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I work at the airport/for the airline. You're wrong.

I work at the airport/for the airline. You're wrong.

Old Jun 4, 2016, 10:53 pm
  #91  
 
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Originally Posted by CZAMFlyer
I applaud the resisting part - polite pushback from a knowledgeable customer can only benefit the rest of us.
I think you're entirely missing the point here.

The entire original purpose of this thread is to discuss what happens when AC staff flat-out refuse polite pushback from a knowledgeable customer, and continue to refuse when you literally hand them written proof.
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Old Jun 5, 2016, 10:50 am
  #92  
 
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Originally Posted by YOWgary
I think you're entirely missing the point here.

The entire original purpose of this thread is to discuss what happens when AC staff flat-out refuse polite pushback from a knowledgeable customer, and continue to refuse when you literally hand them written proof.
Thank you. That inadequate customer service was encountered has been repeatedly stated and acknowledged from either side of this debate. I've encountered it, the OP has encountered it, I'm sure you and most - if not all - of the readers have also encountered it. But, reading this thread, I have very few takeaways from what to DO about it, and no master traveler has offered a resolution or suggestion on how best to deal with the inevitability of mistakes, personality clashes or incompetence when interacting with airline personnel.

I raised an objection about the permeating stench of negativity that often arises, coupled with a forced outrage and dismissal of such 'inexcusable' actions. In reality, it's called 'life' and our best option is to deal with it in ways that don't include painstakingly recounting every transgression, real or perceived, on this or other public forums.

There are always two sides to every story, and of course whenever somebody posts about a negative experience, we hear just that person's position. There are plenty of people here who travel a great deal, and statistically speaking, must encounter a similar frequency of glitches when on the road. Why then do we not hear so much grief from these people? How many SEs and million milers have suffered their fair share of frustrations over many more years & miles than you, I or the OP have flown, and yet don't feel the need to stand up and bleat about momentary hiccups in brief exchanges?

So while I am well aware of "the original purpose of this thread", my response is to add a smidge of perspective into the mix, and to encourage others to not be so easily thrown off kilter.

In the immortal words of Chopper Reid (aka Ronnie Johns): HTFU.
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Old Jun 5, 2016, 11:26 am
  #93  
 
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I have to say, that I must be one of the lucky ones.

Unfortunately, AC's IT issues affect me about 50% of the time and I have tons of issues doing OLCI. That means that at YVR I often have to head to priority checkin. They are always super courteous and I have only encountered one issue there in the past when they couldn't find my flight....and that was not their fault, I had booked for the wrong day.

That one time they immediately made some changes and got me on standby for the flight that I wanted. Somehow I even got upgraded at the gate to J, and I did not see one change fee or anything. They cancelled my later flight and no extra charges.

I was pleasantly surprised.
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Old Jun 5, 2016, 11:31 am
  #94  
 
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Originally Posted by CZAMFlyer
I raised an objection about the permeating stench of negativity that often arises, coupled with a forced outrage and dismissal of such 'inexcusable' actions. In reality, it's called 'life' and our best option is to deal with it in ways that don't include painstakingly recounting every transgression, real or perceived, on this or other public forums.

So while I am well aware of "the original purpose of this thread", my response is to add a smidge of perspective into the mix, and to encourage others to not be so easily thrown off kilter.

In the immortal words of Chopper Reid (aka Ronnie Johns): HTFU.
Man, if the perspective you're offering is simply "you people should stop whining and just harden up", you've got to go through about three hundred threads in this forum and dump on each one of them.

It would be great if every post on FT were simply "problem --> solution", but since this is basically just one big support group for those of us who continue to pursue a one-sided relationship with an airline who generally couldn't care less about us, many of these threads are simply people looking to vent about a problem that's not going to get solved.

That being said, a thread like this can often be very useful to help us spot the areas on which AC staff are most likely to double down on their mistake.

For example, my issue with GAs and lounge dragons who don't know the layout of a 777HD is easy to work around if you know the seat maps and simply ignore the wrong answer when it's given.

There was no good answer for Cow's original issue, but several people offered work-arounds that would at least get him on his flight.

TL;DR - you're welcome to find this thread pointless, that doesn't mean the rest of us have to.
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Old Jun 5, 2016, 1:12 pm
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by YOWgary
Man, if the perspective you're offering is simply "you people should stop whining and just harden up", you've got to go through about three hundred threads in this forum and dump on each one of them.
No thanks. Although, the forum population can be likened to the clientele of the RCMP, in which 10% of the people create 90% of the challenges.

Originally Posted by YOWgary
this is basically just one big support group for those of us who continue to pursue a one-sided relationship with an airline who generally couldn't care less about us, many of these threads are simply people looking to vent about a problem that's not going to get solved.
No it's not. Its' purpose is to derive the greatest value from the programs used in frequent travel, in this case Aeroplan. If you truly feel the airline doesn't care about you, yet still continue to pursue that relationship, I don't know what to suggest. From YOW, there must be plenty of good alternatives to most domestic and international destinations.
Asking for help or collective problem solving issues is a huge benefit of tapping into a deep pool of public knowledge. Venting - is literally just hot air.

Originally Posted by YOWgary
TL;DR - you're welcome to find this thread pointless, that doesn't mean the rest of us have to.
I never used that term to describe this or any other thread and wouldn't presume to suggest how anybody else should feel.

Let's agree to focus on our common ground: staff telling any passenger they're wrong (regardless of who may be right) is poor form. Have a trouble-free day.
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Old Jun 6, 2016, 7:18 pm
  #96  
 
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Deleted

Last edited by BadgerBoi; Jun 22, 2016 at 9:19 pm Reason: No point to the comment I made since it was redacted.
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Old Jun 19, 2016, 9:48 pm
  #97  
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Well, I walked up to YVR domestic/international check-in, and asked to get a boarding pass for AC 568 YVR-SFO, and mentioned that I had no checked bags. It was still about 90 minutes to departure.

"WE CAN'T GIVE YOU A TRANSBORDER BOARDING PASS HERE. YOU CAN'T JUST BE ROAMING AROUND THE AIRPORT WITH A BOARDING PASS. YOU HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY GO THROUGH PRECLEARANCE."

"No, I've done this many times before."

"NO YOU CANNOT DO IT. YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY GO THROUGH PRECLEARANCE."

"I'm going to the domestic lounge to meet a friend. I've done this many times before."

"YOU CAN'T CLEAR DOMESTIC SECURITY WITH A TRANSBORDER BOARDING PASS."

"You can--- oh whatever."

I walked into the concierge office. Of course, it was empty, so I walked back out, muttering something like "of course there are no concierges around".

Then I suppose it clicked that I wasn't some idiot in the wrong part of the airport.

"Are you checked in already?"

"Yes."

"So you just need a boarding pass?"

"Yes."

"Oh well I didn't know that."

"I literally told you I just needed a boarding pass..."

And I got my boarding pass.
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Old Jun 19, 2016, 11:08 pm
  #98  
 
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
Well, I walked up to YVR domestic/international check-in,.....
I've normally had such good interactions with YVR staff, but that's just weird.
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Old Jun 19, 2016, 11:25 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by D582
I've normally had such good interactions with YVR staff, but that's just weird.
He's not the only one.

The last time I tried to use the domestic priority counter to get checked-in for transborder it was a chore. The agent was frustrated with my request, and, of course, the frustration didn't subside when it worked.

I guess they don't see it much.
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Old Jun 20, 2016, 12:08 am
  #100  
 
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Originally Posted by D582
I've normally had such good interactions with YVR staff, but that's just weird.
YVR is hit and miss. I find if you appear lost and confused, and genuinely asking for help, they're totally awesome.

Like with AC*A on my BP, getting a J BP usually gets me amazing assistance from the priority checkin staff. They remind me where the MLL is, remind me how to use fasttrack, explain how to get to the swing gates AFTER the MLL, etc, etc... like I'm some newb who has NO expectations.

With AC*SE I felt like there was disdain that perhaps I felt I knew more than they did, so some odd defensive stance takes foot from the start. Like "I have to show this SE I know more than him/her." I felt I was being helpful by being specific about what I wanted, even using their terminology correctly, which was frequently met with disbelief that I was perhaps correct in my request.

Me in YUL general check-in area: "Can you direct me to ticketing?"
Agent at start of roped line: "You can get your boarding pass here." (points to special access counter in the distance)
Me: "No, I need ticketing. I want to buy a ticket with money."
Agent points again to the same stupid counter.

At the counter, I'm told I'm in the wrong place and that I need ticketing. This happens a lot.

I'm learning it's better to just be as stupid as possible. And, it's a lot easier... why am I doing their job for them?

Originally Posted by BlueMilk
He's not the only one.

The last time I tried to use the domestic priority counter to get checked-in for transborder it was a chore. The agent was frustrated with my request, and, of course, the frustration didn't subside when it worked.

I guess they don't see it much.
I'm a third gen Vancouverite. This is a super righteous city. I find Quebec has a similar feel to me. I think cost of living and disenfranchisement in YVR is really messing things up more. Remember, Green Peace came from Vancouver... (I'm not against their ideals, just the holier-than-thou righteousness snobbery) Reminds me of the lay cliche "your freedom ends where my nose begins."

I suspect the frustration shifted from a frustration of disarming an opponent to a frustration of admitting fault. Both result in the same sour face typified by many AC employees.
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Old Jun 20, 2016, 8:35 am
  #101  
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Originally Posted by DrunkCargo
YVR is hit and miss. I find if you appear lost and confused, and genuinely asking for help, they're totally awesome.

Like with AC*A on my BP, getting a J BP usually gets me amazing assistance from the priority checkin staff. They remind me where the MLL is, remind me how to use fasttrack, explain how to get to the swing gates AFTER the MLL, etc, etc... like I'm some newb who has NO expectations.

With AC*SE I felt like there was disdain that perhaps I felt I knew more than they did, so some odd defensive stance takes foot from the start. Like "I have to show this SE I know more than him/her." I felt I was being helpful by being specific about what I wanted, even using their terminology correctly, which was frequently met with disbelief that I was perhaps correct in my request.

Me in YUL general check-in area: "Can you direct me to ticketing?"
Agent at start of roped line: "You can get your boarding pass here." (points to special access counter in the distance)
Me: "No, I need ticketing. I want to buy a ticket with money."
Agent points again to the same stupid counter.

At the counter, I'm told I'm in the wrong place and that I need ticketing. This happens a lot.

I'm learning it's better to just be as stupid as possible. And, it's a lot easier... why am I doing their job for them?



I'm a third gen Vancouverite. This is a super righteous city. I find Quebec has a similar feel to me. I think cost of living and disenfranchisement in YVR is really messing things up more. Remember, Green Peace came from Vancouver... (I'm not against their ideals, just the holier-than-thou righteousness snobbery) Reminds me of the lay cliche "your freedom ends where my nose begins."

I suspect the frustration shifted from a frustration of disarming an opponent to a frustration of admitting fault. Both result in the same sour face typified by many AC employees.
What if ac punished workers for not admitting fault? And have to give 5% discount codes (stackable) every time
They were wrong and refused to back down?
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Old Jun 20, 2016, 12:13 pm
  #102  
 
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I find YVR is far and away the worst airport in the entire AC system for mis-informed staff who refuse to even try to be helpful. They're the most frequently wrong and utterly obnoxious ground staff anywhere, bar none.
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Old Jun 20, 2016, 1:40 pm
  #103  
 
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
Well, I walked up to YVR domestic/international check-in, and asked to get a boarding pass for AC 568 YVR-SFO, and mentioned that I had no checked bags. It was still about 90 minutes to departure.

"WE CAN'T GIVE YOU A TRANSBORDER BOARDING PASS HERE. YOU CAN'T JUST BE ROAMING AROUND THE AIRPORT WITH A BOARDING PASS. YOU HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY GO THROUGH PRECLEARANCE."

"No, I've done this many times before."

"NO YOU CANNOT DO IT. YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY GO THROUGH PRECLEARANCE."

"I'm going to the domestic lounge to meet a friend. I've done this many times before."

"YOU CAN'T CLEAR DOMESTIC SECURITY WITH A TRANSBORDER BOARDING PASS."

"You can--- oh whatever."

I walked into the concierge office. Of course, it was empty, so I walked back out, muttering something like "of course there are no concierges around".

Then I suppose it clicked that I wasn't some idiot in the wrong part of the airport.

"Are you checked in already?"

"Yes."

"So you just need a boarding pass?"

"Yes."

"Oh well I didn't know that."

"I literally told you I just needed a boarding pass..."

And I got my boarding pass.
It was a couple of years ago, but I had a very, very similar situation at YOW transborder. When I collected my BP from the check-in desk and turned around to meet a friend at a coffee shop, I was told that I could not do that as once I was processed at the desk, I had to go through to security. After a brief discussion, I believe the solution was to leave my BP at the desk, and to collect it after I had finished my coffee.

So there must be some element of procedure or (out-dated) policy behind the confused messages emanating from AC. In other worlds, there is some consistency in their inconsistency.
--
13F
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Old Jun 20, 2016, 1:47 pm
  #104  
 
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Isn't is 2016? Why would you need a printed boarding pass the day before your flight?

Do we even need boarding passes at all other than to get through security? I find that often the GAs don't even look at my boarding pass if I call out my seat number instead - sometimes they even thank me.
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Old Jun 20, 2016, 2:51 pm
  #105  
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Originally Posted by Seat13F_AC_CRJ
It was a couple of years ago, but I had a very, very similar situation at YOW transborder. When I collected my BP from the check-in desk and turned around to meet a friend at a coffee shop, I was told that I could not do that as once I was processed at the desk, I had to go through to security. After a brief discussion, I believe the solution was to leave my BP at the desk, and to collect it after I had finished my coffee.

So there must be some element of procedure or (out-dated) policy behind the confused messages emanating from AC. In other worlds, there is some consistency in their inconsistency.
--
13F
But electronic boarding passes are permitted, so it makes no sense that I can't have a boarding pass.

What about when I fly YOW-YYZ-SFO? I get my YYZ-SFO in YOW. And I certainly don't go straight through preclearance.

In fact, I've been given ZRH-YYZ-SFO in ZRH, and then gone out of the airport for lunch on the layover.

Originally Posted by YVR72
Isn't is 2016? Why would you need a printed boarding pass the day before your flight?

Do we even need boarding passes at all other than to get through security? I find that often the GAs don't even look at my boarding pass if I call out my seat number instead - sometimes they even thank me.
I assume you're referring to the OP, and not the latest incident.

I'd respond to you, but I've already answered all your questions upthread.

And none of your questions are remotely relevant. I asked for a BP, and the agent was stupid and refused.
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