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Grounding of 737 Max - Effect on AC incl OMNI 767 lease

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Old Mar 12, 2019, 11:26 am
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Last edit by: yyznomad
Latest updates from aircanada.com
Originally Posted by https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/book/travel-news-and-updates/2019/737-airspace-closure.html
If you currently have a reservation for a flight between now and September 02, 2019 that was scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, we've implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary within three (3) weeks of your original travel dates.
Read below for more details.

Air Canada Timetable Effective June 27, 2019 to September 29, 2019 (AC's link: https://services.aircanada.com/porta...metable-en.pdf)
Air Canada Timetable Effective June 20, 2019 to September 22, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective June 13, 2019 to September 15, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective June 6, 2019 to September 8, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective May 30, 2019 to September 1, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective May 23, 2019 to August 25, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective May 16, 2019 to August 18, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective May 9, 2019 to August 11, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective May 2, 2019 to August 4, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective April 25, 2019 to July 28, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective April 18, 2019 to July 21, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective April 11, 2019 to July 14, 2019
Air Canada Timetable Effective March 28, 2019 to June 30, 2019



May 29, 2019
If you are travelling within the next 72 hours, call:

1-833-354-5963

If you booked through a Travel Agency, please call them for immediate assistance
In compliance with Transport Canada's safety notice closing Canadian airspace to Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations, Air Canada has grounded its 24 737 MAX aircraft until further notice.Air Canada is now updating its May, June and July schedule to further optimize its fleet and re-accommodate customers. Because the timeline for the return to service of the 737 Max is unknown, for planning purposes and to provide customers certainty for booking and travel, Air Canada is removing all 737 MAX aircraft from its schedule until at least September 02, 2019. A summary of schedule changes for April is posted below in the following question and answer: "What is Air Canada doing to reschedule customers?". Additional schedule changes will be posted as warranted.
  • Air Canada's cancellation and rebooking policies are in place with full fee waiver for affected customers.
  • We are working to rebook impacted customers as soon as possible.
  • Given the magnitude of our 737 MAX operations which on average carry nine to twelve thousand customers per day, customers can expect delays in rebooking and in reaching Air Canada Call Centres.
  • If you are travelling within the next 72 hours, please call the number at the top of this page.
  • If you booked through a Travel Agent, you may contact them directly for assistance.
We appreciate our customers' patience as we work to get everyone on their way.

If you'd like to make other plansIf you currently have a reservation for a flight between now and September 02, 2019 that was scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, we've implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary within three (3) weeks of your original travel dates.If you are impacted by this policy, you may contact Air Canada Reservations (1-888-247-2262). If you are travelling in the next 72 hours, please call Air Canada Reservations number at the top of this notice. If you purchased your ticket with AeroplanExternal site which may not meet accessibility guidelines., or Air Canada Vacations or your travel agent, please contact them directly.

****

March 19, 2019

UPDATED - INFORMATION ON IMPACTED ROUTES


**********

UPDATED - Air Canada Responds to Transport Canada's Closure of Canadian Airspace to the Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...e-closure.html

March 19, 2019

If you are travelling within the next 72 hours, call:

1-833-354-5963

If you booked through a Travel Agency, please call them for immediate assistance

In compliance with Transport Canada’s safety notice closing Canadian airspace to Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations, Air Canada has grounded its 24 737 MAX aircraft until further notice.

Air Canada is now updating its April and May schedule to further optimize its fleet and re-accommodate customers. Because the timeline for the return to service of the 737 Max is unknown, for planning purposes and to provide customers certainty for booking and travel, Air Canada is removing all 737 MAX aircraft from its schedule until at least July 1, 2019. A summary of schedule changes for April is posted below in the following question and answer: “What is Air Canada doing to reschedule customers?”. Additional schedule changes will be posted as warranted.
  • Air Canada's cancellation and rebooking policies are in place with full fee waiver for affected customers.
  • We are working to rebook impacted customers as soon as possible.
  • Given the magnitude of our 737 MAX operations which on average carry nine to twelve thousand customers per day, customers can expect delays in rebooking and in reaching Air Canada Call Centres.
  • If you are travelling within the next 72 hours, please call the number at the top of this page.
  • If you booked through a Travel Agent, you may contact them directly for assistance.
We appreciate our customers' patience as we work to get everyone on their way.

If you'd like to make other plans

If you currently have a reservation for a flight that was scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, we've implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary within three (3) weeks of your original travel dates.

If you are impacted by this policy, you may contact Air Canada Reservations (1-888-247-2262). If you are travelling in the next 72 hours, please call Air Canada Reservations number at the top of this notice.

If you purchased your ticket with Aeroplan, or Air Canada Vacations or your travel agent, please contact them directly.


*********
March 13, 2019

Air Canada confirmed today that it will comply immediately with Transport Canada's safety notice closing Canadian airspace to Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations until further notice.

Air Canada's cancellation and rebooking policies are in place with full fee waiver for affected customers. We are working to rebook impacted customers as soon as possible. Given the magnitude of our 737 MAX operations which on average carry nine to twelve thousand customers per day, customers can expect delays in rebooking and in reaching Air Canada Call Centres. Priority will be given to customers travelling within the next 72 hours. We appreciate our customers' patience.

If you'd like to know what type of aircraft you are flying on, simply retrieve your booking from the My Bookings tab, then click on the 'Details' link in the Flight Details section. We also advise you to check the status of your flight before heading to the airport.

We fully support Transport Canada's decision and will continue to work with them towards a resolution of this situation as soon as possible.

Alternate Travel Plans
If you currently have a reservation for a flight operated by a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, we've implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary within three (3) weeks of your original travel dates.

If you are impacted by this policy, you may contact Air Canada Reservations (1-888-247-2262).

If you purchased your ticket with AeroplanExternal site which may not meet accessibility guidelines., or Air Canada Vacations or your Travel agent, please contact them directly Some questions you may have are below with our answers, but if you can't find what you need, contact us at 1-888-247-2262, or reach out to us on on FacebookExternal site which may not meet accessibility guidelines. or TwitterExternal site which may not meet accessibility guidelines..

How many Boeing 737 MAX aircraft does Air Canada have?
Air Canada has a fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft, which have been in operation since 2017. We have a total fleet of 400 aircraft (including 24 737MAX), comprising Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express aircraft.

Where do the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft fly to?
These aircraft operate flights across North America, to Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, as well as from Atlantic Canada to London Heathrow.

How many Boeing 737 MAX flights are there each day, and how many passengers are affected?
We typically operate approximately 75 Boeing 737 MAX flights daily out of a total schedule of approximately 1,600 daily flights system-wide, representing less than six percent of our total flying.

We have a total fleet of 400 aircraft (including 24 Boeing 737 MAX), comprising Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express aircraft.

What is Air Canada doing to reschedule customers?
We are making adjustments to our schedule to minimize the disruption to customers as much as possible, by optimizing the deployment of the rest of our fleet and looking at alternative options, including accommodating customers on other airlines.

As an example of some of our adjustments to Boeing 737 MAX flights cancelled, we have re-scheduled widebody aircraft to serve Hawaii starting today, March 13. Some flights will operate as scheduled with mainline or Air Canada Rouge aircraft, such as on Montreal-Martinique and Montreal-Guadeloupe. Other routes, notably Halifax-London and St. John's-London are cancelled in the short term, with customers being re-routed through our Montreal and Toronto hubs.

What should I do right now?
As changes are finalized in our flight schedule, customers whose flight times or flight numbers have changed can expect to receive an email detailing their updated itinerary. This information is also available in My Bookings on the Air Canada App.

If you are travelling soon, you can also contact us or your travel agent. Please understand that priority is being given to customers travelling within the next 72 hours.

We have also put in place a rebooking policy, space permitting, and without additional fees for affected customers. Given the magnitude of our Boeing 737 MAX operations, which on average carry nine to twelve thousand customers per day, customers can expect delays in rebooking and in reaching Air Canada's Call Centres.

Where can I go to for more information?
If you would like to know what type of aircraft you are flying on, simply retrieve your booking from the My Bookings tab, then click on the 'Details' link in the Flight Details section.

If you are travelling soon, you can contact us, reach out to our social media teams on FacebookExternal site which may not meet accessibility guidelines. or TwitterExternal site which may not meet accessibility guidelines., or call your travel agent.

We also advise you to check the status of your flight before going to the airport.

We thank all of our customers for their patience.

Will Air Canada cover my out-of-pocket expenses such as additional accommodation costs that I may incur as a result of these disruptions?
Our normal protocol for irregular events which are out of our control is in effect. We are regrettably unable to reimburse for such expenses.



****


MONTREAL, March 13, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada confirmed today that it will comply immediately with Transport Canada's safety notice closing Canadian airspace to Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations until further notice.

Air Canada's cancellation and rebooking policies are in place with full fee waiver for affected customers. We are working to rebook impacted customers as soon as possible but given the magnitude of our 737 MAX operations which on average carry nine to twelve thousand customers per day, customers can expect delays in rebooking and in reaching Air Canada call centres and we appreciate our customers' patience.

Customers are further advised to check the status of their flight on aircanada.com prior to going to the airport.

We fully support this decision and will continue to work with Transport Canada towards resolution of this situation as soon as possible.


SOURCE Air Canada

For further information: Isabelle Arthur (Montréal), [email protected], 514 422-5788; Peter Fitzpatrick (Toronto), [email protected], 416 263-5576; Angela Mah (Vancouver), [email protected], 604 270-5741; Internet: aircanada.com

https://aircanada.mediaroom.com/2019...7-MAX-Aircraft




https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...to-london.html

Originally Posted by ac.com
Information on Air Canada Halifax-London and St. John’s-London service

March 12, 2019

Due to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority banning all Boeing 737 Max aircraft operations in the U.K. Air Canada has cancelled the following flights:

AC 860 Halifax London-Heathrow on March 12
AC861 London-Halifax on March 13
AC822 St. John’s-London on March 13
AC823London-St. John’s on March 14

We are working to rebook impacted customers as soon as possible through our Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa hubs.

Affected customers may contact Air Canada Reservations to change their flights to another date free of charge.

As well, due to anticipated call volumes, customers can expect delays reaching Air Canada call centres, so we appreciate our customers’ patience.

Air Canada will provide updates as more information becomes available.
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Grounding of 737 Max - Effect on AC incl OMNI 767 lease

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Old Dec 18, 2019, 6:30 am
  #1021  
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Originally Posted by yyznomad
Adam Smith !

Dude, you keep on posting in the wrong thread.
For some reason, I no longer get e-mail notifications when I'm tagged on FT, so I didn't realize you had flagged that

I forgot there was a second thread, to be honest.

IIRC, upthread, others also mentioned the unchanged date despite the ongoing weekly timetable changes and punting of the 7M8 in the schedule further out.
I think it's safe to assume, at least for now, that we'll continue to see it pushed out more and more... since it's been happening with their weekly updates.
I don't disagree. I just found it interesting that they had pushed the MAX back off the schedule for another 6 weeks without updating the notice.
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Old Dec 18, 2019, 6:42 am
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Originally Posted by Adam Smith
I don't disagree. I just found it interesting that they had pushed the MAX back off the schedule for another 6 weeks without updating the notice.
PR people are 110% allocated to deal with IT problems. Operations problems 4 months from now are a low priority.
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Old Dec 26, 2019, 8:02 am
  #1023  
 
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Hi all, I've pinged AC on Twitter and Facebook to ask about rebooking parameters, but unsurprisingly have not gotten a response. So I thought I'd poll the wisdom of FT's kind folk instead.

I'm currently booked LAX-YVR-LHR-FRA-BRU in P in April, with LAX-YVR on the MAX. After some digging around, I've come up with some potential reroutings and was wondering if anyone could advise how feasible they would be.

1. LAX-YYZ-FRA-BRU, with only Z available on both AC legs. This should be a fairly easy rebook, even though P isn't available, right?

2. LAX-FRA/MUC-BRU on LH, with only D available. This would be harder--and as I'm going after UA PQP, I would need it to be rebooked into D or higher to ensure that I earn PQP at a similar rate as AC P; otherwise I wouldn't bother.
Has anyone gotten rebooked onto a JV partner into a higher class and subsequently gotten credit for that higher class? I've had instances where I've rebooked on UA into a higher class but still gotten credit for my original class, almost as if the agent forced open the original class and/or UA could see what my original class was.

3. LAX-FRA/MUC-CDG, or some other nearby destination to BRU.
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Old Dec 26, 2019, 8:31 am
  #1024  
 
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Originally Posted by dkc192
I'm currently booked LAX-YVR-LHR-FRA-BRU in P in April, with LAX-YVR on the MAX. After some digging around, I've come up with some potential reroutings and was wondering if anyone could advise how feasible they would be. ...
Odds are quite good that AC will not be flying the MAX again by April. They will need 2 - 3 months to retrain their pilots once they get the okay from Transport Canada to fly the plane, and that okay doesn't look like it is coming anytime soon.

AC will likely substitute another plane for LAX-YVR, perhaps with a slight schedule change. Wait until that happens, and then call if you don't like the change. At that point, you can probably get a better routing if you ask nicely.
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Old Dec 26, 2019, 8:43 am
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Originally Posted by StuMcIlwain
AC will likely substitute another plane for LAX-YVR, perhaps with a slight schedule change. Wait until that happens, and then call if you don't like the change. At that point, you can probably get a better routing if you ask nicely.
All well understood. Was mostly wondering if you or others on here have experience in asking for any of the three "types" of rebooks I laid out in my original post: 1) different AC flights but higher class; 2) other JV/*A flights in a higher class, while maintaining that higher class for mileage credit purposes; and 3) other JV/*A flights in a higher class to a nearby destination city.
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Old Dec 30, 2019, 8:19 pm
  #1026  
 
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Originally Posted by TheCanuckian
The page about Omni International shows them flying the Vancouver to Hawaii routes until April. They’ve also added Vancouver to Phoenix beginning mid-December.
I had my first experience with the Omni 762 a few days ago, on an AE ticket. The plane was not bad (for something that was built by Noah just after the ark landed). Mrs. Sopwith was not amused by the service, but I found it to be within the (broad) range to be expected from AC. The cabin crew were Omni people. One of them commented that they’re accustomed to flying military personnel. It sort of showed. Other than that the flight was very ordinary. OLCI worked as normal except I had to re-enter our AE numbers.

I agree that 7AB and 7HK are reasonably good seats in the economy cabin. Row 17 not so much - a little less legroom and close to the lavs. Not really worth paying for IMO.

So the flight itself was satisfactory, but the way AC handled the change and resulting seat assignments was woefully inadequate.

One interesting note is is that these flights don’t appear on Flight Aware until they’re airborne, and then they all show as on time.
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Old Dec 31, 2019, 11:15 am
  #1027  
 
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Thanks for the information Sopwith, I've also been wondering why AC2411 is always showing as on time. By the way, I wrote an email complaint to AC over all the Max8 induced changes to my AE itinerary and received a 30% off promotion code, which was a bit more than I was expecting.
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Old Jan 6, 2020, 8:00 pm
  #1028  
 
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Interesting ... Flight Aware shows a B789 on YVR - OGG under different flight numbers yesterday and today.
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Old Jan 13, 2020, 6:43 pm
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Originally Posted by Sopwith
Interesting ... Flight Aware shows a B789 on YVR - OGG under different flight numbers yesterday and today.
And also mainline 763 last week. It seems you never know what to expect with Hawaii flights. Sometimes regular mainline, sometimes mainline with a cabin that looks nothing like AC, sometimes rouge, sometimes contracted out to an operator who specializes in transporting troops, livestock etc., and sometimes outright flight cancellations.

Last week AC's YYC-OGG flight had the full Signature Class service. I've never seen this on a Hawaii flight before other than YYZ-HNL. Maybe this is a response to WestJet's 787 service (with lie flat J pods) on this route - also an effect of the 737 Max grounding.
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Old Jan 14, 2020, 9:14 am
  #1030  
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Originally Posted by Sopwith
Interesting ... Flight Aware shows a B789 on YVR - OGG under different flight numbers yesterday and today.
Originally Posted by After Burner
And also mainline 763 last week. It seems you never know what to expect with Hawaii flights. Sometimes regular mainline, sometimes mainline with a cabin that looks nothing like AC, sometimes rouge, sometimes contracted out to an operator who specializes in transporting troops, livestock etc., and sometimes outright flight cancellations.

Last week AC's YYC-OGG flight had the full Signature Class service. I've never seen this on a Hawaii flight before other than YYZ-HNL. Maybe this is a response to WestJet's 787 service (with lie flat J pods) on this route - also an effect of the 737 Max grounding.
The same could be said for transcons - there were so many cases in the latter part of 2019 where my transcon metals changed (different widebody, or in some cases, an upgauge... and the odd downgauge).
I flew less in 2019 too.
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Old Jan 18, 2020, 4:14 pm
  #1031  
 
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What are the odds the Max will be flying by June? I’m scheduled on a YYZ-YYC flight.
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Old Jan 18, 2020, 4:43 pm
  #1032  
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Originally Posted by Bokehman
What are the odds the Max will be flying by June? I’m scheduled on a YYZ-YYC flight.
I'm thinking slim to none.
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Old Jan 18, 2020, 10:50 pm
  #1033  
 
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AC Flights Operated By Omni Air International

How are AC-branded flights operated by Omni Air International? Are they Omni's pilots, but AC's crews? In Googling myself, I saw differing accounts. Also, how reliable are they as far as being on-time? Today (January 18), their YVR-HNL flight was delayed by 2 hours, then 3 hours, then cancelled all together. And of course, because it "wasn't an Air Canada flight" (as per the app), status was unavailable. I'm not optimistic or looking forward to my same flight in a few days. How are your guys' experiences with them? Sure hope AC's 737 MAXs' come back soon; their J is WAY better than Omni's!
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Old Jan 18, 2020, 10:58 pm
  #1034  
 
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See my post #1026 in this thread. You can see departure (= take off) and arrival times on Flight Aware.
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Old Jan 19, 2020, 1:38 pm
  #1035  
 
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Originally Posted by Nagoya172
How are AC-branded flights operated by Omni Air International? Are they Omni's pilots, but AC's crews? In Googling myself, I saw differing accounts. Also, how reliable are they as far as being on-time? Today (January 18), their YVR-HNL flight was delayed by 2 hours, then 3 hours, then cancelled all together. And of course, because it "wasn't an Air Canada flight" (as per the app), status was unavailable. I'm not optimistic or looking forward to my same flight in a few days. How are your guys' experiences with them? Sure hope AC's 737 MAXs' come back soon; their J is WAY better than Omni's!
Flew OAI on OGG-YVR. Omni pilots & FAs with 3 AC FAs. Crew were great. All service identical to AC mainline.

it was nice getting to HI on a wide body again. However OAI 762s are a bit dated. The J seats were pretty stiff and inferior to usual mainline domestic J or PY international. Of note 3 DF are tagged as poor seats in another thread because of crew rest area behind. The crew rest bulkhead has been removed so 3 DF are good seats. Overall, a good experience.

they are really pushing these 2 planes with service to HNL, OGG and PHX. OTP has been poor.
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