Nov 15, 2014, 2:15 pm
Air Canada introduces zoned boarding
Jul 9, 2015, 1:03 pm
#2161
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The reaction I expect at YYZ is more along the lines of "Sir, this line is for priority boarding only. You're not allowed here. Go stand over there (pointing at 3-5)".
Jul 9, 2015, 1:08 pm
#2162
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Air Canada introduces zoned boarding
July 9 IAH-YYZ AC 8112. Zone boarding done perfectly. Considering IAH was awful before, they are proof that everyone can get it right.
Jul 9, 2015, 3:16 pm
#2163
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Jul 14, 2015, 10:57 pm
#2164
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YYC-YWG AC8334 July 14
Boarding announcement for zone 1 - proceeded to gate to stand behind two other persons in zone 1 / 2 while agent checking in zone 3. Continued to ignore those in 1/2 until another 6 people from zone 3 were processed.
Why bother.
Boarding announcement for zone 1 - proceeded to gate to stand behind two other persons in zone 1 / 2 while agent checking in zone 3. Continued to ignore those in 1/2 until another 6 people from zone 3 were processed.
Why bother.
Jul 15, 2015, 4:13 am
#2165
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GAs doing as they please, thumbing their noses at protocol.
Jul 15, 2015, 1:01 pm
#2166
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My recent experiences have generally been pretty good, actually.
June 22 AC8102 YYC-IAH boarded Zone 1 first.
June 24 AC8107 IAH-YYC boarded Zone 1 first.
June 26 AC844 YYC-FRA boarded all correctly (GAs started boarding before we could get on the plane, so heard the other announcements while stuck on the jetway).
July 12 AC845 FRA-YYC boarded Zone 1 first.
Completely unacceptable and ridiculous.
Good post. However, I disagree that customer complaints without hard evidence carry no weight. It's clearly impossible to record every interaction that every front-line employee has with customers. I understand that a single customer complaint likely isn't enough to get someone seriously disciplined or fired, but if there are repeated complaints about the same employee, especially if it's about similar issues, that is definitely cause for taking action against the employee.
mrs.sap was actually travelling on a separate PNR, but it's possible for AC's idiotic IT systems to assign different boarding zones on the BPs even if you're travelling on the same PNR. I had this happen recently in YVR with my girlfriend. Thankfully the GAs had no issue with it, but had we had the same GA that sap and mrs.sap had, there would have been trouble, let me tell you.
I was through IAH a couple of weeks ago (per list above) and it was fine. Going through again on Friday, we'll see how it goes.
Strange. I don't think I've had a single flight out of YYC this year where zone boarding hasn't been done correctly.
^
June 22 AC8102 YYC-IAH boarded Zone 1 first.
June 24 AC8107 IAH-YYC boarded Zone 1 first.
June 26 AC844 YYC-FRA boarded all correctly (GAs started boarding before we could get on the plane, so heard the other announcements while stuck on the jetway).
July 12 AC845 FRA-YYC boarded Zone 1 first.
Completely unacceptable and ridiculous.
Good post. However, I disagree that customer complaints without hard evidence carry no weight. It's clearly impossible to record every interaction that every front-line employee has with customers. I understand that a single customer complaint likely isn't enough to get someone seriously disciplined or fired, but if there are repeated complaints about the same employee, especially if it's about similar issues, that is definitely cause for taking action against the employee.
^
Jul 15, 2015, 1:13 pm
#2167
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YYZ YUL yesterday. Zonal boarding sorta success/fail. Zone 1 first. - success there
This is the part that ticks me off the most. As per last time, Mrs. SAP and I have the same last name, both with wedding rings. Nope, denied.
Yesterday, other FTer and I. Different race and age, and no checks done AT ALL, and yep, I just walked on in zone 1, when I should have been boarded in zone 2. Allowed.
What the proverbial upcoming cow??????????
This is the part that ticks me off the most. As per last time, Mrs. SAP and I have the same last name, both with wedding rings. Nope, denied.
Yesterday, other FTer and I. Different race and age, and no checks done AT ALL, and yep, I just walked on in zone 1, when I should have been boarded in zone 2. Allowed.
What the proverbial upcoming cow??????????
Jul 15, 2015, 1:13 pm
#2168
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I don't necessarily agree. In this case, these people have jobs that involve dealing with crowds; for such jobs, I don't think it is that unreasonable to film those interactions. After all, when you call customer service you are usually told that you are being recorded; it would sound unfair if it were illegal for the customer to record the interaction where he/she is been recorded.
Jul 15, 2015, 1:19 pm
#2169
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Two experiences yesterday.
AC1107: zone boarding was perfect, with the exception that they called 1-2 together, so I can assume that zone 1 would be bothered about it.
AC811: IST-YYZ. I suppose the employees are from TK? Boarding was complete chaos. They started boarding "business" with no announcement. When they felt they were done with business, it was "everybody in". I had zone 4, but by staying close to the passport check employees (instead of making a pointless line somewhere else where the majority was) I was able to get into the same bus as the business class passengers, who had to wait some 10 minutes in their bus. Then it was about one hour from "door closed" to take-off, but that's another story.
AC1107: zone boarding was perfect, with the exception that they called 1-2 together, so I can assume that zone 1 would be bothered about it.
AC811: IST-YYZ. I suppose the employees are from TK? Boarding was complete chaos. They started boarding "business" with no announcement. When they felt they were done with business, it was "everybody in". I had zone 4, but by staying close to the passport check employees (instead of making a pointless line somewhere else where the majority was) I was able to get into the same bus as the business class passengers, who had to wait some 10 minutes in their bus. Then it was about one hour from "door closed" to take-off, but that's another story.
Jul 15, 2015, 1:52 pm
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Jul 15, 2015, 2:44 pm
#2171
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Thanks guys for answering my wife.
So further to what she wrote (yes, I'm still trying to get her on FT more).
The gate agent refused her flat out. I won't say she was discriminatory but the first question was...how do you two know each other? (which implies she knows the rules). I said she's my wife. (we're not of the same race)
Ok..at this point I'm expecting no issues. She then says my wife cannot priority board because she's zone whatever (I don't remember now) and i'm in zone 2. I'm like...but she's my wife! She can board with me! Then the GA says no, she can't. Then she says ma'am, please wait your term.
At this point, everyone is still priority boarding and i'm like...well crap, I have our bags to throw up top. My wife is like...just take mine and go. And so I do.
During this time, I'm on the plane waiting for her and I'm so freakingly mad. I then send my wife (she still hasn't boarded at this point) the link from AC that shows spouses are eligible. I then encourage my wife to call the GA a moron as she boards and shows that same GA who refused her to board with me the article
I'm not sure if she did call the GA a moron (I would have for sure) but she did show the GA the thing on her phone.
Guess what the GA said?
(not quoting, but it was to the effect of) - I do this many times a day. I know the rules. The website must be wrong.
I almost lost it when I heard that. So i'll say what she should have said.
MORONS! Grr.
So further to what she wrote (yes, I'm still trying to get her on FT more).
The gate agent refused her flat out. I won't say she was discriminatory but the first question was...how do you two know each other? (which implies she knows the rules). I said she's my wife. (we're not of the same race)
Ok..at this point I'm expecting no issues. She then says my wife cannot priority board because she's zone whatever (I don't remember now) and i'm in zone 2. I'm like...but she's my wife! She can board with me! Then the GA says no, she can't. Then she says ma'am, please wait your term.
At this point, everyone is still priority boarding and i'm like...well crap, I have our bags to throw up top. My wife is like...just take mine and go. And so I do.
During this time, I'm on the plane waiting for her and I'm so freakingly mad. I then send my wife (she still hasn't boarded at this point) the link from AC that shows spouses are eligible. I then encourage my wife to call the GA a moron as she boards and shows that same GA who refused her to board with me the article
I'm not sure if she did call the GA a moron (I would have for sure) but she did show the GA the thing on her phone.
Guess what the GA said?
(not quoting, but it was to the effect of) - I do this many times a day. I know the rules. The website must be wrong.
I almost lost it when I heard that. So i'll say what she should have said.
MORONS! Grr.
Jul 15, 2015, 4:04 pm
#2172
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It's getting better, but it's still clearly hit or miss. I'll often hear 1 call for group 1 then that's it. I've also heard Group 3-5 all at once, which if I were in group 3 would piss me off to no end. I'm not sure who's in Group 3 at this point, but when I was UA group 5, I just knew there'd be no overhead space, whereas if you're group 3 you might be ok, but that only works if 4/5 go after you.
The other thing that still gets me (more for smaller aircrafts/gates/stations) is the lice! I love when someone asks me if I'm group 1, cuz I certainly don't look like it. But I don't know if people just can't read or are ignorant, but the sign clearly says 1, so if you're group 2, why are you standing in this line? It's not NEARLY as bad with the gates that show 1/2/3-5 but those gates that have the 1-2 then 3-5 signs suck. They really should be 1/2-5 but making sure they weed out the 3/4/5s when they call for group 2.
Jul 15, 2015, 6:40 pm
#2173
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July 10 LHR-YYZ 869
Called 1 and 2 together...it was a long line
Jul 15, 2015, 8:53 pm
#2174
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Jul 15, 2015, 9:20 pm
#2175
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