Angus Reid Survey - "Air Canada and United are bottom of the barrel"
Jun 14, 2017, 7:16 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,804
Air Canada mainline is fine, or at the least comparable to other NA legacy carriers in my mind. However, the vast majority of flyers fly economy. Reduce their seat pitch and amenities, add on the extra fees and yeah...people are going to think less of AC.
Where AC has really failed is with Rouge. Had AC made Rouge as a true stand-alone airline with it's own website for bookings, check-in counters, boarding gates etc... it's possible some to many people would be fooled into not associating AC with Rouge. However, everyone that flies Rouge with the seat pitch, added fees etc associate that experience directly with flying AC. When they return home from their trip to Europe and complain about the seat pitch and any other issue they may have experienced, they're going to reference AC as their carrier.
Takes them to suffer in order to convince themselves the fare they paid was absolutely cheapest. AC finally got the message and as a result, they are doing quite well. :-(
And no, I don't particularly approve. But the numbers are there to tell you. And these polls are just another confirmation.
Jun 14, 2017, 10:08 pm
#17
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Providence RI
Programs: American Exec Plat, Hyatt Refugeeist, Marriot Gold, Air Canada Cattle Class, Korean Air Morning Plat
Posts: 988
The problem with Air Canada lies primarily in the surly attitude that prevails across its entire corporate culture, from the disinterested and often snippy flight attendants and agents to the outright arrogance in the boardrooms. Plenty of other airlines have equally poor hard product, but good attitudes among the staff make up for a lot.
And yes, rouge is a major contributor toward hatred for AC.
And yes, rouge is a major contributor toward hatred for AC.
I have never once, ever, been concerned for my safety on AC, they run a safe product. I would challenge anyone on here who has flown AC more than 2 round trips to swear they have not run into that employee
- GA's that are rude, uninterested and downright ticked off.
- FA's that "are primarily there for your safety"
- After dozens of minutes on hold, phone reps who are not empowered to accomplish any task except tell you to go online or say NO.
To stress.......it is not all AC employees, but there is one very determined group of employees who don't like the company, don't like the job, don't like the management and certainly don't like us the customer.
I would put AC at the bottom with United. Spirit has a far inferior product and flight experience, but they also don't bamboozle the public into thinking they are a top service airline. Spirit is very honest in what product they are supplying.
Jun 15, 2017, 7:27 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Programs: AC 75K, Hertz President’s Circle, Accor Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 10,068
No Rouge
Just flew to Charlottetown and Westjet got the fare because all the YYZ and YUL connections that would have worked were Rouge. The WS schedule was not perfect. Tall people do not fly Rouge 
Jun 15, 2017, 7:34 am
#19
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YHZ/YQM
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 1,618
Just curious, but did you consider Rouge Plus? Or was the price difference too big?
Jun 15, 2017, 7:43 am
#20
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE*2MM. SPG Plat life
Posts: 4,644
Jun 15, 2017, 9:02 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,342
For the route OP was referencing, with the rouge 319, there are only 8 Preferred seats, and 116 Y seats with 29" pitch. So yes, the 8 preferred seats are fine, but the other 116 Y seats are downright miserable for anyone tall. So, 6.5% of the Y seats are fine on the rouge 319, and 93.5% are unsuitable for anyone tall.
WS provides a tolerable pitch in their normal economy seats so if you're comparing the normal economy seats (which most Y pax would be in), WS has more generous pitch.
Jun 15, 2017, 9:33 am
#22
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Providence RI
Programs: American Exec Plat, Hyatt Refugeeist, Marriot Gold, Air Canada Cattle Class, Korean Air Morning Plat
Posts: 988
Jun 15, 2017, 11:16 am
#23
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
Speaking as someone relatively tall albeit not 6'4 I find the rouge preferred seats fine for leg room but that's where the good news with Rouge stops. Also, there is no guarantee they won't change the plane.