Bohemian1

It seems that several of us are working the same bonkers hours.

Many of my early/late calls are meetings I would normally have flown to on AC (and other *A carriers) and, usual flight related issues aside, would have been more effective face to face.

But we do the best we can for now.

Bohemian1

As someone who travels a reasonable amount for international business, this point is an interesting one.

I wonder how many countries would consider eventually opening up more flexible rules for Canadian residents say versus others. With some form of reciprocity. Obviously something AC would have to track, likely with the same inconsistent results. But with an open US border (some day), the calculus applied by those countries could look very different, depending on the situation down there.

I guess time will tell, but things like this could continue to make scheduling flights / routes for AC (and others) very challenging.

WildcatYXU

I guess everybody wants what he or she can't have. Several posters are complaining about being trapped at home and being forced to attend virtual meetings at crazy times. Honestly, I'd take it. As I'm one of those who have to be at the customer's site, I'm there, doing my job. And I haven't seen my family since March 10. And I won't see them for another month (if everything goes as planned).
Talking of traveling, it is ironic that one can't get home from an area with fairly low incidence rate without going through several hotspots. And not connecting overnight at some of the hotspots costs quite a buck and includes a puddle jumper flight.

RatherBeInYOW

I feel for you - given the situation you have I'd obviously rather be at home too. For many of us flying involves visiting customers/partners/coworkers which tends to be more in and out, but if you have to fly to do your job that is a whole other level of challenge. My neighbour is going to end up spending most of the summer in the US for work, at one site. He's an AC frequent flier, last I talked to him he was still trying to figure out how to get down there the (COVID) safest way he can ... but he's going to end up (AC)YOW-YYZ-United Hub-(UA)Destination which to me seems to increase the exposure risk. The part that really sucks is that he's going to spend 6 weeks or whatever down there, no flying home on weekends like he normally sometimes would, and then is going to have to fly back and spend 2 weeks in August in quarantine - unless that is somehow lifted before then.

canadiancow

The US border isn't really closed though. It's closed to "non-essential" traffic. And I believe that's only by land and sea. And to people who are not citizens or permanent residents.

Without an actual closure or forced isolation, I can't see a country allowing traffic from Canada without also allowing it from the US.

I don't get to see my family because I can't travel, whereas you don't see them because you must travel. I'm not sure we actually have different goals, even if our opinion on travel differs.

WildcatYXU

I was traveling for work since 1992, but these were usually short trips. The extended stay on site is a new thing for me and it is not easy to adapt. However, I under normal conditions I'd go home for a weekend every 3 weeks, but now I don't really feel comfortable doing so. And until the local quarantine requirements weren't lifted, it wasn't even possible. The fact that we are considered essential workers - meaning exempt from quarantine requirements - helps too. I'm a bit surprised that this doesn't apply to your friend too. As far travel is concerned, I have zero AC/*A options to travel from here. I wish AC would bring back the YYZ-SJU flights.


Actually, our situation is almost the same. I opted to stay with the project and for some time I couldn't see my family due travel restrictions. Now it is rather due to lack of suitable flights.

InTheAirGuy

LOL on Air Canada. Travel ain't coming back for a long time to any sort of respectable level. IMHO. Lots of wishful thinking business strategy out there.

And wishful thinking is not strategy.

mileageking

But wishful thinking based on best knowledge and analysis could be intergrated into a holistic plan to form a business strategy

24left

Cool graph. Signs of life?


9:08 PM · Jun 17, 2020









Source tweet

ridefar

Hi 24Left. I don't think you are sharing your opinion here, just information, but I think this pilot is pretty delusional. Maybe not as delusional as the CFO, but still bonkers. I share the other poster's opinions that business travel is not coming back any time soon. My employer (well over 100k employees globally) has a complete total travel ban in place globally. No domestic, no international. There are about half a dozen people in the whole company that could get me an exception to that. My gut says that will largely stay in place until there is a vaccine. Also, the fact that AC is selling these flights doesn't mean that they will be full, or even full enough to make money. Or that they aren't cargo. June 1 was still a 97% drop in passenger traffic over last year on AC. According to AC. I also question how many people booking flights to the Southern USA or Caribbean appreciate that they need to quarantine when they get back? And how many people will actually fly on a cheap AC Vacation if those are the rules? (pretty much a null set, I bet).

If I was AC, I would be looking to lay off another 50% of my remaining work force and entrench; this isn't going to be fixed any time soon. Final thought: AC also has to change their value proposition if they want any chance at an accelerated recovery or one that is sooner rather than later. I hate Zoom too, but I would hate getting Covid more, and the flying conditions, in both Y and J are currently such that they exceed both my tolerance to endure, and value. Meaning I don't care to put up with all the crap (not all AC's fault), and given that prices haven't really declined I can't see paying for a ticket at the moment for a chance to drink bottled water, eat terrible food, and trudge all the way to the back of the plane to use the lav because the crew is so special they get their own at the front (i.e. the union contract doesn't include cleaning/wiping down/disinfecting a lav so by god they won't do it). All in all the snippets of experiences posted here make me think this pilot and the CFO are completely totally out of touch with their pax. Not a big problem for a pilot; pretty huge problem for a CFO.

Jebby_ca

I think my employer is starting to think about travel again, at least domestically where inter-provincial restrictions are not in place. I've been getting questions from leadership wondering what my clients are doing regarding a return to the office. Internal messaging is still "if employee is not comfortable with going to client site, then they don't have to go". However, i think the push to resume travel/onsite work will be coming soon.

ridefar

I almost never go downtown YYC (work from home when I am here) but my understanding is that all the major employers in the office towers are either saying there will be a gradual return to office work starting in September for more important employees, or no return until next year (TC Energy has taken this position). Can't speak to YVR, YYZ, etc. But certainly here there is no projected short term return to normal.

RangerNS

$JOB announced the "return framework" this week. TL;dr, until January 2021 all travel will require SVP approval and be for a "business critical" purpose, including consulting & sales travel. I think they actually mean that for customer contact; down to line managers there is no nude-nudge wink-wink happening that I've seen.

January is a new CY and FY, so a clean line in the sand.

Symmetre

Among my clients in downtown Toronto, the consensus is that the "gradual return to office work starting in September" is nothing more than wishful thinking, and that no return will happen until there is a vaccine. I am told that so long as social distancing protocols remain in place, it is simply not feasible to return even a fraction of the workforce due to bottlenecks related to elevator capacity and washroom facilities. Fire regulations and the ability to handle emergency evacuations with social distancing are another big issue.

WildcatYXU

Is is similar with us. Our office in Oakville is closed and it seems it will reopen very slowly. May not fully open until 2021. As far as travel is concerned, international travel requires VP approval and AFAIK only the field team members are currently traveling.