Question: Paid revenue seats on J AC YVR-YYZ switched to AC Rouge J
#46
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Posts: 6,913
I have had a similar situation, flying Seoul-Vancouver-Toronto, having booked a lie-flat from YVR-YYZ, and then being switched to a 321 due to late arrival.
I just walked off the plane, asked them to put me on the next wide-body - which was the next morning - and the hotel was covered by my travel insurance.
I just walked off the plane, asked them to put me on the next wide-body - which was the next morning - and the hotel was covered by my travel insurance.
#48
Join Date: Jan 2017
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Its J. The marketing words change depending on where to where, but its always J class.
#49
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#50
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Seems like a customer remorse after the fact situation. Accepted Rouge by not only running with concierge but boarding the Rouge plane.
I'd venture to say the vast majority of pax want to get to their destination with minimal delay, so I doubt EVA or AC did anything wrong. Technically, you are permitted to reject carrier changes per the AC/Aeroplan tariffs, but that only means you deserve a Mainline aircraft or a refund if you refuse to fly (not a widebody).
OP will likely receive a 20% off of 1% coupon because the TPE station refused to rebook onto a particular widebody AC flight.
AC was even kind enough to meet OP with a concierge at the gate (as others have said who would have rebooked on the next widebody). Others on an identical routing in Y or without status may have been forced to wait till a later flight.
//I have declined to fly on rebooked Rouge, or even 767 mainline without wifi when I had depended on it for remote work. Concierge can easily reverse course and escort to the lounge to rebook.
I'd venture to say the vast majority of pax want to get to their destination with minimal delay, so I doubt EVA or AC did anything wrong. Technically, you are permitted to reject carrier changes per the AC/Aeroplan tariffs, but that only means you deserve a Mainline aircraft or a refund if you refuse to fly (not a widebody).
OP will likely receive a 20% off of 1% coupon because the TPE station refused to rebook onto a particular widebody AC flight.
AC was even kind enough to meet OP with a concierge at the gate (as others have said who would have rebooked on the next widebody). Others on an identical routing in Y or without status may have been forced to wait till a later flight.
//I have declined to fly on rebooked Rouge, or even 767 mainline without wifi when I had depended on it for remote work. Concierge can easily reverse course and escort to the lounge to rebook.
Last edited by expert7700; Jan 21, 2020 at 9:09 pm
#51
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#52
Join Date: Feb 2004
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I should not have joked/minimized the value of the coupon without at least doing a better job explaining to those who haven't followed other threads
The 10-30 % "off of 1%" is still a frequent pain point (AC might designate $600 of a $700 fare as fuel surcharge and taxes, so coupon does not reduce by much). Granted, it affects economy class international flyers on bargain fares in higher proportions. The goodwill coupon codes have a value in the hundreds or thousands of dollars on other itineraries such as paid business routes that aren't on sale.
The 10-30 % "off of 1%" is still a frequent pain point (AC might designate $600 of a $700 fare as fuel surcharge and taxes, so coupon does not reduce by much). Granted, it affects economy class international flyers on bargain fares in higher proportions. The goodwill coupon codes have a value in the hundreds or thousands of dollars on other itineraries such as paid business routes that aren't on sale.
#53
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: AC.SE
Posts: 2,578
Last time this happened to me (misconnecting from the often-delayed AC 057), AC refunded me $300 or so when I was placed on a mainline A320 to YVR rather than the “Signature Service” B789 I had booked. No other compensation.
#54
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: AC50k, Fairmont Platinum, Marriott
Posts: 34
There have been some other threads on this, one very recently. I don't really have an opinion on the right approach for this, but typically AC will not make changes to connecting flights until the original outbound flight has departed (or possibly not until it lands). AC will often only rebook you once they have a better idea of what flight you can actually take as:
I seem to recall that thread, too; and looking for it. Will look for it, thank you. I think most people would be miffed at being rebooked sooner rather than later, so AC was working on that assumption.
I wasn't able to find the recent thread in my initial search, and don't have time right now to try other searches, but IIRC the person in that thread asked in the lounge to change a connecting flight because their outbound was going to be delayed. In the end, they were able to make their original connection when at first it appeared they wouldn't be able to.
As I said earlier, I don't really have an opinion on this practice. I understand the piece of mind that can come with being protected in advance, but understand why the airline doesn't do this.
Look at this from another viewpoint if things had unfolded slightly differently... Say AC had rebooked you in TPE onto a later flight the next day hours later. You land in YVR and find that your original connecting flight was delayed due to late arrival of aircraft. You try to switch back to this flight but can't because the seats have already been reallocated to people. Now you're waiting in YVR with an unnecessary further delay. You might have been ok with this, but most pax wouldn't be. While this situation is hypothetical, it can certainly happen. Being proactive can sometimes work against you too.
I seem to recall that thread, too; and looking for it. Will look for it, thank you. I think most people would be miffed at being rebooked sooner rather than later, so AC was working on that assumption.
- The original connecting flight can be delayed
- The flight you get protected on can be delayed/cancelled
- The original outbound flight can make up some time in the air
- The original outbound flight can be further delayed or even cancelled, etc.
- Sometimes operations will hold/delay a flight if there are enough delayed connecting passengers (happened on 2 flights I was on last week)
I wasn't able to find the recent thread in my initial search, and don't have time right now to try other searches, but IIRC the person in that thread asked in the lounge to change a connecting flight because their outbound was going to be delayed. In the end, they were able to make their original connection when at first it appeared they wouldn't be able to.
As I said earlier, I don't really have an opinion on this practice. I understand the piece of mind that can come with being protected in advance, but understand why the airline doesn't do this.
Look at this from another viewpoint if things had unfolded slightly differently... Say AC had rebooked you in TPE onto a later flight the next day hours later. You land in YVR and find that your original connecting flight was delayed due to late arrival of aircraft. You try to switch back to this flight but can't because the seats have already been reallocated to people. Now you're waiting in YVR with an unnecessary further delay. You might have been ok with this, but most pax wouldn't be. While this situation is hypothetical, it can certainly happen. Being proactive can sometimes work against you too.
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: AC50k, Fairmont Platinum, Marriott
Posts: 34
Seems like a customer remorse after the fact situation. Accepted Rouge by not only running with concierge but boarding the Rouge plane.
I'd venture to say the vast majority of pax want to get to their destination with minimal delay, so I doubt EVA or AC did anything wrong. Technically, you are permitted to reject carrier changes per the AC/Aeroplan tariffs, but that only means you deserve a Mainline aircraft or a refund if you refuse to fly (not a widebody).
OP will likely receive a 20% off of 1% coupon because the TPE station refused to rebook onto a particular widebody AC flight.
AC was even kind enough to meet OP with a concierge at the gate (as others have said who would have rebooked on the next widebody). Others on an identical routing in Y or without status may have been forced to wait till a later flight.
//I have declined to fly on rebooked Rouge, or even 767 mainline without wifi when I had depended on it for remote work. Concierge can easily reverse course and escort to the lounge to rebook.
I'd venture to say the vast majority of pax want to get to their destination with minimal delay, so I doubt EVA or AC did anything wrong. Technically, you are permitted to reject carrier changes per the AC/Aeroplan tariffs, but that only means you deserve a Mainline aircraft or a refund if you refuse to fly (not a widebody).
OP will likely receive a 20% off of 1% coupon because the TPE station refused to rebook onto a particular widebody AC flight.
AC was even kind enough to meet OP with a concierge at the gate (as others have said who would have rebooked on the next widebody). Others on an identical routing in Y or without status may have been forced to wait till a later flight.
//I have declined to fly on rebooked Rouge, or even 767 mainline without wifi when I had depended on it for remote work. Concierge can easily reverse course and escort to the lounge to rebook.
#56
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC 50K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,551
This is the most that the OP can expect. J on Rouge is the same as J on mainline narrowbody.
#57
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
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Posts: 7,320
It isn't customer remorse after-the-fact -- I had tried to rebook previously. As for concierge meeting us plane-side, it seems customary for them to do that as it's happened the last three times my business class flights have been delayed. I would imagine it's part of the service.
it's strange to complain about poor customer service and then write off the fact that an agent met you at your plane, but you chose not to raise the issue with them.
#58
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Seems like a customer remorse after the fact situation. Accepted Rouge by not only running with concierge but boarding the Rouge plane.
I'd venture to say the vast majority of pax want to get to their destination with minimal delay, so I doubt EVA or AC did anything wrong. Technically, you are permitted to reject carrier changes per the AC/Aeroplan tariffs, but that only means you deserve a Mainline aircraft or a refund if you refuse to fly (not a widebody).
OP will likely receive a 20% off of 1% coupon because the TPE station refused to rebook onto a particular widebody AC flight.
AC was even kind enough to meet OP with a concierge at the gate (as others have said who would have rebooked on the next widebody). Others on an identical routing in Y or without status may have been forced to wait till a later flight.
//I have declined to fly on rebooked Rouge, or even 767 mainline without wifi when I had depended on it for remote work. Concierge can easily reverse course and escort to the lounge to rebook.
I'd venture to say the vast majority of pax want to get to their destination with minimal delay, so I doubt EVA or AC did anything wrong. Technically, you are permitted to reject carrier changes per the AC/Aeroplan tariffs, but that only means you deserve a Mainline aircraft or a refund if you refuse to fly (not a widebody).
OP will likely receive a 20% off of 1% coupon because the TPE station refused to rebook onto a particular widebody AC flight.
AC was even kind enough to meet OP with a concierge at the gate (as others have said who would have rebooked on the next widebody). Others on an identical routing in Y or without status may have been forced to wait till a later flight.
//I have declined to fly on rebooked Rouge, or even 767 mainline without wifi when I had depended on it for remote work. Concierge can easily reverse course and escort to the lounge to rebook.
My New Years Adventure with AC and AP
So we go up the jetway, and there’s a beautiful black-suited concierge waiting there for us. “Hurry! We have 10 minutes, we need to run!” For the record, I was using a cane at this point. So running was not happening. Regardless, as we’re hobbling over to the escalator, we start talking. “I have you booked on the direct flight to Tokyo Haneda.” “Uh, on Air Canada?” “Yes.” “Our ticket is for first class, not business class.” At this point, we stopped, and she tried to explain to me how good AC’s product is. “Have you flown the new product?” I felt that saying “I’m Super Elite” was redundant here, so I just said “Yes, many times.”
I'm me. I realized what was going on. Most people are not me. Most people, after IRROPS, when a concierge tells them to run, are just going to run. Expecting the passenger to know everything about the three distinct products (Signature, mainline, rouge) and the schedule on YVR-YYZ (even I'd have to look this up) is not reasonable on AC's part.
If they have time to send a concierge, they have time to look up several options. Like "the next flight" and "the next Signature flight". And offer them to the pax.
THAT would be good service.
Refusing to rebook onto the desired flight and then sticking with it is not good service.
#59
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Canada
Programs: AC S100k, Bonvoy Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 19
Maybe slightly off topic... I'll be flying the same leg TPE -> YVR -> YYZ in March but booked in PY. Whether my eupgrade will clear or not is another story but let's assume it doesn't and I stay in PY.
If my TPE -> YVR leg is also delayed and the other flights for the night don't have a PY cabin, would AC:
A) Put me on the next flight out the next day that has a PY cabin and provide hotel for the night?
or
B) Put me automatically on one of the other two flights out that night but in economy without compensation for the downgrade?
Just curious what they might automatically try before I go to concierge.
If my TPE -> YVR leg is also delayed and the other flights for the night don't have a PY cabin, would AC:
A) Put me on the next flight out the next day that has a PY cabin and provide hotel for the night?
or
B) Put me automatically on one of the other two flights out that night but in economy without compensation for the downgrade?
Just curious what they might automatically try before I go to concierge.
#60
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,195
I had to re-read the OP--I misread yesterday and assumed the OP was on EVA for the first leg...
OP mentioned (contract) agents at the counter in TPE forcedbthe Rouge connection in YVR. In hindsight, OP had access to (by virtue of their paid J ticket) AC concierge assistance in person at TPE. Two of the best Air Canada concierge agents in the world in were at the checkin counter/gate. They would have undoubtedly moved OP to whatever connection was desired.
Last year without asking AC TPE concierges have helped us in many ways, some documented on the Thanks Concierge thread.
Dang, now this topic makes me want to visit TPE a couple times before Feb29....
OP mentioned (contract) agents at the counter in TPE forcedbthe Rouge connection in YVR. In hindsight, OP had access to (by virtue of their paid J ticket) AC concierge assistance in person at TPE. Two of the best Air Canada concierge agents in the world in were at the checkin counter/gate. They would have undoubtedly moved OP to whatever connection was desired.
Last year without asking AC TPE concierges have helped us in many ways, some documented on the Thanks Concierge thread.
Dang, now this topic makes me want to visit TPE a couple times before Feb29....
Last edited by expert7700; Jan 22, 2020 at 1:50 pm