http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif If you disagree with something someone says just say so.

I know that YYC list their cell phones on their voice mail. I too wish that other locations would do this as well as it would make things much easier. Maybe this is something positive that can come from this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif

To get a call back in 20 minutes does not seem unreasonable to me. Given the situation that you were in I understand you finding 20 minutes too long. Sadly any one of us is not the only SE being looked out for at any given minute. There are any number of reasons that it took 20 minutes to get back to you, they may have been valid or not. No one will ever know.

Now, some of us haven't had bad experiences that you describe but that doesn't make our positive statements any less valid, just as your legitimate complaints are wrong either.


FatboyYVR, are you saying that one incident (where I too believe they should have just gotten you on the direct flight) is a tarnish on the whole group?

Like I say, I havent really ever had the need to use concierges, and except for the meet and handshake (which I usually avoid anyway), so I cant comment on the whole group. For me, the response I received, and more importantly the way it was delivered, has left me wondering what is appropriate to ask, and what I can expect concierges to do. Would I get a different response from a different concierge or was my request so unreasonable that I should not have asked it?

Things that I have asked the concierge to help me out with:

1. Locate a carry-on for me that I forgot in the YYZ T2 Transborder lounge. That bag had $1000 worth of clothing and electronics in it.

2. Protect me on a flight that I hadn't had a boarding pass issued for due to the United and the "cert" problem. (When you have an upgrade they can't give you all the bp's.. only happens when I have used an upgrade)

3. Gotten me a comp upgrade when I was on a tight schedule, no U/G certs left, and needed to finish off some important paperwork. (even if this bends the rules a bit but I was also on a full Y class fare)

4. Escorted me through an unfamiliar airport and met me with the missing boarding pass in number 2.

5. Helped me to help my wife from 3000 miles away when she was stuck in a check-in line and being hearing impaired, was unable to identify if the agent at the head of the line calling people for flights was calling on hers (she was in line for an hour at this point)

6. Just been a friendly face who said hello and thanked me for flying AC.

As with others the tone of this post scares me. I think the concierges are a great part of the AC customer service team for FF...

B

Empress - newbie question again. Is it ok to go standby on the day of departure, or confirmed on the day of departure without paying a change fee? It was my impression that some tix allow this and other fare classes don't?

Simon

Read his own narrative Empress.

"although this was the rule, maybe the change fee could be waived in this situation"

If that is not an EXCEPTION being asked for, I don't know what is.

I think the key thing here that the concierge would have been stuck on was that the flight was *after* the original flight was scheduled to depart... with the new ticketing rules wouldn't that invalidate the ticket?

If the flight was *ahead* of the original departure time, I would think the concierge would have been able to help... I mean you could have tried to do a standby for the earlier flight regardless of the concierges intervention...

B

I don't think this is the case at all. My introduction to all of the concierges has come by their initiative in approaching/paging me, offering me the best method of contacting them, asking me about my flying preferences and asking for my business card in case they have to contact me.

On those days that I have needed them they are often listing off the names of my fellow SE's and even E's who are also late or missing connections and required their assistance so I definitely think they are doing this for those that they see are flying that day from their manifests not from any other list. This doesn't happen all that often and I do go weeks at a time without seeing a concierge because I am not running to them for every little thing or expecting them to roll out the red carpet just because Mr YYCGuy2 is in town (no ego to stroke in other words).

In addition, the combination of the length of my projects and being a creature of habit, it doesn't take them a long time to figure my schedule out and they know what days I am flying and that I will be in the lounge getting a paper, uploading email and can always find me in case something does change. Minding my manners, treating them professionally and respectfully has earned me some points with them but then why would I treat them any other way?


I agree. I have had more than my fair share of luck in making my flights with the concierges assistance and there will come a day when the concierges can't do anything because it's just cutting it too fine. I can live with that but I will continue to use them to try and make my flights whenever possible since they have offered to do this.

Well I think the Concierge should have let you switch flights! If they can't do something simple like that why are they for?
But thats the problem I don't think AC gives the Concierge the tools to do their job. I assumed I was in the "Minority". Maybe not.
These forums might make AC see some changes are needed, give the Concierge the tools to do the job, or spend the money on something that will help SE's.... IMHO.
However I also think the SE program was gutted so its a moot point.

IMHO too.

I did ask about standby, and was told that I could standby, but that the moment I was confirmed on the flight I would have had to pay the change fee. Now I am wondering if this was correct. Given how open the flight was, if I had been given the option to standby I would have taken it, as I knew there would be no question of not getting on. Was I given incorrect information as well?

My take on this, is that of WhyFly (wow, this is scary http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) that it was such a simple thing to say yes to, I was just very surprised they didnt. That's all.

You still haven't answer my question. Why do you think he shouldn't be granted the request to get on on the nonstop flight because you claimed that he was using the concierge to get above the rule while you should be able to call them to check you in while you are stuck in traffic (purely not AC's fault) just because you don't want to miss the flight? Wouldn't the latter be a clear case of using them to get above the rules? If an ordinary person missed a flight because of their own fault (and I consider stuck in traffic as one of them because you didn't leave enough time), they will have to either pay the fee to get confirmed on the later flight or standby for it. Worse yet, if it's one of the ineligible fare, they lose the value of the ticket right away. Please tell... In fact, what FatboyYVR asked for can be done according to the rules.

[This message has been edited by Empress (edited Mar 13, 2004).]

I did ask about standby, and was told that I could standby, but that the moment I was confirmed on the flight I would have had to pay the change fee. Now I am wondering if this was correct. Given how open the flight was, if I had been given the option to standby I would have taken it, as I knew there would be no question of not getting on. Was I given incorrect information as well?

My take on this, is that of WhyFly (wow, this is scary http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) that it was such a simple thing to say yes to, I was just very surprised they didnt. That's all.

That's perfectly fine; I don't have a problem with that. My problem is that when B747-437B claimed that FatBoyYVR shouldn't be confirmed on the flight even though it was wide open because he was using the concierge to get above the rules (but that is something that an agent would have done for anyone regardless of their status) yet he claims that a good use of the concierge would be to call them to chekc them in if they are stuck in traffic. Which one would be a clearer case of getting above the rules? B747-437B's comment comes across to me as selfish.

[This message has been edited by Empress (edited Mar 13, 2004).]

And finding out they want to get to their destination earlier because something came up therefore wanting to get on the nonstop flight (so they can arrive earlier) is not something that would come up for a 'road warrior'? Please explain.
Yet calling them to beat the cut off time for check in is something that is under the rules? Yet a road warrior can be late for check in but they can't request to get to their destination earlier because of things such as needing to get back to the office earlier? Please explain.

If you're on an eligible fare; definitely. It's V or higher for domestic flights and all booking classes for transborder and international. If the flight is wide open, they will sometimes be willing to confirm you on the flight right away. Otherwise you will have to wait until the cut off time has passed and all the no show seats are released.