The "THANKS Concierge!" thread
Feb 8, 2020, 12:01 pm
#571
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: YYC
Programs: Aeroplan SE100KMM, IHG Spire
Posts: 45
Multiple thanks to the concierges this week. Monday flying YYC-YUL-YQB on a new A220 out of YYC. The plane needed rebooting a couple of times before we could leave the gate: like everything these days if the computer doesn't work you go nowhere. This made the connection in YUL tight and was met by the concierge for a quick trot through the concourse. I made it and, amazingly, so did made bags.
Then caught up in the snow storm in Quebec City and spent a couple of hours on the phone with different concierges as flights got cancelled and shifted.
Now on AC143 YYZ-YYC. YQB-YYZ was delayed and wasn't to gate until 12:25. Again met by the concierge and literally ran with her through the concourse to the the next flight. And an upgrade to boot! The concierges are the best.
Then caught up in the snow storm in Quebec City and spent a couple of hours on the phone with different concierges as flights got cancelled and shifted.
Now on AC143 YYZ-YYC. YQB-YYZ was delayed and wasn't to gate until 12:25. Again met by the concierge and literally ran with her through the concourse to the the next flight. And an upgrade to boot! The concierges are the best.
Feb 29, 2020, 10:38 am
#572
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Halifax
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite. NEXUS
Posts: 4,568
Last Thursday out of ORD I was scheduled on my regular ORD-YUL-YHZ, AC 7590 leaving at the ungodly hour of 7AM. 7590 was cancelled, as usual, sacraficed regional to appease the snow clearing gods at ORD or YUL.
The robot rerouted me thorough YYZ, on a much more reasonable AC 7610 leaving at 0925. AC 7605 , its earlier version was delayed long enough that Borris out of ORD got me on it.
This turned out especially fortuitously as 7610 got within sight of YYZ before being diverted to DTW for a few hours. Much as the LH lounge is nice, getting home is nicer.
(Flight waitress failed to serve anyone a hot meal however. Maybe that was less embarrassing than heating up the 3 meals they loaded?)
The robot rerouted me thorough YYZ, on a much more reasonable AC 7610 leaving at 0925. AC 7605 , its earlier version was delayed long enough that Borris out of ORD got me on it.
This turned out especially fortuitously as 7610 got within sight of YYZ before being diverted to DTW for a few hours. Much as the LH lounge is nice, getting home is nicer.
(Flight waitress failed to serve anyone a hot meal however. Maybe that was less embarrassing than heating up the 3 meals they loaded?)
Mar 4, 2020, 7:34 am
#573
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: YVR
Programs: Aeroplan SE100k 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 13
YVRMAN here, and I've just completed my annual pilgrimage from YVR to MAN to see MUFC. Return from LHR - YVR booked in Y using Aeroplan basic 30,000 points. Met John, the Concierge at LHR and asked if an eUpgrade was possible (couldn't do it onlne due to new reservation system). Not holding out much hope I went to the gate to board and there was John who confirmed my upgrade to J.
Many thanks John. See you when I'm on my next YVR-MAN pilgrimage.
Many thanks John. See you when I'm on my next YVR-MAN pilgrimage.
Mar 4, 2020, 8:10 am
#574
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Last Sunday, Mar 1, I was scheduled to fly AC 461 YOW-YYZ, connecting to AC 824 YYZ-AMS. As scheduled 461 is supposed to arrive at 18:15, providing ample time to make the 20:30 departure time of 824.
461 was operated by the A220, and I was looking forward to flying the new type. Sadly, teething issues and lack of type-specific maintenance crew at YOW resulted in a rolling delay after we boarded.
Eventually, I gave up and asked to be put on the next YYZ flight. 463, the 18:00 departure, was overbooked so they put me on 475, scheduled to depart at 18:30. Unfortunately, 475 was also running late, resulting in us reaching the gate at YYZ at 20:10, leaving 10 minutes before doors close for 824. This is where concierge came in handy.
A concierge agent greeted me at the arrival gate of 475 and took me down to the tarmac, where I was invited to partake in my very first Signature Class BMW Chauffeur Service, taking me directly to the departure gate of 824. Well done, AC!
461 was operated by the A220, and I was looking forward to flying the new type. Sadly, teething issues and lack of type-specific maintenance crew at YOW resulted in a rolling delay after we boarded.
Eventually, I gave up and asked to be put on the next YYZ flight. 463, the 18:00 departure, was overbooked so they put me on 475, scheduled to depart at 18:30. Unfortunately, 475 was also running late, resulting in us reaching the gate at YYZ at 20:10, leaving 10 minutes before doors close for 824. This is where concierge came in handy.
A concierge agent greeted me at the arrival gate of 475 and took me down to the tarmac, where I was invited to partake in my very first Signature Class BMW Chauffeur Service, taking me directly to the departure gate of 824. Well done, AC!
Mar 4, 2020, 10:05 am
#575
Join Date: May 2015
Location: YUL
Programs: AC 50K, *A Gold
Posts: 301
Kinda got a surprise flight intervention from AC concierge on my flight home today.
i was suppose to fly on AC 4 from NRT to YVR then connect to Toronto on AAC 118.
with the weather in Vancouver over night, the Inbound AC 3 was delayed 3 hours, and my flight was delayed till 7:50pm from 6:30pm.
so I knew it’ll be a fun day of flying. I was traveling from ITM Osaka to NRT on ANA, then onward with AC.
when I deplaned are NRT, I was met by the AC concierge, and she mentioned the weather delay if the inbound flight, and they are having maintenance issues with the plane upon landing, and might risk further delays.
she gave me an option of going to Haneda airport and taking the direct flight to Toronto. AC would pay for the shuttle bus to get us to HND.
so now I am on the airport limo bus to HND with 1 hour till boarding. Let’s see if I made the right decision.
i was surprised the AC concierge was monitoring the flight and offered alternatives. I was in a reward J seat if that mattered and a SEMM.
i was suppose to fly on AC 4 from NRT to YVR then connect to Toronto on AAC 118.
with the weather in Vancouver over night, the Inbound AC 3 was delayed 3 hours, and my flight was delayed till 7:50pm from 6:30pm.
so I knew it’ll be a fun day of flying. I was traveling from ITM Osaka to NRT on ANA, then onward with AC.
when I deplaned are NRT, I was met by the AC concierge, and she mentioned the weather delay if the inbound flight, and they are having maintenance issues with the plane upon landing, and might risk further delays.
she gave me an option of going to Haneda airport and taking the direct flight to Toronto. AC would pay for the shuttle bus to get us to HND.
so now I am on the airport limo bus to HND with 1 hour till boarding. Let’s see if I made the right decision.
i was surprised the AC concierge was monitoring the flight and offered alternatives. I was in a reward J seat if that mattered and a SEMM.
side question; could this be expected/done for a 50K 75K you think ?
Mar 4, 2020, 2:05 pm
#576
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ideally YOW, but probably not
Programs: AC SE*MM
Posts: 1,826
Lucky you. When I was through YYZ last week during the snow IRROPS I landed in from YOW-YYZ 20 minutes before my YYZ-LHR was scheduled to depart. I thought they would probably have no concierge there given the volume of IRROPS, but when I came off the plane there was one with an iPad, yay! ... with someone elses name on it. Great. Instead I proved you can in fact sprint from D40 to E76 in under 10 minutes and I was the last pax to board at last call. Maybe they figured they had protected me on the next YYZ-LHR 2h later and that was enough (and someone from the concierge office had at least done that, I could see both YYZ-LHR flights on my app when I landed) but I wanted that 2h to be a shower & breakfast at the arrivals lounge in LHR, not sitting around YYZ waiting to depart.
Mar 4, 2020, 2:24 pm
#577
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Lucky you. When I was through YYZ last week during the snow IRROPS I landed in from YOW-YYZ 20 minutes before my YYZ-LHR was scheduled to depart. I thought they would probably have no concierge there given the volume of IRROPS, but when I came off the plane there was one with an iPad, yay! ... with someone elses name on it. Great. Instead I proved you can in fact sprint from D40 to E76 in under 10 minutes and I was the last pax to board at last call. Maybe they figured they had protected me on the next YYZ-LHR 2h later and that was enough (and someone from the concierge office had at least done that, I could see both YYZ-LHR flights on my app when I landed) but I wanted that 2h to be a shower & breakfast at the arrivals lounge in LHR, not sitting around YYZ waiting to depart.
They also protected me on a later YYZ-FRA flight with a connection on LH that would have gotten me to AMS 4 hours later than my original itinerary. It’s a good thing it didn’t come to that because as it turns out, a drone would cause a shutdown at FRA for several hours.
May 27, 2021, 9:02 pm
#578
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Excellent Concierge Service During Covid
Not sure if others have noticed or observed this already, but I finally had the occasion to call the Concierge line a few times this week. No wait times, very experienced and friendly agents, and everyone seemed to go out of their way to be helpful. I guess they're probably not busy right now and might even be looking for opportunities to be helpful. Whatever the reason, it's a great experience as a customer.
May 29, 2021, 6:38 pm
#579
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,604
Not sure if others have noticed or observed this already, but I finally had the occasion to call the Concierge line a few times this week. No wait times, very experienced and friendly agents, and everyone seemed to go out of their way to be helpful. I guess they're probably not busy right now and might even be looking for opportunities to be helpful. Whatever the reason, it's a great experience as a customer.
May 29, 2021, 7:01 pm
#580
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 6,231
"Inevitably"? Even with possible SQM/SQD carryover into 2022?
May 30, 2021, 4:32 am
#581
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,604
Yes fair, I will likely be SE a while longer. But eventually I will not and I will miss the concierge. I am only going to roll over my first million shortly. It may be a while until I get to 3 million to have it for life.
Jun 5, 2021, 10:35 pm
#583
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,331
John is literally the best. I rave about SFO all the time, but John is literally the best.
As for Calgary, I've found them to be mostly good, since amazing, but one not so good, so I'll hold my opinion on that one.
As for Calgary, I've found them to be mostly good, since amazing, but one not so good, so I'll hold my opinion on that one.
Jul 27, 2021, 4:56 pm
#585
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: I'm From Here
Programs: AC*SE & MM/*Wood Gold/HHonors Diamond/Marriott Silver/AirMiles Gold
Posts: 4,567
It should probably be noted that we will be seeing a big changeover of Concierges in the next little bit.
I know YYZ/YUL/YVR/YYC etc are all taking the package and retiring.
We will be seeing a new guard soon but THANKS! to all the amazing ones who are retiring for their help over the years
I know YYZ/YUL/YVR/YYC etc are all taking the package and retiring.
We will be seeing a new guard soon but THANKS! to all the amazing ones who are retiring for their help over the years