Air Canada places woman, younger man in single hotel room - July 24 2019
#1
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Air Canada places woman, younger man in single hotel room - July 24 2019
QUOTE:
"Tabu told CBC News that the agent gave them one hotel voucher and told them they would have to share a room. When they arrived at the hotel, the room only had one bed, she said."
"....she was using a wheelchair at the airport because she's recovering from cancer treatment."
.....
"After a lengthy phone call with Air Canada, Mahele Nyota said the airline managed to find her mother a room at another hotel, but she's concerned about what could have happened if she hadn't intervened.
Now, she's worried about other vulnerable passengers being treated in the same manner and said she has filed a formal complaint with the airline."
Full article
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...nger-1.5220945
"Tabu told CBC News that the agent gave them one hotel voucher and told them they would have to share a room. When they arrived at the hotel, the room only had one bed, she said."
"....she was using a wheelchair at the airport because she's recovering from cancer treatment."
.....
"After a lengthy phone call with Air Canada, Mahele Nyota said the airline managed to find her mother a room at another hotel, but she's concerned about what could have happened if she hadn't intervened.
Now, she's worried about other vulnerable passengers being treated in the same manner and said she has filed a formal complaint with the airline."
Full article
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...nger-1.5220945
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,294
For once, I saw something on the news before on FT.
I'm really confused how this could happen. One one hand, I have to believe the agent thought they were related, and there were some communication issues.
On the other hand, the agent works at the airport.
I'm really confused how this could happen. One one hand, I have to believe the agent thought they were related, and there were some communication issues.
On the other hand, the agent works at the airport.
#3
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: YOW
Posts: 1,024
Sounds like the agent didn't want to put in any extra effort to find 2 rooms
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,294
From the article:" her mother and the man were told they would have to stay the night and fly the following day. The guy was also shocked. He said, 'But I don't know her,' [and] my mom said, 'I don't know the guy,'" Mahele Nyota said."
Sounds like the agent didn't want to put in any extra effort to find 2 rooms
Sounds like the agent didn't want to put in any extra effort to find 2 rooms
But I've seen agents do crazier things.
#5
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
"After a lengthy phone call with Air Canada, Mahele Nyota said the airline managed to find her mother a room at another hotel, but she's concerned about what could have happened if she hadn't intervened."
"After this story was published, Air Canada said an error was made due to a misunderstanding."
****
If AC said and error was made, then it acknowledges someone who might have been working at the airport - or at the help desk somewhere, made the decision to hand a single hotel voucher to 2 strangers. IMO
"After this story was published, Air Canada said an error was made due to a misunderstanding."
****
If AC said and error was made, then it acknowledges someone who might have been working at the airport - or at the help desk somewhere, made the decision to hand a single hotel voucher to 2 strangers. IMO
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,789
What this sounds like is that the agent only could find one room in the regular inventory that he had access to, and he foolishly tried to find a way that might have been the best outcome for both... More like a case of misplaced good intention?
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,294
"After a lengthy phone call with Air Canada, Mahele Nyota said the airline managed to find her mother a room at another hotel, but she's concerned about what could have happened if she hadn't intervened."
"After this story was published, Air Canada said an error was made due to a misunderstanding."
****
If AC said and error was made, then it acknowledges someone who might have been working at the airport - or at the help desk somewhere, made the decision to hand a single hotel voucher to 2 strangers. IMO
"After this story was published, Air Canada said an error was made due to a misunderstanding."
****
If AC said and error was made, then it acknowledges someone who might have been working at the airport - or at the help desk somewhere, made the decision to hand a single hotel voucher to 2 strangers. IMO
I can, however, imagine a lazy or incompetent agent later saying "it was a misunderstanding".
So it depends on whether you believe there was a misunderstanding.
#9
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SEMM / HH Diamond
Posts: 3,150
Or the misunderstanding was that they weren't mother/son or something like that. I can't imagine any other misunderstanding that would result in two strangers in one room.
I can, however, imagine a lazy or incompetent agent later saying "it was a misunderstanding".
So it depends on whether you believe there was a misunderstanding.
I can, however, imagine a lazy or incompetent agent later saying "it was a misunderstanding".
So it depends on whether you believe there was a misunderstanding.
#10
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,186
perhaps this is a case of no good deed goes unpunished.
AC got more bad publicity by offering a room than making the two strangers sleep in the airport overnight.
//My first reaction to this thread title was younger man/older woman: no thank you.
(younger woman/older man would be more interesting....... though it's far cheaper to stay married!)
AC got more bad publicity by offering a room than making the two strangers sleep in the airport overnight.
//My first reaction to this thread title was younger man/older woman: no thank you.
(younger woman/older man would be more interesting....... though it's far cheaper to stay married!)
Last edited by expert7700; Jul 24, 2019 at 3:35 pm
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,294
perhaps this is a case of no good deed goes unpunished.
AC got more bad publicity by offering a room than making the two strangers sleep in the airport overnight.
//My first reaction to this thread title was younger man/older woman: no thank you.
(younger woman/older man would be more interesting....... though it's far cheaper to stay married!)
AC got more bad publicity by offering a room than making the two strangers sleep in the airport overnight.
//My first reaction to this thread title was younger man/older woman: no thank you.
(younger woman/older man would be more interesting....... though it's far cheaper to stay married!)
#12
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,186
If the agent knew they were strangers, I don't agree that it was "a good deed". There are very few situations in YUL where sharing one bed in one room with a stranger is going to be more reasonable than "sleep on the floor of the airport". Especially if you just look at the optics and at least one person is an able-bodied adult male.
Since we have one side of the story, it could be as simple as them having a similar last name. The agent could have also assumed the hotel would arrange for two beds for two family or friends traveling together.. Cheaper pre negotiated rooms are usually run-of-house, where bedding type is merely a request not a guarantee.
The only airport I've ever been stranded in where strangers likely had to share rooms was when a 737 went mechanical in Majuro, marshall islands. I lucked into pre-booking a hotel on my own. Everyone else was put up in apartments or shared housing.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AC E35K, NEXUS
Posts: 4,368
perhaps this is a case of no good deed goes unpunished.
AC got more bad publicity by offering a room than making the two strangers sleep in the airport overnight.
//My first reaction to this thread title was younger man/older woman: no thank you.
(younger woman/older man would be more interesting....... though it's far cheaper to stay married!)
AC got more bad publicity by offering a room than making the two strangers sleep in the airport overnight.
//My first reaction to this thread title was younger man/older woman: no thank you.
(younger woman/older man would be more interesting....... though it's far cheaper to stay married!)
#14
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: YEG
Programs: Table scraps from Aeroplan and AmEx Plat
Posts: 894
Somewhat off topic, almost 20 years ago, when bidding for hotel rooms on Priceline was still new, I was standing behind a man and woman checking in at a downtown Chicago hotel who were very upset that the room they were about to be given had only one bed. The clerk was trying to explain to them that Priceline's T&C only guaranteed a room that would accommodate 2 people, and that was all.
#15
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: AC*SE
Posts: 1,920
Well, this happened to me a few years back in YUL. A load of people misconnected to YYZ and were stuck on YUL around 1 or 2am. The agents were totally unprepared for us, were quite shocked when we all showed up on the jetway. Anyway, they give us a bunch of hotel slips and put us on a bus to whatever hotel near the airport they used at the time and we got there and for the 20 or so of us at the time, the hotel said they only had 16 rooms or something. A few people were kind and offered to share. Someone offered me use of their shower, but I didn't want to impose on the room. Anyway, a hassle and a bit ridiculous to deal with, but things happen.