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The Air Canada Forum Lounge Thread (2015)

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Old Jan 11, 2015, 10:39 pm
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This new annual thread has been carved out of the previous thread in an effort to reduce the number of megathreads on the AC forum. For those interested the original 2004 - 2014 thread on the topic may be found here.

That original thread started by accident but quickly became a popular place to come and discuss off topic things such as hockey, new movies, or almost anything that wouldn't fit into existing AC forum threads. More Air Canada or Aeroplan topics such as flight feedback, in-flight services issues or mileage earning/redemption are all topics that should go into existing AC forum threads so others can benefit from this information. Topics about other airline/hotel loyalty programs should be posted elsewhere on FT.

While the conversation is more relaxed as it would be in a lounge that doesn't mean however that the FT rules don't apply her as they definitely do so please refrain from controversial topics such as politics or religion, avoid profanities and treat other lounge patrons with the same respect you expect.

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The Air Canada Forum Lounge Thread (2015)

Old Jul 30, 2015, 6:25 pm
  #1501  
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Originally Posted by superangrypenguin
Well just to follow up, the manager at Hy's called me.

1) Situation is resolved
2) It was an abnormal situation (like WRT to the 18% tip thing for splitting a bill). SOP was not followed

Offered to make it right as well. So will I try this place again? Probably. The food was good.

//moving along
You mean Caesar's, right?

Originally Posted by superangrypenguin
This blows my mind. Someone who TRIES to get VDB'd. LOL

[I have no idea how you do it]
There can be good money in it. When I was going to FRA last month, overheard the calls for a YYC-YXE flight. They were offering $800 for someone willing to go about 3 hours later. If I had been on that flight, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

Originally Posted by Nitehawk
Well I'm single now, and I have a tinder date tomorrow in YVR. I don't mind being a day late so I can stop in YVR on my way to YYJ.
Don't you usually get to YVR a day early?
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 6:27 pm
  #1502  
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Originally Posted by adam.smith
You mean Caesar's,
Oops. Yes at Caesars.
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 6:59 pm
  #1503  
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Originally Posted by superangrypenguin
Oops. Yes at Caesars.
Drinking again?
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 7:36 pm
  #1504  
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Ohhh, more drama!

So, it turns out that the sneaky little buggers at Caesar's only called me today. Most likely because a Fairmont person called Caesar's (according to the Fairmont they send a lot of business there way). They did not call Adam.

What had happened was that the Caesar's manager called me, apologized, (and then some private stuff as to what else happened), and offered me a gift card. I said, no no, I don't usually come by this way, make sure you follow up with Adam and give it to him! Job done, right?

And so Adam and I are on email and I realized that Adam was never called. No apology for him. At this point, I am livid. (to be fair, I was bothered last night but never angry). That means the restaurant never called Adam to apologize and (unless they mailed it) never wanted to send Adam a gift card.

So why the unfair service recovery? Probably because the Fairmont people got involved.

Yes, people mess up from time to time, but you can tell how an establishment really cares about its customers based on how genuine they are in their reply. To me, it made me superangry, because that means the manager called me because they really didn't care about our experience, they just wanted to make sure the Fairmont was appeased.

I'm not amused. I followed up with the staff here at the Fairmont to explain what happened and to make sure that the restaurant follows up with what they promised me and to apologize to Adam.

The restaurant had both of our business cards, with our phone numbers. Adam's job title is cooler than mine too, and he dines there a lot more than I do. Wrong move Caesar's.

So for me, I'm never going back. Service recovery fail.
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 7:55 pm
  #1505  
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Originally Posted by SparseFlyer
Woah woah woah!

We may have severely overestimated my Japanese LOL

All I got was something about understanding that it was an error, saying sorry, and about staying somewhere in Tokyo. Then something something Osaka. LOL

Sorry I have failed you sir.
LOL. My Japanese isn't stellar either - a year's worth of intense learning will get you enough to survive Japan if left to your own devices. Still have lots to learn. Difficult language. Almost the complete opposite of English.

Anyway, I simply apologized for being rude in not responding to your post and that I often stay at the Westin Tokyo... but if I don't go to Tokyo then it's Osaka. Then I asked where you are.
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 8:03 pm
  #1506  
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Originally Posted by adam.smith
I've had mixed experiences with Hy's so far. Service has generally been mediocre, food is pretty good but not quite as good as Caesar's, albeit slightly more modern. So I generally still pick Caesar's.

But if you're ever in town and want a steak, nomad, let me know and I'll take you somewhere good.
Based on the weird back and forth experience that SAP is having with getting the situation rectified, I am still more inclined to do Hy's if I were to be in the area

But since you seem to know your yyc restos, I'll let you know when I'll be back.
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 8:31 pm
  #1507  
 
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Originally Posted by adam.smith
But I was livid at the 18% mandatory gratuity to split the bill (which we needed to do so SAP could expense his share). I understand the concept of the mandatory tip for a large group, but to do that to split a very simple two-person bill, I have never seen that before anywhere.
Thanks for the background story. I didn't think about SAP's expense report and indeed my solution wouldn't have helped in that case.
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 8:48 pm
  #1508  
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Originally Posted by superangrypenguin
Ohhh, more drama!

So, it turns out that the sneaky little buggers at Caesar's only called me today. Most likely because a Fairmont person called Caesar's (according to the Fairmont they send a lot of business there way). They did not call Adam.

What had happened was that the Caesar's manager called me, apologized, (and then some private stuff as to what else happened), and offered me a gift card. I said, no no, I don't usually come by this way, make sure you follow up with Adam and give it to him! Job done, right?

And so Adam and I are on email and I realized that Adam was never called. No apology for him. At this point, I am livid. (to be fair, I was bothered last night but never angry). That means the restaurant never called Adam to apologize and (unless they mailed it) never wanted to send Adam a gift card.

So why the unfair service recovery? Probably because the Fairmont people got involved.

Yes, people mess up from time to time, but you can tell how an establishment really cares about its customers based on how genuine they are in their reply. To me, it made me superangry, because that means the manager called me because they really didn't care about our experience, they just wanted to make sure the Fairmont was appeased.

I'm not amused. I followed up with the staff here at the Fairmont to explain what happened and to make sure that the restaurant follows up with what they promised me and to apologize to Adam.

The restaurant had both of our business cards, with our phone numbers. Adam's job title is cooler than mine too, and he dines there a lot more than I do. Wrong move Caesar's.

So for me, I'm never going back. Service recovery fail.
I have a one or two strike policy... pretty low tolerance for BS. Sometimes a company would call me to ask why I haven't been using their services as of late to which I give them a cathartic middle finger before explaining the reason.
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 8:51 pm
  #1509  
 
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Originally Posted by yyznomad
I have a one or two strike policy... pretty low tolerance for BS. Sometimes a company would call me to ask why I haven't been using their services as of late to which I give them a cathartic middle finger before explaining the reason.
"Thank you for your candid feedback, sir. We hope we have the pleasure of serving you in the near future."
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 8:54 pm
  #1510  
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Originally Posted by ffsim
"Thank you for your candid feedback, sir. We hope we have the pleasure of serving you in the near future."
Yep. It seems the more I don't care the more they want me back. Like an ex-gf.
I guess I spend enough for them to even care...!
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 9:02 pm
  #1511  
 
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Originally Posted by Nitehawk
Sitting at YXJ ariport trying to get VDB'd lol. I encountered IRROPS on my last three attempts to fly this week. I got 2 hours of sleep in an air canada sponsored hotel last night. I just want my $800 and the chance to go to bed! The concierge was very apologetic last night at YYZ before he sent me to YYC...

Y0 B0 M0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 G0 S0 T0 L0 A0 K0
UGH. YXJ is NOT a favourite airport (or town) to be stuck at/in. Done it more than once. I feel for ya!
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 9:15 pm
  #1512  
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Originally Posted by nomadic.relief
UGH. YXJ is NOT a favourite airport (or town) to be stuck at/in. Done it more than once. I feel for ya!
Handled 186,104 pax in 2013... they need to build an MLL there
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 9:18 pm
  #1513  
 
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Originally Posted by yyznomad
Handled 186,104 pax in 2013... they need to build an MLL there
Hahaha, that all? If they did have an MLL it would most certainly need one of the new-fangled bartenders!!
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:09 pm
  #1514  
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I noticed this in HKG, but I've never noticed this in my travels in Canada, but wow this forum literally is empty at night Like post...midnight EST = dead. Before then, alive. Anyways, just an observation

Tomorrow is when I drop the hammer on Caesar's for their one sided apology.

Anyways, before people are like...wow, he complained on FT, I'll just put this out there. This was a thank you to the staff at the Palliser for what they did for us (FTers) - for our YYC Mini Do last week. This is the shortened version btw, but it is exactly the email I sent to one of their executives (the longer version went out to another group of people). So yeah, will I complain? Yes, but I will also do my part in thanking those that deserve it. Yes. I hope to think I'm fair And the exact email below was then forwarded to all the staff at the Fairmont Palliser. (by the person that I sent this too)

--
I hope all is well. I wanted to take some time to thank a few members on your staff. I stay at this hotel a few times a year, and during my last stay, I had a bit of an issue regarding room temperature, and a few other issues. Warren stepped in after the stay, called me to apologize and made things right.

This week I am back, and I really want to share my sincerest thanks to few people. Warren, Mark and Lauren were my main contacts prior to arriving at the hotel this week. Their service is absolutely impeccable. After 200 or so nights last year not at home, I can safely say that I live on the road. I have not been lost for words about anyone who works in the hospitality industry, prior to this stay. The service offered by these three individuals simply left me very positively shocked. A genuine thank you for the excellent service!

I’d also like to thank Magda for working with me to help me throw a party on Monday night for quite a few frequent fliers and Fairmont Plat members that I correspond with. I am, and will always continue to be, shocked at all of the hard work that went into pulling off this event. My thanks to Magda, her team, and the restaurant staff that night.

As always, please also say thanks to Greg, Paul and Neil for their hospitality in driving me around as usual.

While this hotel is not the hotel I usually stay at for my business travel, when I did get to the hotel last night, I decided to “check in” to the hotel on Facebook, and put in my post only one word. “home”.

The folks that work at this property are top notch. So please accept my genuine thanks for the many truly fantastic stays I have had at this hotel.
--

If Caesar's 'erred me, fine, whatever. The fact that they annoyed a friend too, bah, I will resolve this my way tomorrow. Not acceptable.

Last edited by superangrypenguin; Jul 30, 2015 at 10:26 pm
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Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:15 pm
  #1515  
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@SAP

Now I know why you have no energy to fly... you spend it all on complaining and writing emails and letters and the such.

If I did this each time I felt I was given poor service or someone was not doing their job, I'd have maradori //wrists by now.
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