AC Presence on FT

Old May 22, 2014, 4:32 pm
  #661  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by willflyforfood
can anyone argue against the point made that the budget brands in a hotel chain are categorically designed to offer travelers a "budget" price hotel stay? A one-off comparison of a single evening notwithstanding, a night's stay at a Ritz-Carlton will always cost more than a night's stay at that chain's "budget" or "downscale" roof.

More to the point, Ben(s), is that the comments you are hearing is that you've created a budget model for you without the convenient by-product of creating a budget model for PAX. I applaud your attempts to try and bring AC out of the red, but don't try and convince pax that it's a good deal to book ROUGE for the same price as what the former mainline version of that flight once cost.
Well, to your point about hotel comparisons, it's important to note that a Ritz-Carlton will never compete with a budget hotel; they are two separate entities, and are priced to what the market will bear. We take the same approach with rouge - it was never meant to be a low fare carrier (key difference between low fare and low cost, BTW), but rather, as Ben mentioned, one that would allow use to compete in markets where the mainline product was not financially sustainable. Don't recall seeing an airport Ritz, for example.

It also competes with a different segment of the market: those that would consider TS or WG. The introduction of rouge didn't mean that we would necessarily slash prices, but rather it allows us to compete effectively in this segment. If prices are high, it means one of two things: 1) the flights are full, or 2) the competition is priced similarly (sometimes this is combined with #1). It is important to note that we will not voluntarily discount the product because it is materially different from mainline, as that would negate our cost advantage, so we continue to use revenue management techniques to maximise our yield where possible. If the fares are high it's because the planes are full and people are paying them. From a business perspective, we are like everybody else in this regard.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:37 pm
  #662  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by OttawaMark
Rouge seems to exist only as a tool for AC profitability and not as a true low cost alternative for the leisure traveler. You are simply offering mainline prices while giving far less comfort than mainline travellers receive. Why would I ever choose Rouge?
Well, that's exactly why we launched it: to help drive our profitability and appeal to customers by offering service to destinations that we would not be able to otherwise. Would you rather have an option to earn miles while flying direct to YYZDUB/MAN/LIS/VCE/EDI, or not at all? Often where we offer rouge we are the only non-stop option, or compete with other charter carriers (TS/WG): LIS/EDI/VCE, MAN competes with TS, many Sun destinations, etc.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:37 pm
  #663  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: AC*SE
Posts: 1,901
Originally Posted by Ben Lipsey
We invest in extensive and continuous training for our call centre agents. Obviously, policies change and sometimes you may catch someone who hasn't yet had a chance to familiarise his/herself with the new policy. We strive to ensure consistency, and we are working on new ways to make sure the first person you talk to will be able to appropriately handle your issue.
I have to say it's not always about understanding policy, some agents just don't know how to do things or don't understand how a ticket can be changed - it doesn't necessarily reflect new policy changes but, sometimes old rules. Much like Concierge's that used to be agents know all about the booking system and can be super helpful while new ones that came in off the street need to call ticketing for help with everything.

Originally Posted by yvr76
Speaking of web site, something that has always bothered me. I have to go to 4 separate spots to view my AC bookings:

- AC booked online -> My Bookings
- AC flight passes --> My Flight Passes -> Bookings
- AC booked over phone -> e-mail
- reward travel -> Aeroplan web site

I know the last one is complicated, but if my Aeroplan # is attached to my revenue phone bookings, web bookings and flight pass bookings, why can't I just see them all on one page on the web site?
+1 It would be great, even for bookings I make while not logged in but have my AE # associated for them all to show up.

Originally Posted by Ben Lipsey
Passed your comments on to our web team. Stay tuned for a whole new website launching next year.
A new website is very exciting, hopefully the booking engine is a bit improved. I've noticed, since many of the flights I book start in YZF, that when there's a forced long stopover (beyond the usual 4 hour window) the web engine barfs on it. I used to have a contact I could e-mail with specific routings that didn't work, but it drives you nuts to find out you can't book basic routes via the website and need to call in (or use Expedia).
CdnFlier is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:37 pm
  #664  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by Premiere Elite - YEG
+1 and amen, ridefar! This is the number 1 question that I wanted to ask our Ben-Santas after reading the hundreds of replies to this thread. I've thoroughly enjoyed the hassle free and SDC free environment out East and feel it is ideally suited as per the post above. I'd even accept just YYC-YEG as a start. Puhleeeeze, I have been a really good SE this year.

BTW, thanks for professionally engaging us at FT. You've more than stepped up to the task and your tone/demeanour is spot-on for us faithful AC status monkeys.
We are always considering new options. Can't comment either way obviously, but don't think your comments go unheard.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:39 pm
  #665  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by danapop
I would not be surprised to see rouge enter mainline routes as well. Possibly seeing reduced capacity on mainline YYZ-LHR and adding rouge capacity to compete with Thomas Cook etc. this will offer (I assume) two price points...
At present, we do not plan on having rouge compete with mainline. In other words, you will never see AC and rouge metal operating the same route. Of course this could change tomorrow, but for now we strive for consistency.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:40 pm
  #666  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by Skiguy
Ben(s),
Thanks for making yourselves available for our questions, critiques and kudos.

Question for either of you - given that the Android OS is the dominant operating system for mobile phones everywhere, when is Air Canada going to put out an Android app that works?
This is in the works.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:44 pm
  #667  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by visitor
Hello Ben and Ben,

Thanks for all your answers. My question:

I am a heavy user of Latitude Flight Passes, including Europe Passes. Given that Latitude is more expensive than Premium Economy most if not all the time, why does a Latitude fare not automatically get a PE seat? I have yet to be in a position where this is an issue, but just wondering...

Best

Visitor
Same reason why a Latitude does not get a J seat when priced more than Z. With Lat fares we are selling flexibility, and assuming no fare inversions, O fares should always be priced more than Y/B. Not to say that you won't see the more restricted E or N fares priced less than Latitude, but those are not flexible. In this case you are trading comfort for flexibility.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:49 pm
  #668  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,273
Originally Posted by Ben Lipsey
We take the same approach with rouge - it was never meant to be a low fare carrier (key difference between low fare and low cost, BTW).
I hope this direct quote gets picked up by the media.
It keeps getting called low-cost carrier - and never discussed whose low cost.
rankourabu is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:50 pm
  #669  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by WR Cage
Also, is there any possibility of getting AC onto the UA hubs out of YYC? Specifically DEN, ORD, and SFO. I would even appreciate rouge service in SFO route. Looking at DEN there is a strong connection between the two cities with many YYC based companies with regional offices in the Denver area (Encana, Agrium, and Suncor come to mind but there are many others). For my little midsize energy services company, our USA headquarters is in Denver. Most people in my office prefer the CRA over the UAX CR7, while I am not advocating replacement of UA mainline service, augmenting the route with CRA would be an improvement and would drive YYC based traffic to AC express over UAX.
We try and stay away from operating our metal to OAL hubs. Not to say there is no value in adding a YYC-DEN AC flight, but we wouldn't operate it purely to feed a UA hub.

Originally Posted by WR Cage
For YYC Hawaii flts, when can we expect to see rouge on the run. If I need to do a year end mileage run, premium rouge earn rate to UA is very good, but I would need to see an early (ie July) commitment as to putting rouge 763 onto Hawaii.

AC used to offer once per week service YYC-MBJ and I believe YYC-CUN was operated by the 763. Is there any possibility of getting these services with rouge? Premium rouge with a Sandals all inclusive package through ACV would be a compelling value proposition.
We are always considering new route opportunities. That said, and this is pure speculation on my part, if it is not announced with the rest of the Winter sked, I wouldn't bank on it being added for W1415.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:55 pm
  #670  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by tracon
Could we trouble you for a similar analysis of the YVR-HKG market?
The "market leader" in the nonstop market uses 2X daily 275 seat 77W.
AC uses 1X daily 458 seat 77W.
The market leader also has a hub at the other end and sells a LOT of flow traffic. For us it's mostly an O&D market, so the larger aircraft allows us to be more competitive.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 4:55 pm
  #671  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: *G^2, Bonvoyed, NEXUS
Posts: 3,497
Originally Posted by FlyerGoldII
It would be nice to include in the Rapid Air pass the following options:

YOW-YUL
YOW to YTZ via YUL
Both those options are already included in the Rapid Air pass.
D582 is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 5:05 pm
  #672  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by LockheedElectra
Well done Ben and Ben; very refreshing to see some questions answered, even the 'trivial' ones. People here spend a lot of time on aircraft so it is interesting to see what is on people's minds.

My pet peeve is checking in while rushing (late as usual) to an airport served by AC and unable to print a BP, then finding the check in staff also serve as gate staff, and then missing my flight. Most recently happened in ATL, and I arrived 55 minutes before my flight, so had lots of time. This happens to me 3 or 4 times a year at ATL, BWI, and used to happen in MSY until check in was moved to United. Is it not possible to put check in kiosks in a couple of these airports? It seems you have made a significant investment in ATL check in already to compete with DL.

Thanks
In many of our smaller outstations we have the same ckin staff working as ground staff. You should never see an empty ckin desk prior to the flight closing, but at T-55 technically the flight is closed and you wouldn't be able to check in anyway so they make their way to the gate to begin the boarding process. As Ben mentioned, we are aiming to have a more consistent ground product going forward so you should see more kiosks soon, and the mobile BPs x/US are coming (or so I'm told).
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 5:07 pm
  #673  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by lespoir
I assume that "AC offers 4 choices on premium long haul NA routes..." means the copied menu from the existing international business classes, at least that is my impression from the late trip of mine from IST to YYZ and from YYZ to YYC, when I saw the menu choices from YYZ-YYC leg was the 4 typical choices, so I skipped and just preferred for the freshly baked cookies. But only found out that the flight attendant was only making 16 cookies - one for each J class passenger.

On my IST-YYZ flight, I asked if I could opt out for the main entre dishes, and could I take one fruit plate and one desert, the answer was no.
International and domestic/premium long haul meal choices are indeed different. We strive for consistency and like to offer a choice of beef, chicken, fish, pasta across all our intl/PLH flights. As Ben mentioned more catering options are being evaluated and you should see some changes in the near future.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 5:08 pm
  #674  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by Stranger
I don't think Aeroplan has any kind of relationship with the "operating carrier." They buy their tickets from AC, period.

And I am sure quite cheap too, since they sell miles at around 0.8 cents. So a Y ticket to Europe, $480. You seriously expect AC to sell them many tickets at that price?

Plus, given the tons of miles they sell to CCs and the likes, surely they need to buy quite a few tickets.
Aeroplan doesn't buy their redemption tickets on OAL from AC, they buy them from the OAL directly. They are our biggest customer because they buy a lot of redemption tickets directly from us, but the only tickets they buy from us are for flights that we operate.
Ben Lipsey is offline  
Old May 22, 2014, 5:09 pm
  #675  
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by theseatbelt
For YYZ luggage claims (domestic), are there anything being done about the slowness of getting luggage on to the baggage claim area? it's one of the worst airports for luggage claims and one reason why I hate checking luggage to YYZ

Also at least in YYC there is a countdown timer estimating the time it will take for luggage to arrive. Can that be implemented in YYZ?
This is more of a question for the GTAA than AC, but obviously we work closely with them. This is a common issue and we are working on ways to resolve it.
Ben Lipsey is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.