CBC: Air Canada leaves teen 'trapped' alone overnight at Toronto's Pearson airport
May 10, 2017, 12:02 pm
#31
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We all agree AC needs to smarten up here.
Now we are getting picky on how experienced in the real world this teenager is. As far as I'm concerned, this is the starting point of the downhill path of this tread.
May 10, 2017, 12:06 pm
#32
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A few things:
- The quote on the AC flight deals with a cancelled flight, not a missed connection.
- The kid could not be an unaccompanied minor due to the availability only on direct flights.
- AC has a loophole to its policy therefore as the flight was a missed connection not a cancellation (the 2nd flight was a cancellation and AC would have been obligated then).
- You would think that compassion would have to take hold here and that AC would have issued meal vouchers and that perhaps even a higher-up would have booked the kid on a WJ flight.
- AC offers "on my way" for $35 which would have gotten the kid automatic meals (not accommodation, under 18) and the first available flight on any airline to mitigate the delay.
The kid is 15. If he is being sent without understanding how to fend for himself and understand that YYZ is a safe place, then that is an issue with the parents. The parents need to understand that delays are possible and to closely monitor for missed connections and to just simply keep the kid at home if there is a likelihood of a missed connection that might force the kid to fend for themselves outside of their comfort zone.
Give the kid $100, a smart phone with a charger with the right games loaded up and 22 hours is nothing. Think about all of the time teenagers waste.
Nonetheless this is on AC. The least they could have done is give him a mattress, a quiet corner in the airport (even a lounge pass when it was open) to rest and meal vouchers, out of compassion. That is purely on AC staff working at YYZ at the time who failed to meet their own policy and certainly failed to provide any compassion. The kid would have felt uncomfortable still but at least the kid would have felt that someone was looking after him.
- The quote on the AC flight deals with a cancelled flight, not a missed connection.
- The kid could not be an unaccompanied minor due to the availability only on direct flights.
- AC has a loophole to its policy therefore as the flight was a missed connection not a cancellation (the 2nd flight was a cancellation and AC would have been obligated then).
- You would think that compassion would have to take hold here and that AC would have issued meal vouchers and that perhaps even a higher-up would have booked the kid on a WJ flight.
- AC offers "on my way" for $35 which would have gotten the kid automatic meals (not accommodation, under 18) and the first available flight on any airline to mitigate the delay.
The kid is 15. If he is being sent without understanding how to fend for himself and understand that YYZ is a safe place, then that is an issue with the parents. The parents need to understand that delays are possible and to closely monitor for missed connections and to just simply keep the kid at home if there is a likelihood of a missed connection that might force the kid to fend for themselves outside of their comfort zone.
Give the kid $100, a smart phone with a charger with the right games loaded up and 22 hours is nothing. Think about all of the time teenagers waste.
Nonetheless this is on AC. The least they could have done is give him a mattress, a quiet corner in the airport (even a lounge pass when it was open) to rest and meal vouchers, out of compassion. That is purely on AC staff working at YYZ at the time who failed to meet their own policy and certainly failed to provide any compassion. The kid would have felt uncomfortable still but at least the kid would have felt that someone was looking after him.
May 10, 2017, 12:11 pm
#34
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Then don't preface your argument with meta journalistic editorial.
Cut and dry heuristics work well here. Speculating on how 'life experienced' one is or should be, doesn't.
May 10, 2017, 12:14 pm
#35
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A few things:
- The quote on the AC flight deals with a cancelled flight, not a missed connection.
- The kid could not be an unaccompanied minor due to the availability only on direct flights.
- AC has a loophole to its policy therefore as the flight was a missed connection not a cancellation (the 2nd flight was a cancellation and AC would have been obligated then).
- You would think that compassion would have to take hold here and that AC would have issued meal vouchers and that perhaps even a higher-up would have booked the kid on a WJ flight.
- AC offers "on my way" for $35 which would have gotten the kid automatic meals (not accommodation, under 18) and the first available flight on any airline to mitigate the delay.
The kid is 15. If he is being sent without understanding how to fend for himself and understand that YYZ is a safe place, then that is an issue with the parents. The parents need to understand that delays are possible and to closely monitor for missed connections and to just simply keep the kid at home if there is a likelihood of a missed connection that might force the kid to fend for themselves outside of their comfort zone.
Give the kid $100, a smart phone with a charger with the right games loaded up and 22 hours is nothing. Think about all of the time teenagers waste.
Nonetheless this is on AC. The least they could have done is give him a mattress, a quiet corner in the airport (even a lounge pass when it was open) to rest and meal vouchers, out of compassion. That is purely on AC staff working at YYZ at the time who failed to meet their own policy and certainly failed to provide any compassion. The kid would have felt uncomfortable still but at least the kid would have felt that someone was looking after him.
- The quote on the AC flight deals with a cancelled flight, not a missed connection.
- The kid could not be an unaccompanied minor due to the availability only on direct flights.
- AC has a loophole to its policy therefore as the flight was a missed connection not a cancellation (the 2nd flight was a cancellation and AC would have been obligated then).
- You would think that compassion would have to take hold here and that AC would have issued meal vouchers and that perhaps even a higher-up would have booked the kid on a WJ flight.
- AC offers "on my way" for $35 which would have gotten the kid automatic meals (not accommodation, under 18) and the first available flight on any airline to mitigate the delay.
The kid is 15. If he is being sent without understanding how to fend for himself and understand that YYZ is a safe place, then that is an issue with the parents. The parents need to understand that delays are possible and to closely monitor for missed connections and to just simply keep the kid at home if there is a likelihood of a missed connection that might force the kid to fend for themselves outside of their comfort zone.
Give the kid $100, a smart phone with a charger with the right games loaded up and 22 hours is nothing. Think about all of the time teenagers waste.
Nonetheless this is on AC. The least they could have done is give him a mattress, a quiet corner in the airport (even a lounge pass when it was open) to rest and meal vouchers, out of compassion. That is purely on AC staff working at YYZ at the time who failed to meet their own policy and certainly failed to provide any compassion. The kid would have felt uncomfortable still but at least the kid would have felt that someone was looking after him.
May 10, 2017, 12:16 pm
#36
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Downplaying an issue with one's curse of knowledge, doesn't make for a valid argument.
Then don't preface your argument with meta journalistic editorial.
This would be bad experience for any civilized customer to endure. Never mind a minor.
Cut and dry heuristics work well here. Speculating on how 'life experienced' one is or should be, doesn't.
Then don't preface your argument with meta journalistic editorial.
This would be bad experience for any civilized customer to endure. Never mind a minor.
Cut and dry heuristics work well here. Speculating on how 'life experienced' one is or should be, doesn't.
I'll leave you alone to your pickle.
May 10, 2017, 12:45 pm
#38
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I wasn't at YYZ on Tuesday night, but a colleague and I flew into YYZ on Sun and Mon nights respectively, and the heavy rain compounded the runway situation, leaving many flights delayed or cancelled, and the airport hotels full. I can't imagine the situation improved much on Tues.
The sevice standard for Air Canada also says "arrange for" flights, hotels etc. It doesn't say "pay for" or "provide for free" anywhere.
I'll give Air Canada some benefit on this one - they should have found the young man a hotel room at his family's cost, but he also should have had the means and the wherewithal to get food on his own.
The sevice standard for Air Canada also says "arrange for" flights, hotels etc. It doesn't say "pay for" or "provide for free" anywhere.
I'll give Air Canada some benefit on this one - they should have found the young man a hotel room at his family's cost, but he also should have had the means and the wherewithal to get food on his own.
May 10, 2017, 1:30 pm
#39
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(1) What in the world does runway construction at an airport have to do with whether an airline is able to fulfill its published promise to look after stranded young travelers?
(2) It doesn't matter, but I'm a bit curious about the purpose of the trip as the mother seems to live about three hours from Thunder Bay.
(3) No one apparently asked, but I wonder whether AC would have permitted a free rebooking to avoid the Toronto connection after the runway construction problems were announced.
(2) It doesn't matter, but I'm a bit curious about the purpose of the trip as the mother seems to live about three hours from Thunder Bay.
(3) No one apparently asked, but I wonder whether AC would have permitted a free rebooking to avoid the Toronto connection after the runway construction problems were announced.
The runway that is shortened is 23/5 and is used for all departures to the west. So the stranded traveler would have normally arrived on 23/5 from DEN and departed on 23/5 to Thunder Bay (YQT).
(2) Nothing has been said either on Facebook or news media regarding the purpose of the trip. So either the complainant is intentionally hiding the reason or she has been coached on Facebook to not disclose the reason. One thing is for certain, there have been some Facebook threads that have been deleted.
I'm going to go on pure speculation, but I would hazard a guess the kid was either traveling to see his father (e.g. divorce) or to see family on his fathers side. Missing from the narative is any mention of the Dad, which is usually a sign of divorce.
(3) On the day of travel there was a weather advisory in place due to the rain and airport construction. There was one UAX flight to YWG that left AT 12.45PM that could have connected to ACX flight that arrived at YQT at about 1am. However arrangements would have to be done at the AC ticket counter in DEN and the pax would have to request the alternate routing. Finally no assurance that AC would have rebooked onto UA. DEN is a contracted out operation for AC and the US agents are not known for thinking out side the box.
We don't know what the teen said or what he asked for when he approached the employees (apparently he tried at least twice) for help. If the employee assumed that the kid was an ordinary adult stranded passenger, would AC normally provide a hotel (or helps to book one at a distressed traveler rate) or meal vouchers? Do we know the reason for the original flight delay (which I assume was an AC operated flight from DEN)?
For starters the stranded pax went to different customer service counters in an attempt to get home on an earlier flight (however this flight did not exist). Further there was no attempt or request for hotel accommodation until after 1am.
The cancellations in YYZ spanned both AC and WS. With the bad weather, it is likely that all hotel rooms were fully booked the night of May 1. It is possible that the stranded pax had talked with his fellow travelers and learned that there were no hotels available.
The reason for the original flight delay out of DEN was late arrival of inbound aircraft. The aircraft was delayed by the weather in YYZ.
He asked for help and didn't receive it. It would take 2 seconds to look at either his I.D. or his file noting his age and the fact that he was rebooked for the next day and was therefore stranded, a circumstance he likely made quite clear to them. No, sorry but don't believe miscommunication can be cited as a mitigating factor in the airline doing nothing to assist this passenger.
In regards to miscommunication that may have occurred, I don't see anywhere where the complainant or the stranded traveler understood that there was no possibility they were getting home the night of May 1. To be clear, it is possible that the complainant thought that a contingency plan involved rerouting through YUL, YWG or flying WS was possible the night of May 1, not being stranded at the airport overnight. I can imagine that the agents were frustrated trying to explain to each pax that there was no magic solution that can get the traveler home at a time acceptable to the customer.
Another point of debate is whether the concept of guaranteed hotel reservation for top tier rewards members and travel delay insurance on the platinum credit cards has the unintended consequence of stranding minors and families at the airport. How else does the minor or other vulnerable traveler get to the top-of-the-list and beyond the multiple reward program top tier status member.
I fear that the solution to AC's stranded minor traveler PR problem is to align their policies to UA. Quoted below is the UA -policy for children travelling alone.
Children ages 5-15 (as of the travel date) who travel without a parent, a legal guardian or someone who is at least 18 years old are considered unaccompanied minors and are required to use our unaccompanied minor service. These young travelers are subject to certain travel guidelines and requirements, including:
(1) Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express®. Codeshare flights and other flights operated by our partner airlines are not eligible for unaccompanied minor travel.
(2) United does not offer unaccompanied minor service connecting to or from other airlines' flights.
(3) Children younger than 5 years of age are unable to travel as unaccompanied minors, even if they are flying with an older unaccompanied child.
(4) Unaccompanied minor service is not available for children ages 16 and older. Young adults ages 16 and 17 may travel alone on any United- or United Express-operated flight.
(5) A service charge of $150 for each direction of travel will apply for using the unaccompanied minor service.
(1) Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express®. Codeshare flights and other flights operated by our partner airlines are not eligible for unaccompanied minor travel.
(2) United does not offer unaccompanied minor service connecting to or from other airlines' flights.
(3) Children younger than 5 years of age are unable to travel as unaccompanied minors, even if they are flying with an older unaccompanied child.
(4) Unaccompanied minor service is not available for children ages 16 and older. Young adults ages 16 and 17 may travel alone on any United- or United Express-operated flight.
(5) A service charge of $150 for each direction of travel will apply for using the unaccompanied minor service.
I have a 7 yr old daughter and a sister that lives in YOW. In five years I would not have a problem* sending my then 12 year old daughter alone to YOW so that she could couch surf at her aunt's place and see the parliament buildings and other sights of YOW. However if AC gets many more of these PR problems, then my daughter might have to wait 9 years for her first alone travel trip.
* Okay I would have one problem, there is a missed opportunity to get on an airplane.
May 10, 2017, 1:38 pm
#40
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May 10, 2017, 1:48 pm
#41
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This is from SmallMJ (sorry the quote key didn't pull everything), post number 2 and think it sums up the AC hype.......
Youths travelling alone (ages 12 to 17), for whom the parent or guardian has not requested the Unaccompanied Minor service, will be taken care of by our agents. We will also arrange for accommodations, meals and transportation if needed.
This is here:
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ellations.html
This is air Canada public reaction........."It has been a challenge with the ongoing runway construction at Toronto Pearson, which was also compounded by severe weather conditions last week in the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa and surrounding areas, including recent adverse conditions in Thunder Bay" As they are Blaming runway construction for a 15 year old boy looking for food or accommodation being told to get lost
Youths travelling alone (ages 12 to 17), for whom the parent or guardian has not requested the Unaccompanied Minor service, will be taken care of by our agents. We will also arrange for accommodations, meals and transportation if needed.
This is here:
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ellations.html
This is air Canada public reaction........."It has been a challenge with the ongoing runway construction at Toronto Pearson, which was also compounded by severe weather conditions last week in the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa and surrounding areas, including recent adverse conditions in Thunder Bay" As they are Blaming runway construction for a 15 year old boy looking for food or accommodation being told to get lost
May 10, 2017, 2:00 pm
#42
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The reason for the travel doesn't matter for what AC was obligated to do, but it could give us some valuable information regarding the kid's likely familiarity with airline, airports, and procedures, essentially his ability to fend for himself (and also his mother's awareness of potential issues is having her son travel alone on this route).
May 10, 2017, 2:05 pm
#43
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Deja Vu
I could have sworn last year there was an article about AC stranding a 14y old girl UM at YYZ overnight.
AC said something along the lines of mistakes were made but we will make sure this doesn't happen again.
As for the FT discussion about it, it went pretty much the same.
Looked it up
Jul 27, 2016
15y old boy $10 voucher 24h
Air Canada policy change urged after minor left alone to sleep on airport floor overnight
article also references another story
Jan 15, 2013
13y old boy $10 voucher 2am to 10am
Man upset Air Canada left grandson alone overnight in airport
AC said something along the lines of mistakes were made but we will make sure this doesn't happen again.
As for the FT discussion about it, it went pretty much the same.
Looked it up
Jul 27, 2016
15y old boy $10 voucher 24h
Air Canada policy change urged after minor left alone to sleep on airport floor overnight
(Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur)
We have backup plans'
"This includes arranging for a hotel room, subject to availability, with a chaperone," wrote John Reber, Air Canada's director of media relations.
"In the event hotel rooms are not available, we have backup plans involving staff who stay with the child."
We have backup plans'
"This includes arranging for a hotel room, subject to availability, with a chaperone," wrote John Reber, Air Canada's director of media relations.
"In the event hotel rooms are not available, we have backup plans involving staff who stay with the child."
Arthur said the airline's policy around young travellers is clear.
"Even if a parent has not asked for our unaccompanied-minor service, our agents will take care of a child or teenager in need of support," she wrote........"Please also reinforce that if at any time they feel they need help or assistance, they should not hesitate and come speak to one of our agents," she said.
"Even if a parent has not asked for our unaccompanied-minor service, our agents will take care of a child or teenager in need of support," she wrote........"Please also reinforce that if at any time they feel they need help or assistance, they should not hesitate and come speak to one of our agents," she said.
Jan 15, 2013
13y old boy $10 voucher 2am to 10am
Man upset Air Canada left grandson alone overnight in airport
What services does Air Canada provide to my child who is travelling alone ... when a flight is cancelled?
With the Unaccompanied Minor service, parents or guardians are asked to remain at the airport until their child's flight has departed. If the flight is cancelled, an agent will remain with your child until you are both reunited.
Youths travelling alone (ages 12 to 17), for whom the parent or guardian has not requested the Unaccompanied Minor service, will be taken care of by our agents. We will also arrange for accommodations, meals and transportation if needed.
— Air Canada website
With the Unaccompanied Minor service, parents or guardians are asked to remain at the airport until their child's flight has departed. If the flight is cancelled, an agent will remain with your child until you are both reunited.
Youths travelling alone (ages 12 to 17), for whom the parent or guardian has not requested the Unaccompanied Minor service, will be taken care of by our agents. We will also arrange for accommodations, meals and transportation if needed.
— Air Canada website
Last edited by Polar Man; May 10, 2017 at 2:32 pm
May 10, 2017, 2:13 pm
#44
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"God, why did you not help me?"
"What do you mean, my child? I offered you OMW insurance. I offered you unaccompanied minor service. I offered you a credit card with built in insurance. I offered you third party insurance."
"What do you mean, my child? I offered you OMW insurance. I offered you unaccompanied minor service. I offered you a credit card with built in insurance. I offered you third party insurance."
May 10, 2017, 2:17 pm
#45
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The reason for the travel doesn't matter for what AC was obligated to do, but it could give us some valuable information regarding the kid's likely familiarity with airline, airports, and procedures, essentially his ability to fend for himself (and also his mother's awareness of potential issues is having her son travel alone on this route).