gabdusch

YVR Concierges are the best. Almost every time I come in from HKG,LAX or elsewhere and we're running late there's always not just one, but two or three concierges with radios working together so I can make my flight back to Montreal

Last time coming in from AC8 and connecting to 112 another SE and me were the only ones to make it. Apparently 32 people were offloaded and put on the redeye - and I had checked bags

Jasper2009

Wow - awesome service!^

Personally, I´d never expect such service if it´s me who´s causing the tight connection (trying to make a connection under MCT), but it´s great to see it may be offered if AC screws up.

SEMM

YVR Concierges Karen, Nathalie, Ron, Pat, Betty, Sally and others are some of the best system wide as HKG Station.
I've noticed in YYZ and YUL as of late, that there is a push to be more engaged with the customer and are now way more visible.

cooleddie

I don't understand - where do they actually sit?

I never see them - at check in, security, in the lounge, at the gate....

I've not yet encountered a concierge or used one yet... maybe that needs to change!

Jasper2009

That´s surprising IMO. While the YYZ concierges are not nearly as proactive about meeting SEs at the plane or elsewhere as other concierges, there´s usually a concierge in the int´l MLL and at the departure/arrival gate of SE-heavy int´l flights (e.g. I frequently see them when departing on AC872 to FRA).

Otherwise they´re most likely in the concierge office where they (hopefully) watch the flights of SEs, proactively rebook, answer the phone, reply to e-mail requests etc. A lot of the work they do goes on in the background.

canadiancow

I agree. I was expecting them to answer the phone and say "Sorry, because of the delay, you won't make it."

That's why I'm astounded.

It was Nathalie and Laura who helped me. I'm glad I had some Easter chocolates for them

Although I learned you shouldn't offer them anything before clearing customs

allbrosca

YVR concierges are pretty good! I was connecting from HNL to YYZ through YVR just after I became SE. I had a bit of a layover since I opted for the next flight with pods rather than the shortest connection. A concierge met me at the door and told me there was an equipment change so there would be no pods and asked me if I would rather go on the next flight (that I don't think was even legal since it was so tight) and guided Mrs. Allbrosca and myself through customs and security so we just made the flight. Took hours off my day. Good on her to recognize that!

YYCYYZ

I'll relay a story I actually wrote into AC about on Thursday of this week, complimenting the YYZ concierges.

Last Tuesday's snow storm in YYZ made the YYZ-HKG flight 90 minutes late, and the return YYZ-HKG (which I was on) was also 90 minutes late. I had booked a 2 hour connection to AC145 YYZ-YYC. Upon landing, I called the concierge and said I am on the ground, have Nexus and no checked baggage and really wanted to make the connect. They told me they had been monitoring my flight and that if I wanted to go for it they'd have a concierge meet me outside customs (they said "run").

I was first off the plane (T minus 25 minutes to departure) at 7:35, ran upstairs towards customs and saw the last few passengers struggling off an Emirates A380. Great. Customs was rammed and there was about 30 wheelchair passengers all lined up in front of the Nexus machines. Took about 7 or 8 minutes to just do Nexus and hand my form to the customs agent it was so busy.

Sure enough, concierge is there with my name on a piece of paper. As soon as I run up she calls the gate and they were already half-way done boarding (T minus 16ish minutes). She runs interference for me through security and then while I'm waiting for my bags to be checked runs to the gate to physically ensure they don't close the door. I run onto the plane and sit down. 7:53. Plane pushed back 3 minutes early.

I yelled my thanks as I jumped on the plane but wrote in to AC to thank her for her efforts. No way I would have made it as they would have just assumed a misconnect. And then I would have been stuck in the YYZ MLL for 3 hours until the 1055pm flight (and why o why does AC only have an 8pm and then a 10:55pm flight from YYZ-YYC?!?!).

Everyone was extremely helpful.

Diabeetus

That's a great story! Sounds like your proactive strategy, plus the hard work of the concierge paid dividends.

RE: HKG-YYZ-YYC. Were you avoiding the 777HD by going via YYZ?

YYCYYZ

Yup. In that same email to AC I expressed my displeasure with J on the HD which I took on the way out.

hearna

Like to thank Julia in Toronto; was flying YOW-YYZ-YVR today and the YOW-YYZ was 30 minutes late (leaving a very tight connection). YOW Concierge team swung into action to add a note to my file and inform the Toronto team that I had no bags and would be running to the gate, and asked them not to unload me. Lost another 10min on loading bags, and the nail in the coffin was a missed approach (loss of separation) into Toronto. She met me at the gate with a new boarding pass in hand; and had no issue getting me onto another 'pod' flight

The delay obviously sucks, but a safe flight, excellent ground service made for a good day regardless

newin96

I'd like to thank Don (Winnipeg). Flying to YYZ 6:45am today. Flight delayed, he found me in the lounge, let me know the circumstances of the delay (and apologized?!?!), arranged a confirmed seat on the 10am as a back up.
And the flight was only delayed 35min as he predicted.
He met me at the gate to make sure everything was good to go.
Just wow!

YXXFlyer

A big thank you to the YVR team, and Steve in particular for helping me catch AC230 on Friday! After I fell asleep on the skytrain and woke up halfway back towards downtown I ended up arriving at YVR at T-12. I really can't believe you got me on that plane, but it was awesome!

Steve, great driving skills! If you weren't so great as a concierge, I'd recommend a racing pilot career.

mikeyyz

You got to the airport 12 minutes before the flight and made it? Pretty impressive! Did they actually keep the gate open just for you?

My wife had a similar experience a few years back when she accidentally took my passport instead of hers - I had to race back home and back to the airport and they rushed her to the gate just in time

YXXFlyer

I was definitely the last one to board. I feel slightly bad for the people who boarded before me. at T-20 concierge told me they were down to boarding the last 10.. at T-10 operations allowed me 3 more minutes (just cleared security at that time). I can only say that this experience in itself makes it worth maintaining SE status.

Not that I recommend trying to replicate this at all... I had no nails left by the time I got to YVR and although I'm quite fit my heartrate was through the roof when I got to the plane... Another thanks to the FA is in order too, as she presented me with pre-departure water in Y noticing my exhausted stated.