Nov 15, 2014, 2:15 pm
Air Canada introduces zoned boarding
Jun 2, 2017, 11:34 am
#3331
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
Love the phrase pickles out.
Has anyone whom has experienced the Zone 5 preferred seat tried to get someone at the airport to fix it? While I'm not confident it'll be met with more than a comment about how that's not how it works...I am curious. Especially as a future non Elite preferred seat buyer.
Has anyone whom has experienced the Zone 5 preferred seat tried to get someone at the airport to fix it? While I'm not confident it'll be met with more than a comment about how that's not how it works...I am curious. Especially as a future non Elite preferred seat buyer.
Jun 2, 2017, 12:00 pm
#3332
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YUL
Programs: ✈ AC 1MM / S100K - SPG Lifetime Platinum = BONVoY Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,496
@ FRA. called zone 1 and 2 together. I asked why they were not asking for zone 1 alone. They replied because the flight was late departing. I replied , what difference does that make , and boarded.
And off course gate lice jamming up the entire area.
Jun 2, 2017, 5:51 pm
#3333
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
If they couldn't be bothered to even do it right, they should just call all zones all at once and make it like the good old days.
Jun 13, 2017, 5:42 pm
#3334
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 9
Love the phrase pickles out.
Has anyone whom has experienced the Zone 5 preferred seat tried to get someone at the airport to fix it? While I'm not confident it'll be met with more than a comment about how that's not how it works...I am curious. Especially as a future non Elite preferred seat buyer.
Has anyone whom has experienced the Zone 5 preferred seat tried to get someone at the airport to fix it? While I'm not confident it'll be met with more than a comment about how that's not how it works...I am curious. Especially as a future non Elite preferred seat buyer.
Jun 13, 2017, 8:51 pm
#3335
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/fly/at-the-airport/boarding-by-zone.html
Jun 14, 2017, 11:04 pm
#3336
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: United Gold *G, Nexus/GE, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 59
On Monday evening I flew on a UA award SFO-YVR-YUL. I was upgraded (CPU) on the UA segment SFO-YVR. For the YVR-YUL segment on AC in Y, I bought a preferred seat in row 18 (A320) and ended up with a Zone 2 boarding pass. It was a pleasant surprise since I only expected to get Zone 3 at best. Perhaps it was a mistake? I only have *S status at best.
Jun 15, 2017, 5:58 am
#3337
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
On Monday evening I flew on a UA award SFO-YVR-YUL. I was upgraded (CPU) on the UA segment SFO-YVR. For the YVR-YUL segment on AC in Y, I bought a preferred seat in row 18 (A320) and ended up with a Zone 2 boarding pass. It was a pleasant surprise since I only expected to get Zone 3 at best. Perhaps it was a mistake? I only have *S status at best.
Edit - Lat also gets Z2 but I believe then preferred seats are free.
Last edited by jc94; Jun 15, 2017 at 6:06 am
Jun 15, 2017, 11:08 am
#3338
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO/SJC/OAK
Programs: OZ Diamond (*G), KQ Asante Gold (ST+), Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,511
Sounds like an IT error. Unless you have AC Elite or *G status you should be Zone 3. Unless AC has started some kind of system like UA apparently has where E35k and *S gets priority services. At least I heard UA were unofficially doing it, I've only flown UA F as an E35
Edit - Lat also gets Z2 but I believe then preferred seats are free.
Edit - Lat also gets Z2 but I believe then preferred seats are free.
Jun 15, 2017, 11:40 am
#3339
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,353
My counter example would be last summer, doing EYW with a P25K on my PNR.
YYC-YWG, upgraded, we're both zone 1.
YWG-YXE, single-cabin, I'm zone 1 (SE), and he's zone 4 (even though he's on the same PNR).
If you book YYZ-YVR-YYJ in J and are not SE, YVR-YYJ is not going to be zone 1.
Zone numbers are calculated segment by segment. And they're calculated poorly
Though as SE, I don't think I've ever not been zone 1, but I've seen plenty of other crap for non-SEs.
Jun 16, 2017, 12:54 am
#3340
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: United Gold *G, Nexus/GE, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 59
Sounds like an IT error. Unless you have AC Elite or *G status you should be Zone 3. Unless AC has started some kind of system like UA apparently has where E35k and *S gets priority services. At least I heard UA were unofficially doing it, I've only flown UA F as an E35
Edit - Lat also gets Z2 but I believe then preferred seats are free.
Edit - Lat also gets Z2 but I believe then preferred seats are free.
Jun 18, 2017, 2:29 pm
#3341
Join Date: May 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC Altitude E35K
Posts: 27
Is there a resource that indicates which rows on a particular aircraft corresponds to Zones 3, 4, and 5? Or is the economy cabin always divided evenly amongst the three zones?
Jun 19, 2017, 2:26 pm
#3342
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton G,Nexus, Amex MR Plat,IHG Plat
Posts: 4,428
Zone 1 and 2 called together
At YYZ and just boarded. Priority boarding announcement that they will board by zones. Then the automated zone 1 announcement. Before boarding even begins, 3 secs later zone 2 announcement. The second GA told zone 2 that they would have to wait but they pointed out that the announcement for zone 2 was made.
I changed to this flight due to IRROPs and was helped by a concierge on the phone. Went to SE transborder desk to check for better seat and was told that they charge for preferred seats. Hello? I am at the SE desk ? Reminded him of the policy and received a grunt in return.
I changed to this flight due to IRROPs and was helped by a concierge on the phone. Went to SE transborder desk to check for better seat and was told that they charge for preferred seats. Hello? I am at the SE desk ? Reminded him of the policy and received a grunt in return.
Jun 19, 2017, 2:41 pm
#3343
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: TK *G
Posts: 3,099
At YYZ and just boarded. Priority boarding announcement that they will board by zones. Then the automated zone 1 announcement. Before boarding even begins, 3 secs later zone 2 announcement. The second GA told zone 2 that they would have to wait but they pointed out that the announcement for zone 2 was made.
I changed to this flight due to IRROPs and was helped by a concierge on the phone. Went to SE transborder desk to check for better seat and was told that they charge for preferred seats. Hello? I am at the SE desk ? Reminded him of the policy and received a grunt in return.
I changed to this flight due to IRROPs and was helped by a concierge on the phone. Went to SE transborder desk to check for better seat and was told that they charge for preferred seats. Hello? I am at the SE desk ? Reminded him of the policy and received a grunt in return.
I would really like to hear from GAs about their rationals for not boarding in the right order.
Jun 19, 2017, 3:34 pm
#3344
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
I haven't found a definitive answer but it generally appears to be evenly divided. So if you don't have priority boarding, try to get the front row of the back third. That should give you zone 3 and allow you to board before the zone 4 group in case you need to put your bag in the overhead bin a row or two ahead of you.
Jun 20, 2017, 9:13 am
#3345
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton G,Nexus, Amex MR Plat,IHG Plat
Posts: 4,428
The priority boarding is really a myth. It has been rolled out for almost 3 years now, yet it is implemented poorly even at large station. I mean, come on, what's so complicated to board people in group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5? I would really like to hear from GAs about their rationals for not boarding in the right order.
I would really like to hear from GAs about their rationals for not boarding in the right order.