tcook052

https://www.newswire.ca/news-release...686822311.html

MONTREAL, June 28, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada is introducing new family-friendly services for customers with young children to make summer vacations even more enjoyable. Anyone flying Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or Air Canada Express with young children will be able to take advantage of dedicated check-in counters at major hubs, complimentary seat selection for proximity seating, and a range of other services designed to meet the needs of travelling families.

"Summer is the time of family travel and Air Canada is pleased to offer special new services to make each trip easy and memorable for customers with young children. With Air Canada Family Summer Travel Services, we are introducing airport and onboard programs that will simplify all aspects of the travel experience for families during their summer holiday travels. Parents will be able to enjoy peace of mind so they can share in their children's delight in the magic of flying and freedom of summer," said Benjamin Smith, President Airlines and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada.

Full details on the program as well as other helpful travel information for family travel are available on the new AC Family page at www.aircanada.com. Key features of the program include:

• Dedicated family check-in lines for families travelling with young children at Air Canada's main hubs at Toronto-Pearson, Montreal and Vancouver1;
• Complimentary, standard seat selection within each cabin of the aircraft for proximity seating for family members;
• Pre-boarding between zones 2 and 3 for families travelling with young children;
• Complimentary Air Canada Skyrider activity book for children up to age 11;
• Priority rebooking in event of schedule changes.

Air Canada also continues to offer a fee-for-service Unaccompanied Minor program for children aged eight to 17 travelling without a parent or guardian on non-stop itineraries. This provides children enrolled in the program special attention, including a dedicated agent at both the departure and arrival airport and regular monitoring onboard by a flight attendant for the duration of the flight. Details about the program are available at the AC Family page on www.aircanada.com.

YXUFlyboy

Why don't they just de-hub YYC already and call it a focus city like YOW and YHZ? (◔_◔)

longtimeflyin

So families get priority boarding ahead of comfort fare fliers?

I don't think that is appropriate.

Bohemian1

I thought pre-board between Zone 2 and 3 was pretty much the status quo.

But maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.

I would also support 'family friendly' security lines - that weren't Nexus lines

Jebby_ca

YXUFlyboy

That's my understanding also.

Stranger

Indeed. And so were free seat assignments.

Bohemian1

Seeing this language on their website regarding seating families together:

"When you book your flight online, indicate that you are travelling with children, and we will assign generic seats in proximity to each other for you and your children within 48 hours after your ticket is issued. "

I hope they clarify their policy regarding exactly where children can sit give the recent, and very public, issues for at least one family.

Diabeetus

1. I already have this. It's called the Super Elite 100k priority line.
2. In all seriousness, the family check-in line better have a ton of extra agents, otherwise it will be a total mess. Families with small children take more time to get checked in, not less (car seats, strollers, larger party size, more luggage, etc.). The family check-in line may very well become the de-priority line with the slowest check-in.

canadiancow

Maybe that's intentional.

The infrequent business traveler (no status) probably doesn't want to deal with the slowness

Points Poppa

This. Once flew J out of LAX TBIT and was redirected away from the priority security lane to the super slow security lane for strollers and wheelchairs.

mjrobson

HND-YYZ in AC J - My wife and I with our 3 year old and 8 month old.... Took them 60 minutes to do our checkin (we were already checked in online) because she accidentally linked to infant to the 3 year old and it wouldn't let her print our boarding passes or bag tags. Needed 3 levels of supervisors before the were able to fix it.

Our 3 year has been on close to 50 flights and I don't think we have had 1 smooth and fast checkin with AC. Never seem to have issues with other airlines (UA, TK, BR, DL..).

rankourabu

Logic would dictate that perhaps after, I dunno, 30... maybe 40... you stop flying AC?

yyznomad

I remember checking-in at the SE check-in line at YOW one time, and the SE agent kept on waving families from the regular check-in line over (when the check-in agents on the regular side were already tending to other pax), bypassing all the SEs in line. The SEs were only called up once the regular line was cleared of families. The SE check-in agent said it was some sort of policy that AC had in accommodating families. This was in 2015, IIRC.

MSPeconomist

I would have been livid.