gcashin

Last year I was traveling via YYC-YYZ-US desination with a checked bag - my connection was shortened from ~3 hrs to ~60 mins due to mechanical. I was SE at the time, so a concierge had met me at the connection and escorted me through customs to the gate. I had enough time to hustle through customs and security, but because my connection was below minimum connection time, I'd been offloaded, even though I could physically make the connection. I'd arrived at the gate while the flight was boarding, but had been offloaded and the gate agent wouldn't put me back on the flight because my bag wouldn't have time to make it and was being retagged for a later flight. Even the concierge couldn't (or wouldn't) do anything.

Unfortunately, AC seems quite eager sometimes to offload pax when their connection falls below MCT, even if it is a "doable" connection. If you only have carry-on, you have a better chance of getting back on the original flight, but once they've offloaded you with checked baggage, my experience is that they won't let you on, even if you make it to the gate during boarding.

Stranger

I seem to recall that the CTA had ruled against AC on that issue. The MCT is an internal ticketing issue and does not belong in the contract.

quantumofforce

Sounds like denied boarding for a flight you had a confirmed ticket on and where at the gate in time for. I would call CBC if this happened to me. I have no patience for screwing over customers in a customer centric business.


Edit: this is what NH and SQ do when the inbound AC flight is late... they have a nice person waiting with a sign with connecting passenger names. They then escort us through security and we sign a quick form saying we acknowledged that our bags will likely not arrive in time with us, then we get on our confirmed flight and off we go. They even held up a plane for 6 of us once. Dear Air Canada, that is customer service!

Stranger

But checked bags is not the issue, merely an excuse given by the agent. AC proactively offloads late arriving passengers off overbooked flights so they can reassign the seats. And so they do even if there is no checked luggage.

jc94

And that's the issue, off overbooked flights. Did anyone ever prove this was the actual reason they were offloaded though, and claim IDB. Or is one stuck because AC claim you shouldn't have been able to make a fast connection so they are within their rights to offload you.

quantumofforce

If you're there before the end of boarding and the outbound isn't delayed then you fulfilled your contractual obligation and Air Canada did not. CBC and court seem to be the only things Air Canada seriously listens to when it comes to complaints.

Stranger

I don't think there is anything related to contractual obligation in this. Starting with, if you got there late, it's because the airline got late. From the time you checked in for the first flight you are under their care.

My recollection is that the CTA agreed with AC that if you arrive later than the gate cutoff, it's OK to offload you. But, as AC was actually doing, if you arrive past the MCT, it's not OK. Mind you, not clear to me that even the gate cutoff would be acceptable, since it's their fault in the first lace that you did not make it.

quantumofforce

I think that's what I said.

flybit

the only good news that CBC has is bashing AC. heheh keep up the good work CBC, perhaps one day AC will improve.

YYC009

Passenger does not appear to be entitled to denied boarding compensation. Let me explain...

Per Rule 70 Part B of the Air Canada International Tariff:
The passenger must be available for boarding at the boarding gate at least 15 minutes (exception for Tel-Aviv 60 minutes and Casablanca 30 minutes, for domestic flights and flights to/from the U.S.: 15 minutes) prior to scheduled departure time of the flight on which he/she holds a reservation.

According to vroom's post from above:
Yesterday's AC 7408 landed 45 minutes late at 20:13, schedule departure time for AC 46 was 20:35. So this is probably what happened.

<I assume landed means arrival time at gate>

I don't know about YYZ, is it possible to get from a USA inbound flight to the departure gate of an International outbound within 7min?
Don't forget, on the Air Georgian CRJ inbounds, it takes about 2min to open the aircraft door, bridge, and put the mobile bridge adapter on.
So that brings us to 5min.
Was the passenger in the first row?
Now we are talking less than 5min.
Again, unless you are Usain Bolt and there is no congestion in the terminal blocking you, it is highly unlikely that you could make it to the international departing gate by 20:20 given these circumstances.

So when you arrived at the gate, the question becomes, as a gesture of goodwill, does the airline put you back on the flight? If you have checked luggage, not likely, as this will create a PAWOB and then the airline is liable. Better to deny boarding in accordance with the tariff without compensation and rebook the customer.

Plumber

These are good points.

In the past, I would have agreed that it is impossible in 7 minutes. The best I have done is 15 minutes from inside-of-plane to inside-of-next-plane at YYZ, from Intl to DOM....I have never flown US-YYZ-INTL.

But now with OSS, a simplified CBA process with no extra security stop and no need to pick up bags, 7 minutes may be pushing it, but could be in the realm of possibility. Of course, it really depends on where you are coming from and where you are going to and whether any of this simplified process is available to you.

jc94

I've done US to Intl in about 10 mins and do not recommend it. That was to the gate, where Zone 3-5 was boarding and the Z1/2 line was empty.

Was in J. I don't see there being a faster way without a concierge, golf cart and skipping even more than we did. And even then I think 7 mins would be pushing it, even if your driver was leaning on the horn and doing a Sandra Bullock impression to maintain speed.

Oh and this was D7x. 24x gates are YYZ you can add a chunk of time.

Stranger

That's all very nice, as long as it's the passenger who was late.

However, if the passenger got there late because the previous flight was late, surely that cannot be held against him. This said, admittedly the cTA went with AC's side on that. Unfortunately.

Geoflying

You will probably get some good practical advice from the arch Passenger Rights guy Gabor Lukacs if you post your story in his Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/AirPassengerRights/

It is worthwhile becoming familiar with the material at http://airpassengerrights.ca/en/ as well

The Lev

In a couple of situations like this I've been proactive at calling the Concierge and asking them to ensure that I don't get off-loaded if I am confident that I can make a tight connection. I then keep them informed of my status.