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Deflategate; new executive pods deflating in-flight

Old Nov 20, 2017, 2:16 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Argonaut1000
Click here to go to a picture of the White Compensation Form and its stub






View Deflated Seat History Here (Database for submitted occurrences)
Enter New Deflated Seat Occurrence Here (Submit one if you have experienced deflated seat and it will show up in the database above)
----
From post #49 in this thread, here's one potential way to (re)inflate an AC seat:
  • Go the home screen "Your Seat". (find this on the seat side panel; not the main video screen)
    • Hold the top left hand corner "Air Canada" (with AC logo) for 3 seconds. Updated (Apr 9 18): may need to hold for as long as 45 seconds for key pad to appear
      • Dial pad shows up - hit 3-2-1.
        • Press "Reset Lumbar Support"
Note that this method has not met 100% success so YMMV.
A better method is for a crew member to use the reset switch under the seat, on the aisle side.

Compensation offers (green/white sheet completed)
40K AE- Apr 18 (50% back of the J class one way redemption)
2018 Jun - $500 coupon
2018 Sep $1,000 eCoupon or 40K AP (P fare TPAC)
2018 Sep $500 eCoupon (P fare TPAC) (no change on protest- update - 6 months later the $150 was increased to $500 - admitted they had made an error)

Compensation offers (no green/white sheet completed)
100K - May 5 (C$150 eCoupon; was moved to a functioning seat after meal service)
2017 Sept - 8,000 AE miles - reported via complaint web page after realizing it was a faulty seat, not standard discomfort; Asked for return of eUps but they declined.
2017 Nov & 2018 Feb - $500 coupons both times (second time on protest that $500 had been offered the previous time)
2018 Sep. $250 coupon (on a paid J TATL).
2018 Nov - $500 eCoupon (J TATL)

Standard eCoupon compensation offers (no haggling; following a recurring pattern)
~10+ hours: $1000
Long TPAC (TPE-YVR)

~6 to ~10 hours: $500
Short TPAC (NRT-YVR)
TATL
South America: YYZ-GRU

less than ~6 hours: 300
TCON


Have a Service Director (SD) That Is Giving You the Case of the Shrugs? Like the real life version of this ASCII emoji -> Ż\_(ツ)_/Ż ?

No success with the SD and/or crew rectifying your deflated seat and you can't be/aren't accommodated to another J seat? If you asked for a compensation form and the SD says they have no idea what you are talking about, you can use the below picture of the stub portion to help freshen their memory (better than nothing)...

Please note that for the longest time, the "Green Compensation Form" version was used, and there have been recent reports of the "White Compensation Form" replacing the Green version. Reports here have indicated that the two forms are virtually identical except for the colour.
There is now an even newer White Form which explicitly lists "deflated seat" and "deflated seat and fixed", among many other items.

Here is a snapshot of the NEWEST full form (as of August 2019), courtesy of lallied

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31421855-post2093.html
Originally Posted by lallied
Clearly jinxed myself. New form in case hasnt been posted before.

Oops, see it has been. I just didn’t look far enough down ☹️


This is only the stub portion, courtesy of lallied





Originally Posted by lallied



There’s a main section which the SD fills in and detachable section you get to keep. Each has a reference number. It looks like the green one to me except it’s white.




Example

Mattress pads purchased and listed in this thread




Print Wikipost

Deflategate; new executive pods deflating in-flight

Old Nov 23, 2017, 11:34 pm
  #136  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,183
Originally Posted by Diabeetus
The crew knew in advance that you've had seat deflation issues? I take it AC higher ups notified the crew that you've been having deflation issues?
No, they saw me doing weird things instead of sitting down.
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Old Nov 24, 2017, 1:48 pm
  #137  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lima Sierra Zulu Hotel
Programs: AC*SM, M&M SEN, BA Gold, DL Gold; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 777
Hi all,

Inspired by this thread, I submitted a claim for my most recent "deflategate" incident - ZRH-YYZ in paid business class (C-FNOH is a troublesome bird). As a Super Elite member, I expected a somewhat fair offer. AC is now offering a 20% off discount code for future travel as a final offer to me

As I book via a travel agent, this offer is not really of much use to me. The contact person at AC indirectly blames me for not having obtained an On Board Compensation form (a green form, for those who are familiar). To be honest, I just trusted that AC would make this right, and never pushed for an OBC form, despite having to manually reset the seat every hour of this 8 to 9 hour flight.

I'm hoping to get input as to whether this is a reasonable offer by AC. In my opinion, it is not, but I'd love your guys' opinion. I have been asking for a partial fare refund for this segment of the ticket. Glenn from the AC "Customer Relations, Executive Centre (?)" says that the 20% discount is all that they can provide.

Please also let this be fair warning to those of you booking AC business class. If the physical seat fails, AC does not appear ready to stand by their product. Spending $20,000+ on AC every year appears to have no impact on this.

Thanks,
bawm
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Old Nov 24, 2017, 1:58 pm
  #138  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: AC SE100k, Marriott Titanium, UA Silver
Posts: 2,644
Originally Posted by canadiancow
No, they saw me doing weird things instead of sitting down.
I kept poking the seat cushion on my 77W earlier today. It felt hard and flat, but then after playing with the regular firmess setting, it did reinflate properly.

I did try the reset code trick out of interest and I could bring up the number pad. I didn't need to do a full reset though.
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Old Nov 24, 2017, 2:01 pm
  #139  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 492
They seem to offer $500 coupon or 20% coupon for EU. More for Asia and 12hr plus flights (up to $1000/25% coupons). Even if the flight was $10k. Which isn’t a great deal of help for future travel.
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Old Nov 24, 2017, 2:15 pm
  #140  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AC E35K, NEXUS
Posts: 4,368
I got no %, no eUp refund, but 8,000 AE miles. Similar blame-the-victim about not reporting on board. (First time in that seat design, how am I to know this is not the way the seat is supposed to be?) Same Glenn.
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Old Nov 24, 2017, 2:36 pm
  #141  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE-MM, BA Bronze, Marriott Titanium & lifetime Plat
Posts: 1,820
Originally Posted by krayZpaving
This happened to me going YVR-LHR a few weeks ago. Not the base of the seat, but the upper back. I actually thought it was the cushion slipping down or something. I mentioned it to the SD at the end of the flight and he told me then he had a trick to fix it and wished I had told him earlier. I guess I should have asked for a comp form then!
Sent in a complaint through the website - got back a $500 evoucher today.
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Old Nov 24, 2017, 2:55 pm
  #142  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: YVR
Programs: Ice Cream Club, AC SE MM, Bonvoy Life Plat
Posts: 2,802
I complained here about the inflated seats before... They are a pain in my butt when they ARE inflated (soft, medium, or hard)... seems it gapfills everything and cuts off circulation... I'm a lean, light guy, so I guess my capillaries or whatever aren't accustomed to such constraints normally? The seat is just lame either way, unless pax had previously complained the seats were too firm/soft in the past?

Seems the thing to do is book J, poke the seat near the end of flight, and get a $500 refund?
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Old Nov 24, 2017, 6:56 pm
  #143  
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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
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I'm still curious to know why OP keeps flying YYZ-MUC-YYZ and never stays in Munich, just gets off and back on these flights?
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Old Nov 24, 2017, 9:12 pm
  #144  
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,618
I count myself lucky that I don't think I've yet experienced this. There was one flight when I thought the seat was a bit hard, but I hadn't ever tried to soften it with the controls, so thought maybe I just didn't adjust it as I should have.

Originally Posted by ACYYZ/SD
If you report it, we log it. Not at all sure why you would think otherwise. It's also common protocol to advise the pilots who datalink ahead the list of issues to MTC Control.
I wish all of your colleagues were as diligent and professional as you are. Many are, but not all.

Originally Posted by airbus320
I am surprised that the press has not got a hold of this thread and product review.
A while back they would have loved a potential story about their favorite airline.

Perhaps this forum has lost some clout.....
This issue only affects fat-cat J flyers, not the Tango FOTSGs that CBC cares about.

Originally Posted by Shareholder
I'm still curious to know why OP keeps flying YYZ-MUC-YYZ and never stays in Munich, just gets off and back on these flights?
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
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Adam Smith is offline  
Old Nov 25, 2017, 4:54 am
  #145  
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Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,183
Originally Posted by bawm
Hi all,

Inspired by this thread, I submitted a claim for my most recent "deflategate" incident - ZRH-YYZ in paid business class (C-FNOH is a troublesome bird). As a Super Elite member, I expected a somewhat fair offer. AC is now offering a 20% off discount code for future travel as a final offer to me

As I book via a travel agent, this offer is not really of much use to me. The contact person at AC indirectly blames me for not having obtained an On Board Compensation form (a green form, for those who are familiar). To be honest, I just trusted that AC would make this right, and never pushed for an OBC form, despite having to manually reset the seat every hour of this 8 to 9 hour flight.

I'm hoping to get input as to whether this is a reasonable offer by AC. In my opinion, it is not, but I'd love your guys' opinion. I have been asking for a partial fare refund for this segment of the ticket. Glenn from the AC "Customer Relations, Executive Centre (?)" says that the 20% discount is all that they can provide.

Please also let this be fair warning to those of you booking AC business class. If the physical seat fails, AC does not appear ready to stand by their product. Spending $20,000+ on AC every year appears to have no impact on this.

Thanks,
bawm
So I've always reported it when I noticed it, but was never offered a green form.

I still haven't emailed about my second incident, but I'm sure even the MUC concierge would back up my claim. It was known before the door closed.

That being said, if you're not reporting it on board, you're not helping the next person to sit there. No, it's not your responsibility, but it's still a nice thing to do.

Originally Posted by Shareholder
I'm still curious to know why OP keeps flying YYZ-MUC-YYZ and never stays in Munich, just gets off and back on these flights?
Originally Posted by Adam Smith
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
Couldn't have said it better myself.
canadiancow is offline  
Old Nov 25, 2017, 5:01 am
  #146  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YHZ/YQM
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 1,618
Originally Posted by Shareholder
I'm still curious to know why OP keeps flying YYZ-MUC-YYZ and never stays in Munich, just gets off and back on these flights?
So EYW flight patterns are sometimes hard to distinguish from a professional drug mule, eh?
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Old Nov 25, 2017, 8:40 am
  #147  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lima Sierra Zulu Hotel
Programs: AC*SM, M&M SEN, BA Gold, DL Gold; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 777
Originally Posted by canadiancow
So I've always reported it when I noticed it, but was never offered a green form.

I still haven't emailed about my second incident, but I'm sure even the MUC concierge would back up my claim. It was known before the door closed.

That being said, if you're not reporting it on board, you're not helping the next person to sit there. No, it's not your responsibility, but it's still a nice thing to do.
Sorry, should have clarified - I definitely reported it on board. The SD showed me the back-door to the control panel which is what allowed me to manually reset it every 45-60 min. I will continue to report it on board each time!

Disappointing to see how lightly AC is reacting to this.

Thanks,
bawm
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Old Nov 25, 2017, 9:14 am
  #148  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: YQB
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, Bonvoy Gold, HHonors Diamond, VIA Premier, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 816
Deflating seat only happened to me a few times over the past year and a half. But I have noticed that the "deflating seat" issue seems to be more widespread and frequent. On 2 recent TPAC flights, my seat deflated. I informed the SD each time. I used the "reset" function a couple of times and was able to remain in my seat.

For one of the flight, maintenance came on board prior to departure and I had an interesting chat with the maintenance guy. Apparently, they are having several issues with those seats; not only deflating problems (either the bladder, the pump or the valves are not functioning) but also with the up/down of the footrest.

As suggested by others, I will write to AC CS (not expecting anything) just so they know how widespread the problem seems to be as I think it can be useful if they want to build a case against the seat manufacturer.
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Old Nov 25, 2017, 10:50 pm
  #149  
Original Member
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,220
So has anyone sent a message to Rockwell yet?

Or do I have to do it?
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Old Nov 26, 2017, 3:49 am
  #150  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
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You do it. Post all the results as they happen. No filter.
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