AC Provides Financial Update on COVID-19 (16Mar20); Long-term changes coming?
#91
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Halifax
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite. NEXUS
Posts: 4,569
My point is that portion of government subsidies to airlines should go towards keeping pilots, FAs, airport agents at work when it's time to stimulate and accelerate airline industry back to normal and keeping planes off the ground. Direct funds to minimize employee layoffs (who know for how long this can be). It shouldn't go to enrich shareholders or pad profits or executive bonuses during these tough times.
EI, with relaxed requirements (not that any AC employee wouldn't have their hours) and enhanced benefits is the mechanism Canada has as a safety net.
#92
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ideally YOW, but probably not
Programs: AC SE*MM
Posts: 1,827
I am so sad to see this, though I completely understand why it is necessary. I hope all these people can get funding from EI and/or other programs in the coming weeks and months.
Unfortunately this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the job losses that are coming in our country.
Unfortunately this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the job losses that are coming in our country.
COVID-19 is going to be bad for everyone, but it is going to hit people like AC crew first and hardest. Never mind the company, I feel horrible for the people on the front line who are losing their jobs with no return to work in sight.
#93
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,946
The bailout should not go to shareholders, or executive bonuses, but of those categories of staff, I'd only be worried about bringing pilots back since they need ongoing hours and training to be, er, pilots. Bringing FAs and other agents back a week early for a refresher wouldn't be unreasonable; they don't need X hours a month in a simulator. If AC can't rehire them because they have gotten better jobs elsewhere, well, market at work, sad for AC, good for the employee.
EI, with relaxed requirements (not that any AC employee wouldn't have their hours) and enhanced benefits is the mechanism Canada has as a safety net.
EI, with relaxed requirements (not that any AC employee wouldn't have their hours) and enhanced benefits is the mechanism Canada has as a safety net.
#95
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: YYZ
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#96
Suspended
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Reality check:
What sucks for Air Canada is far greater than a newly refurbished A330 being parked. There are already other AC aircraft on the ground and more to arrive at other parking spots at other airports.
For those of us who remember what rows of parked aircraft looked like not so long ago......
.
#97
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM; SPG Plat
Posts: 424
Brutal but expected news about layoffs, which are happening across many industries. I mostly agree with Adam Smith's analysis, but think his term sheet is too harsh. Why? Well, as he said: "The cause of this crisis for airlines is a true externality, and the airlines might be happy to keep operating if not for all the travel bans and other restrictions placed on their business, so it's really a government decision to shut their business down that will hurt them." We are all (well, many of us) being asked/told to make sacrifices. I'm sitting at home unable to do my job for I'm guessing at least the next five months; my employer is thus far willing to continue to pay me but that could change at some point. Airlines, hotels, cruise lines, restaurants and lots of other businesses are told to shut down/reduce operations, and are getting decimated, all in a greater cause. I'm guessing there will be an enormous effort by governments to keep businesses from going under so that once things normalize, things can normalize. I don't know what the longer term impacts of this will be - obviously much larger government debt; perhaps inflation? - but this is about far more than AC.
#98
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: YYZ
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Posts: 658
Reality check:
What sucks for Air Canada is far greater than a newly refurbished A330 being parked. There are already other AC aircraft on the ground and more to arrive at other parking spots at other airports.
For those of us who remember what rows of parked aircraft looked like not so long ago......
.
What sucks for Air Canada is far greater than a newly refurbished A330 being parked. There are already other AC aircraft on the ground and more to arrive at other parking spots at other airports.
For those of us who remember what rows of parked aircraft looked like not so long ago......
.
#99
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
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Posts: 16,775
Would be curious to see what you'd propose instead
Last edited by Adam Smith; Mar 22, 2020 at 8:59 am Reason: Corrected typo
#100
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Halifax
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite. NEXUS
Posts: 4,569
Reality check:
What sucks for Air Canada is far greater than a newly refurbished A330 being parked. There are already other AC aircraft on the ground and more to arrive at other parking spots at other airports.
For those of us who remember what rows of parked aircraft looked like not so long ago......
.
What sucks for Air Canada is far greater than a newly refurbished A330 being parked. There are already other AC aircraft on the ground and more to arrive at other parking spots at other airports.
For those of us who remember what rows of parked aircraft looked like not so long ago......
.
#101
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 91
#102
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Halifax
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite. NEXUS
Posts: 4,569
My natural response would be they aren't that smart, but I know the very first "request for engineering services" on the CH-149 was clarification on suitable glass cleaner for their windshields, so the wrench turners care about such things.
#103
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 91
nothing like staring proudly at your newly cleaned, sparkling window and the watching in horror as you start to see crazing appear (I’m not in aviation but have seen this in other industries)
#104
Suspended
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