24left

I was looking at AC flights tomorrow. Noticed AC 63 today was 1.5 hours late to ICN today, and tomorrow's AC 64 from ICN will be late, estimated to arrive only 30 minutes before AC 63 (same fin) is supposed to depart back to ICN.

Shall we discuss AC OTP here?

AC0064/09FEB EQU ACA789P01
CTY TML ARR DEP GRND AIR CABINS J O Y
ICN - 1755 - 09.40
YVR 1035 TOTAL TIME ICNYVR 9.40
ICN 1850 00:55L YVR 1130 00:55L 789 EQI ED EA
DEP TML GATE --/-----
ARR TML M GATE --/-----
RMKS/DELAYED AWAITING LATE I/B AC063 FIM841 DUE TO YVR BAGGAGE
SYSTEM FAILURE


Mods - feel free to move to one of the AC OTP threads if more relevant

5mm

I have had 2 flights delayed in the last 6 weeks out of YVR baggage because of the airports baggage system. You would think YVR would have updated their baggage systems when they redid the Dom and expanded the inter terminals.

WaytoomuchEurope

I thought YVR is in the midst of a fairly major overhaul of the baggage system. Maybe this is bugs.

Or maybe I'm just totally wrong. Even money on that.

Transpacificflyer

No, you are right. They started installing the new Checkit express bag drop system last May and had their big announcement of expansion last December. They have also been updating the tracking and cameras (or so they claim). The new bag drop system is described as state of the art and the most technologically advanced system available in the market with the highest rate of "first time read" accuracy of the baggage tags. Honestly, I have no idea if the claims are accurate as I checked in my bags at the business class desk last month and the lady pushed a button and off it went.

I also note that there is a temporary baggage system for domestic-international baggage in place because of the construction work. going on between the international and domestic terminals. The media release said that the temporary system would be in place from November 2018 to July 2019. Perhaps the delays are related to this temporary system. I dunno, so don't take this as the gospel truth since I don't work at the airport.

CZAMFlyer

Waytoomuch is correct, the baggage system is undergoing improvements aimed to support the rapid growth over the past few years. Much of this international growth can be attributed to three main causes: the designation by China of Canada as a preferred destination, the lifting of visa requirements for Mexican nationals and the Pacific hub strategy of our dear friend Air Canada. This results in literally millions of new travellers carting millions of bags onto a system designed for more modest growth projections.

This being said, the baggage system soiled the sheets today over the noon hour (the main TPAC rush). It did so because it's a complex system of many mechanical parts designed by humans and thus not immune to occasional failure. It was back up & running within an hour, but by then it was too late to meet the OTP departures for many flights. Ironically, some could argue that it's AC's insistence of banking their wide body departures in such a compressed timeframe that contributes to the pressures on the infrastructure.

5mm, the systems have been in constant upgrade, before, during and since the domestic and international upgrades. There's now a new high-speed backbone system to facilitate int'l to US transfers and it seems the path through the bag halls changes daily as new lines are added or re-routed. Sorry to hear of your two delays; these are fortunately uncommon.

Bohemian1

@CZAMFlyer - thanks for the insights.

The next time one of your fellow FTers are transiting YVR (I live here, so it won't be me) are you willing to toss their bags in your truck?

Now, that's what I would call Express service!

Jagboi

Is it all baggage that affected or just international? What about domestic arrivals, is that functioning fine?

CZAMFlyer

Domestic arrivals is all good today. From what I hear, anyway...I'm now at home, working on my second glass of Hester Creek.

CZAMFlyer

It certainly would be, but sadly a one-off, career-limiting move. If we cross paths in the concourse post-security, we can say hello, but that's about it. I can't take your bags and can't fraternize with friends n' family. I can drive alongside your airplane as you taxi towards the runway, and position myself to get great pics of your rotation/touchdown, but RAIC-holders hanging out airside with passengers is a Transport Canada no-no. A local watering hole, well that's an entirely different story.

24left

Speaking of which...... .....AWESOME

Sopwith

The company I spent most of my career with has done a lot of engineering/construction work airside at YVR. A number of years ago one of my colleagues used his pass to see his daughter and grandkids off at the gate. They caught him at it and revoked his pass.

Bohemian1

Of course, I was (mostly) kidding, but another great insight into behind the scenes from someone who "works at the airport".

Thanks!

P.S. Great wine choice too. If you haven't eaten there, I highly recommend it.

RatherBeInYOW

Or having such short turnaround times. Whether it is baggage system issues, de-icing, weather, etc. things happen. There is no reason AC should have planes running late for days following this kind of an issue, but yet here we are. Coming back from India a little over a week ago and I knew we'd be delayed out of DEL when our fin left FRA, even before stopping in YYZ and then heading to DEL. ACs miserable OTP rests on turn around times that are too short and no doubt this puts pressure on the baggage handling, gate agents, groomers, ramp crew, and finally the passengers who are all left feeling the squeeze of planning that is just way too optimistic.

24left

Someone I know was supposed to fly AC 63 today with an onward connection at ICN.

Last night, they saw in the app that the inbound aircraft was AC 64 and it was delayed an hour, scheduled to arrive at YVR at 11:30am while AC 63 was supposed to depart a half hour later at approx 12:05pm. Right. Not happening.

And we all know that AC 64 was delayed because its inbound, AC 63, was delayed leaving YVR due to the baggage meltdown mentioned in my OP.

Well, poor AC 63 is not having a good day. Original arrival time for ICN was to be 16:20

A number of AC Flight Notifications were rolling in:

Please take note of the changes to the flight you are tracking with Air Canada Flight Notifications.

Flight Number: AC0063

What has changed?
Now departing Vancouver on February 09, 2019 @ 13:00
Now arriving in Seoul on February 10, 2019 @ 17:36

Then this one

Flight Number: AC0063

What has changed?
Now departing Vancouver on February 09, 2019 @ 13:20
Now arriving in Seoul on February 10, 2019 @ 17:56

Aside from the cascading delays of more than a day on this aircraft, we now have this:

AC0063/09FEB EQU ACA789P01
CTY TML ARR DEP GRND AIR CABINS J O Y
YVR - 1205 - 11.15
ICN 1620*1 TOTAL TIME YVRICN 11.15
YVR 1320 01:15L ICN 1756 01:36L 789 EQI ED EA
DEP TML M GATE --/D54
ARR TML GATE --/——

RMKS/DLYD DUE LATE I/B AC064 FIN841 TRACK DELAY ACCT YVR BAGGAG
E SYSTEM FAILURE PREVIOUS DAY FURTHER DLYD DUE TO MULTIPLE LAVS
BLOCKED


So, someone made the right call at 3 am to get out of this and move their trip.

And clearly, Fin 841 is not having a good day. Or two.

24left

AC0063/09FEB EQU ACA789P01
CTY TML ARR DEP GRND AIR CABINS J O Y
YVR - 1205 - 11.15
ICN 1620*1 TOTAL TIME YVRICN 11.15
RMKS/DLYD DUE LATE I/B AC064 FIN841 TRACK DELAY ACCT YVR BAGGAG
E SYSTEM FAILURE PREVIOUS DAY FURTHER DLYD DUE TO MULTIPLE LAVS
BLOCKED
YVR 1440 02:35L ICN 1916 02:56L 789 MTF ED EA
DEP TML M GATE --/D54
ARR TML GATE --/-----

3 hours late and onward connection would have been missed.

Does anyone know how or when AC decides to swap a fin?