WaytoomuchEurope

For me, the worst part of this news is knowing I'll have to hear about it during on-board announcements multiple times a week.

yyznomad

But will they say 2014 and 2017? Or actually say 2019? I'm confused because this thread has a title that says 2017. Bup bup!

I agree. If you're a FOTSG this announcement is whatever... but hearing it 10 times a week... perhaps a new form of torture tactics.

YVRtoYYZ

Oh god...the prolonged "award" announcements have begun already.

Bartolo

lallied

Yup, the YUL one. And a small AC branded flask and bag on seat when boarded. Of course my next two flights then went mechanical which kind of spoiled the overall effect

mellon

perhaps they could work on "on time performance" and be happy that Skytrak does not care about on time performance when giving out the award.

Mikey Mike Mike

I see little to celebrate with this accolade for regular users of AC. With two recent trips over the pond at short notice to visiting my dying mother, I experienced economy to LHR on the daytime flight (and back on the 6pm) on dream liners. 9 across (though the norm) is no fun in coach. Outdated IFE programming not changed in months and no wifi on a large part of the wide bodied fleet. The ONLY two good things about the lounges are decent coffee machines (when they work) and draft beer including guiness. I don't count providing Knorr packet soups reconstituted and a couple of vegetarian salads and salsa as a feast fit for elite members. (ok - it's free but it doesn't give them the excuse to make it as unappealing and inedible as possible.)
The good bit is plenty of drinks runs (but only Lager beer wise). IPA is seen as a premium brand and so not available either in coach to Europe or in Biz to SFO. (but provided to YVR as it's a premium route). Meals in coach are foul (despite the online boast on quality meals etc etc) with a frozen entree nuked within an inch of it's life, made in Germany (and shipped to Canada) at perhaps 2 bucks a unit with a calorie count of 300.The menu in PE is a fairly pointless exercise as the choice runs out after row one and so it's usually Veggie or Veal left. I think the crews are better, less surly, though the crew are kept busy and rushing around.
On my weekly commute from YYZ to YOW, despite a return fare of around 600 bucks, i get offered coffee on 50% of the flights only, and it's really hit and miss whether the one crew member gets to the back 6 rows with pretzels and water. The only saving grace on this route, is punctuality with the E190's 2 x 2 seating and some decent leg room even if 80% of the power sockets don't work. Being positive, I see the cup as half full (and not half empty) but some food enhancements both in the lounge and on board, regular updates on IFE and even the odd announcement from the flight deck don't need to cost the earth and would bring AC up to it's previous high levels long ago.
I do believe in better the devil you know, and the delusion we all have of other N American Legacy carriers being better - or rather, they can't be worse than Air Canada can they??? But with a duopoly on some routes, the legacy carrier still needs to provide value for money and quality of service. The current lack of service from Halifax and St John's to London is disgraceful as AC continues to ignore two provinces - Nova Scotia and Newfoundland - links with Europe with no Max availableand little appetite to provide an alternative. (bring back the A319's and767s I say) Even WestJet currently provide Halifax to London, Dublin and Glasgow using 737-700s. As a Brit living in Canada, and having observed BA scrape the bottom of the barrel, they (BA) have now enhanced the food (including cheese in coach), ice cream mid flight, choices of wine, restoration of a half decent second meal and providing a more substantial breakfast. None of it brilliant in quality I admit) but at least enhancing the experience and listening to feedback. I wish AC would take a good hard look at the PE and Economy experience. There are only so many years I can take the omelette with bits of beef or pancakes for breakfast!!

canadiancow

The premium beers are never available for free in business class. If you get it free, the FA did you a favor.

Also, YVR and SFO are both "premium routes" from YYZ - there's no difference in service standard.

Mikey Mike Mike

in that case there is inconsistency in the service. I have flown biz to SFO in the last month where crew said they don't serve Goose Island IPA as it's not a premium biz route. I've seen it flying PE to Vancouver in the cart, and charged for it as it's a premium beer only served for free in biz.

canadiancow

The point I'm trying to make is that it's not served free anywhere. It's not even technically offered in business class, but they're supposed to charge you, even in business class, for the premium beers/liquors.

It's definitely available for sale in Y/PY on YYZ-SFO.

Jagboi

For that sort of price, why not take the train? At least you'll have wifi and be able to do some work along the way, and the food in business class is better than what AC can come up with.

canadiancow

And if the train duration is too long for the trip, a Flex FP comes in at $560 per round-trip, booking into M, meaning upgrades are cheap, and there's the bonus for purchasing the pass.

The unlimited pass may also make sense.

Mikey Mike Mike

Its a good point on VIA rail vs AC. (I know this is straying slightly but worthy of a response. With Elite status, I now have home to office down to 4 hours - from a limo, elite bag drop, fast track security, breakfast in the lounge, walk on the aircraft, fast bag, Uber and so on. VIA is around 4 hours, plus travel and wait time to board, plus delays and arrival to a station not in the city centre. I actually did my first VIA rail trip from YOW to YUL as it's def faster than flying and it was great with the free wifi, plenty of booze, a cold meal, power sockets which work and friendly senior crew who did a good job. The ride is rough beyond belief and as someone who has worked in the rail industry all my life, I was shocked on the condition of the track - it made the E190 look like a smooth ride.

Back on topic on Goose Island IPA - the last round trip - I upgraded to Biz and it wasn't loaded on the drinks cart in Biz (and I wasn't offered to purchase one - which frankly would be a tad naff! On the way back (and I assume they don't restock in SFO) they had run out by the time they got halfway back. In fact on the food front, I gave up choosing food and just asked what was left as I'd be able to make a choice faster with no further disappointment.

The point of the thread topic (and my personal opinion voiced above) is that there appears little to celebrate with the skytrax #1 position in N America. I see little evidence on my own experience. I forgot to mention above the regular grief of YYZ to LGA, with my most recent flight cancelled twice, accommodation refused as it was weather (in Montreal) on the aircraft's previous rotation.

I accept it's not a like for like comparison, but BA have upped their game with the offering in EVERY class from food, to drink, to amenity packs, IFE and so on. Sure they were losing market share, the "would you recommend" score dropping like a bomb as loyalty disappeared and competition from Virgin and Norwegian forcing them to fight to retain the customer base.
I fly next month to London. My flex coach fare is too low to use upgrade credits, my status gets me nowt of value (no lounge, fast bag etc), the IFE will be the same as March (probably) and I'll still be offered an inedible breakfast of pancakes or omelette with bits of "beef:" - both frozen meals of 300 calories produced in Germany and nuked to within an inch of it's life, a snack of a turkey roll which I have to use a knife for to protect my teeth and so on.

I again remind myself - better the devil you know than the devil you don't, and the grass is not always greener elsewhere, but a revamp or at least a good look in the mirror by AC on the soft product with small and affordable changes such as changing the menu or the IFE content would at least show some movement.

And don't start me about on time performance. ALL of my flights to SFO and NY are late, LATE, LATE (or cancelled). Even before the MAX saga, OTP was woeful and it's got worse. EVERY cancellation, I've been denied a hotel or compensation on the grounds that it was "weather".

Even some menu changes in the lounge (not seen a change in 5 years), and soup not out of a packet would at least show some imagination and shake AC out of the current malaise

RangerNS

Used to have pickles, now edamame. Used to be Quebec spilt pea, now Italian wedding.

Mikey Mike Mike

LOFL - I rest my case