these people and demanded they offload me from the flight because I was frustrated at the YYC delay, and then went through Canadian customs after grabbing my suitcase.
Worked out well though, AC gave me a free flight from YYZ to ROC the next day for having missed my PHI connection due to the YYC delay
#60
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Yes - that is what I said in my earlier post. Although interesting that if this was in FRA or MUC, the connection time would have been legal.
Agreed, although I'm not sure what connections there are out of YEG after 11:00 PM and likely few urgent meetings too. Anyway, as I pointed out, allowing me to board would not have delayed the departure.
Note: at no point was my post intended as a complaint about being mistreated by AC - I know the rules and in the end I was put on my "legal" connection. I was simply dealing with the topic at hand which is that in the "old days" there is no way that a SE standing at the gate five minutes before scheduled departure would have been denied boarding and a Concierge would have been willing and able to ensure that.
Note: at no point was my post intended as a complaint about being mistreated by AC - I know the rules and in the end I was put on my "legal" connection. I was simply dealing with the topic at hand which is that in the "old days" there is no way that a SE standing at the gate five minutes before scheduled departure would have been denied boarding and a Concierge would have been willing and able to ensure that.