Stranger

So? Does not change one iota. It *is* a major issue. About half the people in Taiwan hate the C and want to replace it by a T. With the side effect of making China pretend to be furious...

Or god forbid, F for Formosa.

Jumper Jack

Fine, they can be mad about AC's move once that they try to change it to T.
But right now AC's action has no issues because the passport still says C

And no, putting a softcover over the official passport doesn't count lol

global happy traveller

Air Canada should combine Canada with the US and call it North America then

Fiordland

Easy to implement. They already have different versions of the website for different countries.

At least it is not the silliness that use to exist with Cuba where it is operated/sold as "AC Vacations".

DrunkCargo

No, I disagree. AC complies with "all" worldwide jurisdictions. AC is compliant, unlike the unruly plebes that are not AC. There is no rule that AC breaks, worldwide where they fly, ever. Spokesperson said so, but she doesn't work at the airport I suspect... hmmm

Could just eliminate country altogether. I fly to Vancouver, or Toronto... Not Canada. Has anyone booked an American Airlines flight to the "American airport"? I guess the only thing is, if I'm non-visa-exempt for Taiwan and book a flight to TPE, would AC let me fly with a China visa?

Are you suggesting calling it Taiwan for American visitors and China for Chinese visitors? What happens for hardcopies? Easy fix is to codeshare with BR or CI and make it their problem.

DrunkCargo

Does anyone call it Thina?? =P

Stranger

OK. I compared my passport with the passport of someone born in Taiwan. On mine, it has the place of birth (city) and a three letter code for the country. Which one might think would indeed be TWN for Taiwan. However the other passport is actually *NOT* like that. Instead, for the whole entry (city+country) is has just TAIWAN written in full. Without the city of birth.

That passport has Chinese entry visas BTW, which has never been an issue.

tracon

If the Taiwanese think of China as a bully, can someone explain to me the name China Airlines.

Transpacificflyer

Principals and transparency should trump "profits". The issue here is that Canada has gone on and on about democracy, human rights and all sorts of sunny way sentiments. Air Canada has a corporate ethics statement. What offends me is the blatant hypocrisy and double standard the government of Canada has on the issue, and that some of its largest companies apply when doing business in China.
I have zero sympathy for Taiwan, particularly as to its origins and personally, I believe in a one China policy, but there is a way to achieve that. The fact remains that the residents of Taiwan live in a democratic territory and do not wish to be subject to a one party corrupt military based dictatorship that has no respect for human rights or freedoms companies like Air Canada say that they uphold. Air Canada's position says that the airline puts possible profit before doing the right thing and that it does not support the right of Taiwan to self determination. The government of Canada, should have said it was wrong for Air Canada to do that.

I say possible profit, because no Canadian company to date has really made a profit in China. The Canadian firms are deluded like gamblers hoping for the dice to roll their way. There is a reason why China runs a massive trade deficit with Canada, and it is because they stack the rules their way and can push weak countries like Canada around. We don't see Air China or China Eastern making any gestures of respect for Canadian values or sensitivities.

Stranger

That dates from the time when the Taiwan government still claimed, with strong US support, to be the "legitimate" government of the whole of China. Which alas helps with the current Chinese claim.

Stranger

As in school principals?

You mean, as a Dutch colony? Or Koxinga (the son of a pirate, who got a big statue on Gulangyu), or what?

Edit: if you actually mean, not the origin of Taiwan but of the ROC regime, I actually agree with you.

The Lev

Convenient for the inexperienced flyer when deciding whether to fly to YQY vs. SYD, LON vs. YXU or MLB vs. MEL to name a few off the top of my head.

m.y

China Airlines is free to change its name to Air Taiwan to really stick it to China (some Taiwanese politicians tried already), but it doesn't because the name change impacts bilaterial agreements and they won't be able to fly to many countries, thus China Airlines keeping its name as a business decision, same conclusion that Air Canada has apparently reached.

capedreamer

I wonder if we’ll go back to the days of British Asia Airways, Air France Asia, Swissair Asia, KLM Asia (which, oddly, seems to have stuck around), etc.

maradori

Had to pull out my passport to double check, but indeed that is the case -- Place of birth just says "TAIWAN". Note this is also the same for those born in Hong Kong and Macau (no country code -- looks like this is since July 2003)

Hope AC does the right thing on this