Originally Posted by hearna

I am guessing due to the Lack of A333's operating out of YVR that they could not source a crew for the frame that sits in YVR overnight... its a pity but I suppose the price to pay for not having a common fleet.

Originally Posted by drvannostren

So in cases like this I'll take Rouge > Sunwing, Skyservice (rip), Transat

Originally Posted by drvannostren

True, but hey it's still better than being on Sunwing/Transat. Having worked under Sunwing I was amazed at some of the delays we had. When WestJet needed to change a tire, maintenance comes by, the tire is changed while the aircraft is being loaded, takes 10 minutes.

Sunwing needs a tire change...wait 3-4 hours for Sunwing MTCE in YYC to freight a tire to YVR then change it. Lots of the time the MTCE guys were the same, but because they aren't working a WS flight they're not allowed to use the WS equipment/parts/facilities.

Or back in the day at YVR, things like Globespan, constantly taking 11-12 hour delays for various reasons, but due to size of company and fleet, you're just stuck with it.

So in cases like this I'll take Rouge > Sunwing, Skyservice (rip), Transat

Originally Posted by CZAMFlyer

I think I'd prefer to take a rusty BC Ferry to Oahu rather than any of the options above.

Originally Posted by drvannostren

Fast Ferry ?

Originally Posted by YVRorange

For spring break had Hawaii booked on flight 1831 tonight YVR-HNL @ 1740 departure time. Family of four with a 10 and 7 year old.

Delays delays delays due to maintenance, get a call saying 1900 is the new departure time. Later told 20:00 is the new departure time. Transborder MLL at YVR closes at 8pm and kicks everyone out.

Get to the gate and ask what they think and am told they are optimistic and we should depart around 2130. Being proactive I call the concierge routed to Toronto and let them know the situation and that it doesn't look good and ask them to possibly get us a room for the night and figure out how to possibly reroute us for the next day. We're staying at Aulani in a one bedroom villa, as you could imagine quite costly for a night and don't want to arrive at 10pm and waste another day/night. Concierge runs through a number of different routes through SEA, SFO and LAX but because of march break many are full and it doesn't look good.

She tells me she'll contact the local station and have the concierge meet me at the gate to sort me out. The flight is completely full and around 300 people on board and I want to get out of there before the herd. I flag the concierge down as she comes into the gate area and they start to make an announcement and she tells me she wants to listen. She asks me to wait where I am and she'll take care of me. They announce the flight is cancelled and the concierge walks to the podium and leaves me standing.... There will be a new flight leaving Saturday 850am.

They announce that all passengers should go pick up their bags and clear customs and go to international check in and they'll sort everyone out. They announce that J class and SE will be helped at the gate. At this point I realize the concierge isn't coming back for me so I make my way up to the zoo at the gate. There are 6 SE passengers on board and 4 have families. When I get there she sorts out of two SE passengers and prints out their hotel vouchers and sends them on their way. She tells since I'm local all she can do is give me taxi vouchers and to come back in the morning. She also tells me my family can't be seated together as the flight is full and I let her know that the concierge on the phone let me know there's plenty of room. She tells me I have to wait over there and she'll rebook me and let me know when it's done. The next SE she helps is also local and a family of four whom I was talking to in the lounge. She prints off hotel voucher and sends them on their way in the blink of an eye. So they're local and get a hotel just like that and get sent on their way. What gives? I was the very last passenger at the gate by this point when she finally gets back to me. I was proactively calling hours before to get his sorted out so this wouldn't happen. So much for being SE and having the concierge there to help us out!!!

Concierge tells me I've been rebooked and be back at the airport around 3pm for my flight...here are your taxi vouchers. I ask why would I not be on 850am flight? The Toronto concierge had told her all the details and how I would like to be rerouted it possible. Instead she tells me you asked me to rebook you on the same flight for tomorrow and that's what I did. I said that wasn't the case why would I want to spend another full day in YVR when I'm paying a thousand dollars a night for a hotel in Hawaii?!?! She gets us on the proper flight and tells me again about taxi vouchers as we're local and I said I had requested a hotel if at all possible as we're quite a ways from the airport. She again pushes the fact that we're local and that she has no rooms left to give us? I let her know that the Mr. SE she put in a room was also local and he was helped after us and the reason I called the concierge in the first place was to get out of the airport before everyone else, isn't that a benefit of being a SE? I was the last person out of the gate, what gives? She lets me know that the Fairmont does have one room available but it's a smoking room. So now there is a room available???

Wife is rather unhappy at this point as we're the last ones getting sorted out and the children are melting down. It's now past 10pm.

I asked the not so helpful concierge if they could have our bags sent up to our room as the hotel is attached to the airport. She says no you need to pick them up and bring them back in the morning. I once had my bags lost 3 times over a 2 week period and each time the concierge had them delivered to my hotel....

Get to the hotel and there are four of us and check in and yes only smoking rooms available but VIP rooms are available but I'd have to pay... Also told only kind bed rooms are available. Call the concierge again (YYZ) to see if we could get two rooms. She says she'll have to ask YVR concierge and find out but it shouldn't be a problem. I ask the front desk to just get us two rooms and process the second once the voucher is delivered. She says she can't and I just tell her ill pay for it now to get the children up and to bed and to just fix in when the voucher gets there. Finally get to room and get a call from concierge asking where I am and I say I'm in a room at the hotel and she's asks if everything is ok. I tell her I just paid for the second room and just deliver the voucher and sort it out. She tells me she can't as they're out of their allotment, but they could have moved us to a different hotel and not sure what to do. I should email customer relations and they could maybe offer a possible partial refund. I ask her if we should just forfeit the second room and just sleep on the floor. Room does have the stench of smoke and am really unimpressed. I let her know the reason I proactively called was to get sorted out quickly and settled in somewhere as we enjoy the first day of our vacation. Apologizes and says there's nothing she could do, if there was something she could have done she would have already. I guess that is sort of like the concierge at the gate telling me I'm local so take a cab home but instead gives all the available rooms to the other local SE passengers...

Nowthe children are grumpy, the wife is upset. I'm paying over a $1,000 for a night at Aulani that I couldn't use, $350 for a night at the Fairmont for two of us, AC paid for the other room.

Totally unacceptable? Or is this what the concierge does for us now? Would love to hear Ben has to say about this? Am I overreacting?

Would love to hear the comments of the community...

Originally Posted by hearna

My 0.02$

Originally Posted by Often1

Travel interruption insurance to cover lost prepaid reservations, hotels enroute (although few carriers and fewer policies cover hotels at the origin point rather than taxi vouchers absent some extraordinary reason), covers all of this. It's generally relatively low cost and is one of the best investments out there.

Originally Posted by YVRorange

Also, trying to check in our flight and get our bags on Saturday morning, the lineups were ridiculous. The Super Elite line was crazy long with non SE. The passenger in front of us was P25 and the others were all Asian. I'm Asian as well, when I got to the agent I mentioned that they need to sort out the lines and all the parties ahead of me weren't SE he just responded with we're really busy right now... Isn't that a benefit of being SE dedicated access/priority lanes? Also the other priority line was being served faster than a

He followed up with you look a little young to be a Super Elite...

Originally Posted by YVRorange

He followed up with you look a little young to be a Super Elite...

Originally Posted by superangrypenguin

You should have asked him if his colostomy bag was full because he looked too old.

I hate ageists.

I would have called him out on it and would have filed a complaint

Ugh.

Originally Posted by canadiancow

"Aren't you a little old to be working front-line customer service?"

Originally Posted by 1Newflyer

I think it's worth less.