Air Canada CEO apologizes, commits to learning French as backlash in Quebec grows
#136
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Canada's worst airport....YYJ
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Posts: 592
You’ve obviously never had to interact with any AC employee during an IRROP…. I mean: there are already so few of them around. If you have any difficulty with English in YYZ you are SOL with finding help on the floor. Tho come to think of it even if you are a polyglot you will have trouble getting help in YYZ during IRROP.
I wish the feds would consider a legislation change, and free AC from these arcane rules that were imposed when it was still a crown corporation. They should be free to be HQ'd where they choose, and observe the same operational requirements surrounding official languages that Westjet, and all other Canadian carriers, does.
#137
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 1,931
Unfortunately you are entirely correct.
…talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire…. AC phone lines? Really?
Careful what you wish for else this might lead to a situation where there is no English service in YUL or YQB or other majority-francophone stations.
Now do I think the AC CEO should speak French? He has an excellent *incentive* to learn it: if you live in YUL and don’t speak French you will miss out on all the good parties.
…talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire…. AC phone lines? Really?
Now do I think the AC CEO should speak French? He has an excellent *incentive* to learn it: if you live in YUL and don’t speak French you will miss out on all the good parties.
#138
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
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That's my attitude.
I can think of many things that front-line agents need to know that the CEO does not. If he's been doing his job successfully without knowing French, and while not harassed by reporters, then I don't think he needs to learn it.
He's free to, if he feels like it. But I think this is a giant waste of his time.
#140
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Halifax
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He has enough money he could get to YTO as frictionless as we norms get an uber. And that is without considering his employer.
#141
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Realistically, airline CEOs are not involved in actual aviation (I'd be surprised if many of them even know the ICAO phonetic alphabet). They are business people. I'm sure that many CEOs across the globe don't speak English.
#142
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,734
How many CEO's of $6 billion dollar companies *in Canada* don't speak English though? We're talking about a Canadian corporation, not a random company elsewhere in the world. As an aside, we happen to know the CEO of Air France is better in English than French.