I have to say having switched to UA that I have missed the Concierge service. There have many times they have been very helpful and I find that the service they offer is second to none.

First of all, they have the authority to make decisions. None of this, I need a supervisor or manager who is up in their office and too far away from realities of flying. Simply said, that they can look at the reality of flying and the situation on a given day or flight loads on future flights that day to make a decision. (i.e. flights overbooked late in the day...let someone take an earlier flight is one situation that comes to mind).

Before I continue, I would like to comment about FatBoyYVR situation in LHR. IMO, he should have been put on the direct YVR flight sans fee. It is to AC benefit. It frees up a LHR-YYZ seat, not to mention, YYZ-YVR. And the direct flight would have hurt who? No one, as this reroute would have been done only if space was available. To me, it should have been done in recognition of one who flies 100k.

There is give and take. Those who have flown 100k miles a year or more have likely experienced more mechancials, missing flight attendents, not enough pilots showing up, and other IROPS resulting in lost money but more important, lost time. Does AC give you an refund if a flight goes mechancial and you miss your meeting? Does AC give you your money back when there is no flight attendant to show up or if there are no pilots? So why not provide some "give" instead of "take".

As far as LHR, I know Rae, who has since retired, and she would have done it as any of the guys. In LHR, I find some of the concierge not as nice or helpful.

Some ways they have helped me have been:

(1) Flying to YYZ to YVR and the flight goes mechancial and there are they, with boarding pass in had for my flight that was to leave 10 minutes after deplaning.

(2) Flying to YOW but needed to go to YYZ. Concierge had met me off one flight and asked what my plans were for the wkend. I mentioned that since I was enroute to YOW I would see my parents but really I'm just going to drive to YYZ. The direct non-stop was offered to YYZ, not asked, and I accepted.

(3) Threatre tickets in LHR

(4) Flying back from SJO via MIA and was met at the gate in YYZ with roses which I had asked since it was my wife's birthday. Arrived at 22h30 into YYZ. Home by 00h00 and surprised my wife completely. This after being away for 2 weeks. The Concierges made my wife happy. When my wife is happy, I'm happy. And trust me, when my wife is not happy, I'm not happy. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

(5) Provided shielding to me when the SE check-in agent at T-2 YYZ was directing distain towards me for a change I wanted to make for a flight that was delayed. I called concierge and they booked me on the flight. Check-in agent was re-issuing the new boarding pass and still directing her distain to me. Concierge arrived, without me asking for assistance, and the very rude check-in agent became, marginally nice.

(6) I'm on the NRT-YYZ non-stop and had food poisoning. About 4 hours after the flight I was moved from my J class seat to the flight attendant seats so I could lie flat which I did for the duration of the flight. At baggage claim, there was a Concierge (one met the flight and another was at baggage claim for NRT-YYZ). The concierge recognized me and politely mentioned that I looked like $**t and should see the doctor. I then explained what happened and even though I was feeling weak in my knees I insisted on heading north of the city. She was with me to the limo to make sure I made it safely.

(7) Met at the top of the bridge when traveling from SIN to YYZ via ORD and was advised my checked bag did not make the cnx even though I had dropped my bag with 75 minutes before the AC flight. Concierge in ORD advised YYZ. After 24 hours of travel, I did not have to wait at baggage claim for every bag to come down before making my claim.

(8) The following month, MAA to YYZ via, SIN, NRT and ORD. I placed my checked bag on the cnx belt in ORD with 80 minutes to spare. Deplaning in YYZ, concierge at the top to tell me my bags did not make it and to go directly to baggage services. After 29 hours in transit I did not have to wait any more time to find out no bag.

(9) One of my most scariest moments was receiving a phone call to find out my wife was hospitalized. I flew from MAA-SIN-NRT-ORD-YYZ. Concierge was there at the top of the bridge in ORD to whisked me immigration to make my cnx to AC

To me, Concierges are the most consistent staff offering help to those who put over 100k (in my case, 320k a year).

I miss them dearly and will defend them at any moment.

Cheers


[This message has been edited by sing-along (edited Mar 14, 2004).]

Exactly Empress that is a point I have made to Randy about some of the mods especially on Omni. Look at the numbers of threads in various forums that get shut down or moved for, in some cases, very nefarious reasons.
We have been very successful in moderating ourselves which,I'm sure Randy really appreciates.
I'm sure B747-437B thinks we have too many OT threads here but again Randy has said...WE ARE HABS FANS>>>>>oops, WE ARE CANADIAN AND CAN KEEP THINGS CANADIAN FLOWING HERE. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

sing-along
However you switched to 1K, WHY? because we don't need the AC Concierge? Or is the concierge not enough to keep us?
UA I think offers much the same service with GSP, I think.
I find UA staff takes care of me so I don't need a concierge.
Last week at YYZ going-ORD-NNT-TPE I checked in, the agent said there was a long line at customs, let me walk you through. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
In ORD UA met my flight and asked is it OK if they switch my NRT flight/Upgrade... SURE http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Simple things like booking exit row, blocking seats, an agent can do it, we don't need a concierge.
I find UA makes the "perks" of 1k easy to obtain, so we don't need "to find" the special person to bend the rules. As a 1K every agent with UA is a concierge.
Also with 5X miles, every flight on UA till March 31 is a joy! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif:

[This message has been edited by why fly (edited Mar 14, 2004).]

why fly, many reasons why I moved over to UA. I will post in a separate thread the reasons why as there is a link that I think (hope) many would find interesting that I would like to include.

I'm now in ORD after leaving YYZ this morning waiting for my cnx...just need to get a few things done before my next flight.

Even though the excellent service from the Concierges, it is not enough to keep me on AC. I've just had enough. Enough of:

• inconsistent quality of service
• IROPS (i.e. mechanicals),
• rude check-in staff,
• rude inflight,
• waiting just short of the gate for 30 minutes to be marshalled in at midnight in YOW and at 23h00 in YYZ,
• Aeroplan the Frequent Buyer program does not recognize those that fly but more concerned with those buy,
• Availability of AP seats for non-SE,
• the downgrade of SE/E benefits,
• the games being played with C class,
• missing pilots (read: not enough pilots)
• missing flight attendants (read: not enough flight attendants)
• finally being able to draw down my wife's AP for a trip between YYZ and ORD -- My meeting looks like it will end early and I call Aeroplan to see if I can take the last flight from ORD to YYZ on AC to be told, no aeroplan seats available, however, for 30,000 more miles (from my wife's account) we will confirm you -- as it turned out my meeting went late and I took the red-eye into ORD and found out though someone in YUL the flight I was thinking of taking the night before went out with 17 in the back and 5 in the front. -- Thank you AC.

There are more reasons..

I need to rush here and get a few things done before my flight.

Happy flying everyone.

Cheers

sing-along you email isnt working

I posted why I switched in the thread;

Any insight to what Aeroplan is doing in 2005

Whatever the concierges do or don't do, there will be fewer of them attempting to do it in YVR as some are getting bumped into errorplan, and replacements have not yet been assigned.

Pity the concierge service is going the way of the Dodo-- they are often asked to man the MLL and do other chores except what they were specially trained for. Of course their numbers are being depleted as well.

Thats why we need AC to change the system know to let SE's, book Exits, block seats etc. with ANY agent because we are SE's then the Concierge can help us with important stuff.

What was interesting here was out of almost a 100 posts no one knows for sure exactly what the concerige can do for us...

I know they all go off on training courses etc so they must be trained to do something...I wish I knew what.

We have all had good and bad experinces with concierge's, on the whole they are good...but then again I have the same from AC staff at check in and at the gate.

There will be a reduction in SE's next year in Canada unless they lower the level down to 50k, this will be mainly due to the lower fares not earning points etc...

So...I can see reduction in concierge's for 2005...this is jusy another AC benefit...

I was hoping to undertsand what they did so I could put a value on the service to me.!

The best way to get AP/AC to change, is to switch programs after getting E.
Trust me I will send them my UA account after I have 100k... hopefully RM will read it.

why fly -- what fare basis was your ticket ex-LHR?

Simon

Mine was a United V fare.
Its still available for $299+ VLWANGE but you can get W fares for aprox $215+ [get mileage but not 5X points]

AC has a L code for $209+

So the question becomes -- does a UA V fare qualify for same day changes with no charge. We know AC ones do, but perhaps UA do not. I have run into situations in the past where AC does not consider UA fares of the same letter to have the same "value" as an AC fare, and hence different rules apply. Perhaps the agent was correct. Anyone?

I think the concierge service means different things to different people (as witnessed in the posts) and we each value their services based on personal considerations. (From what I have seen it is tough to get this group to agree 100% on anything......especially hockey http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif)

Based on the comments in this thread it appears that airport location factors in on the chances of getting a "good" concierge vs. "a not-so-good" one. I go back to my comment on the fact that the concierges report to the airport managers not to a central concierge manager anymore therefore regional priorities could be creeping into what concierges will/won't/are allowed to do at a given airport.

It looks like everyone values different parts of the service. It plays into your fears (and mine) that AC can come up with some statistics to justify cutting this service and we won't have a leg to stand on to preserve something we value.

And we all know that there are lies, **** lies and then there are statistics! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Well, I know what the CP concierges could do. All you have to do is remember their slogan.