sweetrolls

Pretty sure that's why she didn't get anywhere with the ticketing agent and gave up because they just kept calling customer service and it was the same as her calling them directly.

stevendorechester

Looks like what Air Canada did was lawful and actually trying to help but just poorly handled.

If the agent was under the impression ( or a computer decided) that the passenger was not going to naked the connecting flight in YYZ they are withing their rights to cancel the booking ( not the ticket) and reroute. As they will say that this was beyond their control they are only required by law to rebook on their next available flight. They were required by Canadian law to rebook on a carrier which they have a commercial agreement i.e American with after 48 hours. They just should have dealt with this better and explained why.

Again the ticket wasn't canceled it is being used to buy a new ticket on AA. Canceled meant they would have issued a refund and tell you to buy a new ticket.

In situations like this they are also reluctant to pay for a hotel, especially if the passenger lives in the departure city. I hope she gets better treatment on AA, who's s hard product I find inferior but they are less hostile to their customers.

Snuggs

You’re clearly a better, more insightful or just trusting person than I. Nothing you said makes sense to me.
There’s an affirmative obligation beyond telling the customer to “go home”.

I think most of us would be interested in the basis for your legal conclusion.

Far Siren

Does PIT have actual AC staff or is it contract ground crew?

Hipplewm

OK, there is a good lesson to be learned here.....

If you are at an outpost airport - don't try and "Help" unless you know exactly what you are doing or have really good status, so you get an agent who isn't reading only off of 3x5 cards they got in training last week.
The person she was talking too probably doesn't even work for AC, they are just a contracter (This is an assumption - I honestly don't know)

It could have been a mistake or maybe a misunderstanding of her desires.

99.99% of the time, you won't get the help you need until you get to YYZ, so the best bet is to wait until you get there then worry about plan B

MSPeconomist

However, it's sad that the best advice is to avoid customer service. Shouldn't the first rule be "do no harm" and the second that the customer must always be informed of any cancellations being made by an agent and given a chance to veto these chances before any irreversible harm is done?

tennessetom

I would bet it was an auto cancellation based on what looked like it would be a missed connection where the auto rebooking hadn’t taken place yet. Probably why she got an email with the rebooked flight on american.

Stranger

That would have cancelled the second leg. Not the first. Which is why I asked earlier in the thread.

canadiancow

I was wondering that too, but it makes no sense, based on AC's general policies and past behavior.

Exactly.

If the first flight were cancelled, I could see them doing something like this. But AC wants you flying AC, and it's MUCH easier for them to have accomplished if you're at YYZ than at PIT.

There are many options from YYZ to CDG primarily on AC, via basically any European city. But once you're stranded in PIT, the best option in this case looks like it was AA.

Let's remember the rebooking order is something like:

1. AC
2. JV
3. *A
4. Interline partners

So something weird happened here, and it resulted in AC doing something they don't typically do.

tracon

After talking with a WS agent I know, I wouldn't go near them either.

The lesson is, travel with patience, a back up plan and trip interruption insurance.
If you can afford the "premium" take a nonstop flight.
If you're a FOTSG, you don't stand a chance.

MaxVO

Great plan -- transform a fluke event into lifetime of drama, overpaying, and inconvenience.

canopus27

I'm not sure why you would consider nonstop flights as representing drama and inconvenience ... but ok, to each their own.

The Lev

Do provide us with the list of non-stop flights to Europe from PIT.

The "premium" in this case would be significant as it would involve flying a private jet.

chessman

The current list is limited to BA 170 to LHR, but as it happens that flight operates on Sunday nights, which is when it sounds like this occurred. Delta had CDG service not that long ago, but not anymore (I think it ended in 2018).

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...200Z/KPIT/EGLL

7Continents

Not much help to this but similar situation for me if nothing else to prepare everyone else. Flying YVR-YYZ-LGA. YVR delayed. On the ground in YYZ delayed another hour due to no gates. Nobody tells us US immigration has just closed and not to bother crossing into the US terminal. We should exit domestic Canada and save the immigration line.
So we all have to redo immigration into Canada having never physically left. 90+ minutes wait to rebook by phone since you can't rebook in person outside the gate area. Connection canceled by then so you can't rebook online. So I'm stuck in YYZ overnight with no way to reasonably rebook on AC. I fly another airline early the next morning and go straight to AC baggage to report separated bag. Got my bag 4 days later.