YVR4Ever

ArriveCAN should actually be part of the solution at the border. The agents can see all your information when they swipe your passport, so with a couple of tweaks, ArriveCAN could replace the kiosks, and answer most of the routine questions that CBSA asks. They'll still want to interview folks in order to identify risky situations, but it should enable them to expedite to the greatest possible extent.

D404

I'd rather have european-style e-Gates, at least for citizens.

zappy312

I've anecdotally heard that people were doing ArriveCAN at the gate after they were asked to show it prior to boarding, holding up the "on-time" departure. Again, just second hand stories, haven't seen it for myself.

global happy traveller

There's so much potential for ArriveCAN app, similar to US CBP's Mobile App, where you can do your customs declaration as well.

I recently crossed the border and they were able to pull by ArriveCAN submission right after scanning my NEXUS cards. So I do not understand why the app is accused of "holding people up".

StuMcIlwain

The problem is not everyone travels with a cell phone or a laptop/tablet, and they shouldn't have to. I'll be happy to see the app go. I'm not sure what the point of it is anymore.

Stranger

I have seen this. Last week in Rome. Elsewhere too previously.


At AMS however, agents who push them aside, deal with nxt customer and take them back after having completed. Fligt left on time.

Point remains, people do get sick. At the conference I was last week, I know of two people who came home sick. I know only because I talked to them, there could be many more.

Friends of mine came back from Europe on Friday. Yesterday she tested positive.

I for one want the system to continue doing its best to protect me.

makin'miles

So I'm sure AC will claim that these delays are not their fault - although they clearly scheduled more flights than they could staff - but any sense if I should pursue a compensation claim from AC? I was on a YYC-YUL that operated on-time, but while on the first flight, AC cancelled my YUL-DCA. First flight available resulted in about an 18h delay getting back to DC. Many other US departures operated that evening, security and CBP were operational, weather was clear in both DC and Montreal, and the listed cancellation reason was a "government travel advisory." Hmmm..

No offer of a hotel (they had zero inventory in Montreal on Sunday night, so booked myself into the Marriott in-terminal). My view is they owe a refund of the hotel plus CAD 1000 in compensation for the inconvenience. Fully expect that they'll balk, but prepared to pursue a CTA complaint and/or small claims. Just don't want to go down that road if I'm missing something obvious here.

Bohemian1

The cynic in me says that AC will nearly always claim a situation was out of their control or a safety issue.

Not sure where you get the $1,000 figure from, but if it's important to you makin'miles , pursue a complaint.

StuMcIlwain

Their standard response lately has been these delays are due to disruptions caused by Covid, and are therefore uncontrollable and not their fault. There's no harm in trying to get compensation, but manage your expectations.

makin'miles

Large Airlines are required to pay $1000 in compensation to passengers for delays of 9h+ that are within their control under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations. A lack of staff is clearly listed as something in the airline's control on the CTA website. To me it seems like a slam-dunk, although I know AC has only rarely paid up...

https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/air-passen...ons-highlights

Indeed, I'm fully expecting that outcome, but I think its less certain that a court would agree. AC have clearly made a commercial decision to cancel certain flights as they don't have staff (and their President has said as much). Scheduling more flights than they have the ability to operate is on them, not COVID.

It shouldn't take two days to travel from Calgary to DC.

Stranger

We had delays over three hours, which I understand qualify for $400. The e-mail stated "due to a catering issue that is taking longer than anticipated to resolve."

At this point, I am starting to fell sorry for them, inclined to let it go. Especially since we paid little for the tickets, compared with what they are charging now...

YYCCL3

The less people that pursue these claims, the more emboldened AC will be to make false claims that everything is out of their control. That's what the AC executive team are counting on. So if you have time, please not only make a claim but when they deny that your disruption was within their control follow up with a CTA complaint or small claims court.

To feel sorry for AC as a corporation is an absurd notion. If someone other than an unconditionally loyal SE were 3.5 hours late for their flight they'd either be marked as a no show or charged a massive fare difference to change to the next suitable one.

cooleddie

Today, it seems that Air Canada still have a lot of flights are delayed. Air Canada, Rouge and Jazz top the charts for delays. I looked at YYZ-YYC route flight status today - it still looks terrible with a ton of significant delays.

I know they've cancelled a whole bunch of flights to reduce operations. But it doesn't seem to be working yet? Or when will we see some progress?

Are they doing anything else to get back to normal?

Chart from flight aware on July 9


canadiancow

I don't have inside knowledge on my delay today.

I do for my last bound. It was caused by ATC issues at YVR.

With problems like that, I don't know how AC can do much more.

I don't get the impression that this is an Air Canada problem, but more that it's a Canada problem. As Canada's largest airline, they would be disproportionally affected by any issues that are pervasive throughout Canada.

Sure, they can cancel more flights, which will lesson the load on both them and the rest of the Canadian aviation industry.

But as someone who actually understands a lot of the industry, and has a lot of inside contacts, I don't think this is a problem that AC has the ability to solve on their own, even given unlimited resources.

Sopwith

The major players in achieving “normality”, if you can even define what that is, are: AC, airport authority, NAVCAN, CATSA, CBSA, fuel contractor, catering contractor, and a bunch of other (minor?) players. That assumes things like baggage handling and maintenance are handled in house.

I’m not optimistic that all of these will achieve anything resembling normality simultaneously in my lifetime.