Aug 26, 2022, 5:21 pm
Last edit by: Adam Smith
AC link:
UPDATED HERE January 2, 2022
Boarding Process
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...g-by-zone.html
Pre-boarding: Customers who have requested wheelchair assistance
Zone 1: J and SE customers
Zone 2: 75K, 50K, 35K, 25K, Star Alliance Gold, Premium Economy, Latitude and Primary or Secondary Cardholder on Aeroplan black credit cards
Zone 2.5:
- Passengers travelling with children under the age of 6 or who require additional time to board the aircraft
- Passengers travelling with a musical instrument as part of their carry-on baggage
Zone 3: Comfort fares, passengers who purchased preferred seats in advance
Zones 3, 4 and 5: General boarding (back to front). AC Express flights will not have Zone 5.
Zone 6: Economy Basic
Companions travelling on the same PNR as an Aeroplan Elite/*Gold member will receive the same priority boarding zone.
UPDATED HERE January 2, 2022
Boarding Process
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...g-by-zone.html
Pre-boarding: Customers who have requested wheelchair assistance
Zone 1: J and SE customers
Zone 2: 75K, 50K, 35K, 25K, Star Alliance Gold, Premium Economy, Latitude and Primary or Secondary Cardholder on Aeroplan black credit cards
Zone 2.5:
- Passengers travelling with children under the age of 6 or who require additional time to board the aircraft
- Passengers travelling with a musical instrument as part of their carry-on baggage
Zone 3: Comfort fares, passengers who purchased preferred seats in advance
Zones 3, 4 and 5: General boarding (back to front). AC Express flights will not have Zone 5.
Zone 6: Economy Basic
Companions travelling on the same PNR as an Aeroplan Elite/*Gold member will receive the same priority boarding zone.
Original thread covering 2014-2019 can be found here
Zoned Boarding (2020 onwards)
May 15, 2023, 12:15 pm
#648
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton G,Nexus, Amex MR Plat,IHG Plat
Posts: 4,428
Charge for checked bags resulting in overstuffed carry-ons and too many carry-ons.
Size check the carry-ons only at some Canada airports.
Offer free carry-on bag check at gate with 'benefits at multiple locations.
AC needs to think this thru. What they should do if they think they have a full flight and limited space is to offer people checking suitcases the option for free checkin of carryons too. If people are checking a suitcase and have to wait for it, might as well checkin carry-ons since the reason they have multiple carry-ons is to reduce the cost of checked bags. Removes the drama at the gate, reduces the need for multiple annoncements and speeds up the boarding process and on-board carry-on jenga. Families with checked bags are more likely to take this option instead of lugging multiple carry-ons onto the plane.
May 15, 2023, 1:55 pm
#649
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 23
Families boarding before zone 1
Yes I saw this in a flight YWG-YYC last month. There were 4 families with kids, a couple with strollers, who were all boarded before Zone 1 was called
May 15, 2023, 3:03 pm
#650
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: AC 50K, WS Gold, MB Titanium, National EE, UA Silver
Posts: 237
Flew WS for the first time in a long time. Such a refreshing experience.
No gate lice clogging up the gates 30 minutes prior to boarding. Everyone was seated until the Zones were called. Not a single person in line before the Zones were called.
I have NEVER seen an empty line at the gate prior to boarding flying with AC. There's always a dozen or so people lined up in Z1 or Z2 way prior to actual boarding.
No gate lice clogging up the gates 30 minutes prior to boarding. Everyone was seated until the Zones were called. Not a single person in line before the Zones were called.
I have NEVER seen an empty line at the gate prior to boarding flying with AC. There's always a dozen or so people lined up in Z1 or Z2 way prior to actual boarding.
May 24, 2023, 6:32 pm
#651
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton G,Nexus, Amex MR Plat,IHG Plat
Posts: 4,428
What a mess
The international gates at YYZ are a hot mess. Crowds everywhere. Boarding for AC42 began with a yell for wheelchairs followed in quick succession by Zone 1 and 2. Zone 1 lane still blocked with the rope. Now have a bunch of people single file with no chance of getting to the front . And upg list has not been cleared. And now due to a maintenance issue all boarding is stopped. After 2 rolling delays. 5 agents at the desk. Now an announcement that they will deboard passengers already on board.
May 26, 2023, 9:47 pm
#652
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE100K/*G, Nexus
Posts: 211
AC90 YYZ-EZE tonight. Agent plays preboard announcement as wheelchair pax are being boarded. Guy walks up and asks her a question, she points to front of zone 1 line. Guy goes back out into the crowd and comes back with wife, baby, and two small kids. Agent promptly starts scanning their boarding passes.
This prompts a rush of other families with kids who push their way to the front of the zone 1 line. Second agent plays “now boarding zone 1” announcement. Zone 1 line starts moving forward, finds their path blocked by crowd of families. Second agent tells them to “go around” so some do. Indignant parents get upset that zone 1’s are “cutting” the line. One agent continues boarding families as other boards zone 1’s.
Walking down the jetway, zone 1’s are mixed in between families and forced to dawdle with them. Everyone is then backed up at the aircraft door waiting for strollers etc to be folded, stored, gate checked etc. In the time we (zone 1’s) stood waiting, we could have completed boarding the J cabin.
What is Air Canada thinking? How is this an efficient boarding process?
This prompts a rush of other families with kids who push their way to the front of the zone 1 line. Second agent plays “now boarding zone 1” announcement. Zone 1 line starts moving forward, finds their path blocked by crowd of families. Second agent tells them to “go around” so some do. Indignant parents get upset that zone 1’s are “cutting” the line. One agent continues boarding families as other boards zone 1’s.
Walking down the jetway, zone 1’s are mixed in between families and forced to dawdle with them. Everyone is then backed up at the aircraft door waiting for strollers etc to be folded, stored, gate checked etc. In the time we (zone 1’s) stood waiting, we could have completed boarding the J cabin.
What is Air Canada thinking? How is this an efficient boarding process?
May 26, 2023, 9:53 pm
#653
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,778
To be clear, zoned boarding isn't about maximizing efficiency, it's more about rewarding valuable customers. But AC's thinking its agents should follow procedure and board families after Zone 2 and before Zone 3. Those agents did it wrong.
May 28, 2023, 4:57 pm
#654
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: AC*SE
Posts: 1,924
Having just been in that area it's fascinating, but what a pain to leave/get into. God for you managing to live there are travel a lot. That ferry, or limited harbour flights seem like a lot of hassle.
May 28, 2023, 5:09 pm
#655
Join Date: May 2023
Posts: 20
I find it varies with which agent is at the gate. Literally a coin toss on how they board each flight.. There should really be a set standard.
May 28, 2023, 5:27 pm
#656
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: AC*SE
Posts: 1,924
The international gates at YYZ are a hot mess. Crowds everywhere. Boarding for AC42 began with a yell for wheelchairs followed in quick succession by Zone 1 and 2. Zone 1 lane still blocked with the rope. Now have a bunch of people single file with no chance of getting to the front . And upg list has not been cleared. And now due to a maintenance issue all boarding is stopped. After 2 rolling delays. 5 agents at the desk. Now an announcement that they will deboard passengers already on board.
I just boarded a YYZ-FRA. I decided not to board right away with the Zone 1 because why rush, but then when they announced zone 3 and 4 people just flooded the zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3/4/5 lines. There was 0 management of the line up process. I commented to an "in-charge" looking agent after I eventually got my boarding pass scanned and she told me that after announcing zone 1/2 it was supposed to be a free for all. Well, she said anyone can line up anywhere after. It seems strange because in the Dom side of things I've found they are decent at shooing people out of the line throughout the boarding process. Total waste to have the lanes but then let anyone use them once they announce the other boarding groups. The point of them is to make it easy to board anytime, otherwise they may as well not exist.
May 28, 2023, 5:37 pm
#657
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: YVR
Programs: AC E75K, IHG Plat, Bonvoy Tit, HH Silver, BW Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 221
May 28, 2023, 5:50 pm
#658
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: AC*SE
Posts: 1,924
I would have thought the Germans would have rules and systems down pat. I'm returning EDI-YYZ in the first few days of operation so I'm sure it'll run perfectly smooth