AC Presence on FT
May 22, 2014, 11:49 pm
#721
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YYJ
Programs: AC SE100K; AS MVP Gold75K; Fairmont Platinum; SPG/Marriott Platinum
Posts: 148
YYJ - YVR Issues
Thank you for looking into this. I can only reiterate how frustrating it (and tiring) it is to sit waiting for a flight as one or two earlier flights leave for YYJ with empty seats when completing a TATL or TPAC trip. Minimum connection times and common sense mean leaving a connection buffer but more often than not flights arrive on time and we are left sitting at YVR or paying a SDC fee.
Thanks for making yourselves available here. Classy move, and much appreciated.
I'd like to second YYJForever's post but draw it even further.
The typical costs for a YYJYVR r/t in Flex at T-14 are around the $400 mark. The flight time is 13 minutes o/w which must make this route one of the shortest in the system.
With Victoria being the provincial capital and Vancouver being the economic hub, the route sees a lot of same-day business travel to meetings and the like. As durations of meetings are often hard to predict, it's difficult to nail down exact return times.
Having spent $400+ for 26 no-service minutes in a Dash-8, I find it highly aggravating to be fleeced for another $78 just to get on an earlier flight. Especially with no luggage, and plenty of seats available. There's a flight every hour and with no on-board service it resembles taking a bus.
It would be nice if you could extend the same courtesy you offer business travellers in the YOWYYZ corridor to your best customers on the westcoast. A Flex ticket should provide E/SE with free same day changes on the YYJYVR route.
Harbour Air with downtown-to-downtown service has offered that courtesy for years. I happily give you my business, bother with security and add another 30 minutes on the Skytrain to get downtown, but, as I said, I don't want to be fleeced on top of it.
You may also want to consider a Vancouver Island FlightPass.
Thanks for listening.
May 23, 2014, 2:58 am
#722
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: SQ *Gold
Posts: 871
This question is purely to fulfill my curiosity and was sparked by another thread on the new airport in Fort McMurray and the tidbit that AC expressed initial interest in putting an MLL there.
I have always wondered why it is that YQR had an MLL but not YXE. Are there really that many more J-class and elite passengers in Regina than Saskatoon (which is slightly bigger in population and has a busier airport). Or, is it an issue of space? Coming from Alberta, where the mantra of every Edmontonian and Calgarian is "if the other city has one, then so must we", I would think that this might be quite a sore point for Saskatonian FFers!
Also, why is it that YQK does not have a properly branded MLL?
I have always wondered why it is that YQR had an MLL but not YXE. Are there really that many more J-class and elite passengers in Regina than Saskatoon (which is slightly bigger in population and has a busier airport). Or, is it an issue of space? Coming from Alberta, where the mantra of every Edmontonian and Calgarian is "if the other city has one, then so must we", I would think that this might be quite a sore point for Saskatonian FFers!
Also, why is it that YQK does not have a properly branded MLL?
Last edited by jbb; May 23, 2014 at 3:04 am
May 23, 2014, 5:08 am
#723
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Flew over the Equator 55 times last 3 years
Programs: LANPASS Comodoro (Emerald), others
Posts: 2,957
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.
May 23, 2014, 5:39 am
#724
Join Date: May 2012
Location: YOW
Programs: UA*1K, Marriott Titanium (LTP), Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,665
I do agree though, especially TB/Intl in YYZ; I always wonder why I bothered to use my NEXUS when I'm just standing around for 30-45 minutes, instead of at least shuffling through corals to keep me distracted.
May 23, 2014, 5:42 am
#725
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC-SE MM
Posts: 1,251
It's interesting in YOW, where for the past year they now display a message stating that "Baggage delivery is the responsibility of your airline", and "Average baggage delivery time is 20 minutes". Sounds like a bit of a PR campaign to deflect ire away from the airport authority.
I do agree though, especially TB/Intl in YYZ; I always wonder why I bothered to use my NEXUS when I'm just standing around for 30-45 minutes, instead of at least shuffling through corals to keep me distracted.
I do agree though, especially TB/Intl in YYZ; I always wonder why I bothered to use my NEXUS when I'm just standing around for 30-45 minutes, instead of at least shuffling through corals to keep me distracted.
May 23, 2014, 6:22 am
#726
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: YYG
Programs: airlines and hotels and rental cars - oh my!
Posts: 3,000
I couldn't agree more, which is why - being based in YYZ - I avoid checking bags at all costs.
May 23, 2014, 7:35 am
#727
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,864
Really frustrating pain point if one of the Ben's can look into it. In my personal travels, i've run into this. Let's say I have a $1500 flight credit, and I can squeeze a latitude fair outbound and a flex fare inbound online, i'm right at $1500 (as an example). Once I call into the call center, I get quoted twice or 3x as much as the same B fare for latitude. Then I'll spend 45 minutes to an hour as the agent works with the resources desk, to then finally be able to "honor" the online fare. The main issue is that the B fares online and called in are different $, and the agent, and the customer ends up frustrated as the agent goes...what the heck? 
Please help us with this! Thanks!
Please help us with this! Thanks!
May 23, 2014, 7:37 am
#728
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,864
Ben & Ben,
Thanks for making yourselves available here. Classy move, and much appreciated.
I'd like to second YYJForever's post but draw it even further.
The typical costs for a YYJYVR r/t in Flex at T-14 are around the $400 mark. The flight time is 13 minutes o/w which must make this route one of the shortest in the system.
With Victoria being the provincial capital and Vancouver being the economic hub, the route sees a lot of same-day business travel to meetings and the like. As durations of meetings are often hard to predict, it's difficult to nail down exact return times.
Having spent $400+ for 26 no-service minutes in a Dash-8, I find it highly aggravating to be fleeced for another $78 just to get on an earlier flight. Especially with no luggage, and plenty of seats available. There's a flight every hour and with no on-board service it resembles taking a bus.
It would be nice if you could extend the same courtesy you offer business travellers in the YOWYYZ corridor to your best customers on the westcoast. A Flex ticket should provide E/SE with free same day changes on the YYJYVR route.
Harbour Air with downtown-to-downtown service has offered that courtesy for years. I happily give you my business, bother with security and add another 30 minutes on the Skytrain to get downtown, but, as I said, I don't want to be fleeced on top of it.
You may also want to consider a Vancouver Island FlightPass.
Thanks for listening.
Thanks for making yourselves available here. Classy move, and much appreciated.
I'd like to second YYJForever's post but draw it even further.
The typical costs for a YYJYVR r/t in Flex at T-14 are around the $400 mark. The flight time is 13 minutes o/w which must make this route one of the shortest in the system.
With Victoria being the provincial capital and Vancouver being the economic hub, the route sees a lot of same-day business travel to meetings and the like. As durations of meetings are often hard to predict, it's difficult to nail down exact return times.
Having spent $400+ for 26 no-service minutes in a Dash-8, I find it highly aggravating to be fleeced for another $78 just to get on an earlier flight. Especially with no luggage, and plenty of seats available. There's a flight every hour and with no on-board service it resembles taking a bus.
It would be nice if you could extend the same courtesy you offer business travellers in the YOWYYZ corridor to your best customers on the westcoast. A Flex ticket should provide E/SE with free same day changes on the YYJYVR route.
Harbour Air with downtown-to-downtown service has offered that courtesy for years. I happily give you my business, bother with security and add another 30 minutes on the Skytrain to get downtown, but, as I said, I don't want to be fleeced on top of it.
You may also want to consider a Vancouver Island FlightPass.
Thanks for listening.
May 23, 2014, 7:43 am
#729
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,864
Interesting answer. Why do I suspect that you may not fully understand the full extent of the problem? I, if not many here, can assure you often it has nothing to do with some new policy. But if this is the AC perception then it will be a long wait to see an improvement. Could it be that things are so complicated now and so many changes happening, it seems almost a Herculean task to keep everyone trained up?
May 23, 2014, 9:02 am
#731
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,747
Travel Agent bookings
The last few times I've had a booking made through a travel agent, I noticed that I can't add my Aeroplan number to the booking through Manage My Bookings. Would it be possible to add more functionality to the Manage My Bookings tab so that I have the same options, no matter if the ticket is purchased through AC.com or any other channel?
May 23, 2014, 9:14 am
#732
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YEG
Programs: AC: Ac*A, , Nexus: Expired
Posts: 1,489
May 23, 2014, 9:16 am
#733
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, Bonvoy, Alaska, Avios
Posts: 1,290
I also hope they fixed the phone lines in the lost baggage dept. While I was happy to get our bags back, calling them sounded like talking between tin cans and string. Add the foreign accents and I never did call to confirm I got my bags back.
May 23, 2014, 10:40 am
#734
Flying Blue Director
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CDG/AMS
Posts: 1,864
It was intentional. We are re-evaluating to see if it should be changed.
May 23, 2014, 10:43 am
#735
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 4,604
The issue is we file special fares to our website, called 'derived fares.' This differs from other B fares which are straight filed in the GDS. Therefore, a call centre agent would naturally not be able to see the web-only fares at first glance. Remember, we always offer the lowest fares on AC.com!