Rum & Coke

Forgive my ignorance but has anyone ever done a proper survey of frequent flyer programs?

Aeroplan might edge that one for Canada as well, but I'd be interested to know how it would fare against real competition.

imverge

You mean that cheap, MADE IN CHINA looking thing filled with the dollar store items?

Compare that to my Molton Brown MADE IN THE UK bag filled with Molton Brown Spa luxury skin products that i received on my BA flight...

It amazes me that the marketing people at AC can't strike up a deal with Roots to come up with a bag. Why not approach Lise Watier for some premium skin care products? The company is based in Quebec which would score some brownie points

Or market a bag with fellow 2010 Olympic sponsor such as HSBC? In return AC could always sell some HSBC Olympic merchandise via duty free.

@:-)@:-)@:-)

Shareholder

AC has used Deserving Thyme and Fruits & Passions products in its kits, along with Rembrand or Colgate toothpaste so these are not inferior brands and the first two distinctively Canadian products. Perhaps if AC had a first class cabin, it could do a deal with ROOTS but the cost/benefit is not there. As we read often enough, jaded J class passengers just leave the bags behind and on some flights a good half of them get trashed. That's a pretty hefty $ number and it''s unlikely ROOTS could produce anything for under $10 a unit (and that would have to be done in China). AC's kits have been on par with most NAmerican carriers, and remember SQ doesn't even offer one to its business class fliers!

As for the washrooms, I've seldom had these issues in the front cabin and there's always been plenty of Fruits & Passion lotion and soap. If washrooms are a disgrace, it would have more to do with the people who use them.

shore9

FWIW, the AC amenity kit has been better than previous ones I have received on both LH and NZ. BA was better than AC however. I like the new socks that they give out, however they have cut back on the other stuff they give out, including ear plugs, which I think is very cheap of them. Instead of having a seperate bag of them, just include it in the kit.

mikeyyz

Most of the "world's best" airlines (SQ/GF/EK/etc.) barely give out anything to J passengers, they leave amenity kits for F passengers... I was on GF this week and even F had a simple kit - earplugs (much worse than ACs), nice eyeshade, and socks, just a different color from the J ones! And this was the overnight portion - nothing at all on the day flight.

So at least Exec First really is partially F in some ways. I personally like the kits and give them to our other staff who travel when I don't use them.

SQ's Ferragamo kits are sweet bling though... great Christmas gifts ^

Sopwith

No amount of hardware, XM'd or not, and no amount of amenity kits will make any airline "best" if the attitude of the people sucks, and it still does.

What really separates the "best" from the others is how they treat the customers, especially when things start to go sideways due to weather or operational problems. In this category, AC needs substantial improvement.

Note also that in a comparative situation involving a specific sample population, "best" might actually mean "least bad".

Shareholder

Let's have a reality check here. AC's J cabins are filled for the most part with senior execs from Canadian companies. Senior execs from Canadian companies are for the most part hosers who've got good family connections but otherwise lack in social skills or even an awareness of much that is refined. Their wives may force them to shop at Harry Rosens and Holts, but they'd do just as well at Tip Top where their mother's took them as kids. Most would not know the difference between a ROOTS bag or a made in China cheapie, so why should AC waste money providing anything better than it does?

And even Ed the Sock had a rant last night about why males cannot seem to get it in the urinal...even in the best mensrooms of the country. Given comments about the state of AC's inflight toilets and recall the puddles and dried urine stains around any urinal in a MLL you've visited and it only reinforces my contempt and disdain for the vast majority of AC's suppose "best customers" who fill its front cabins.

Maybe when the majority of us earn the right to get the better things inflight, we'll start getting them. But there is a vast difference between First and Business and the people who fly in those respective classes. Which is why paying the extra money does get you a better inflight experience. The J/C cabin is just a step up from a Little Boy's Club within the context of a Jock Culture. It ain't The Ritz!

acplt

I've been a very proud employee for 33 years, and see my fellow employees always go above and beyond and I disagree with your generalised statement.

Stranger

I believe Deserving Thyme is a Canadian product.

Never seen Colgate (or for that matter Rembrandt, who are these guys?) stuff on AC. Anyway, I would bet Colgate and most toothpaste brands are made in China these days.

And incidentally, I would strongly support legislation that would mandate labeling with the country of origin.

And also, no longer allow cheap imported wines bottled in Canada (including some served by AC) to be labeled "made in Canada" as they currently are.

tcook052

Why not as we allow it for fish products as I was surprised to learn in a recent CBC Marketplace broadcast.

BlondeBomber

"Senior execs from Canadian companies are for the most part hosers who've got good family connections but otherwise lack in social skills or even an awareness of much that is refined."

I resemble that remark

Stranger

Well, perhaps we shouldn't either.

Incidentally, I recently noticed that all sort of frozen fish (under Canadian brands BTW) are now "made in China."

Including North Atlantic cod.

How can that be? Chinese fishing vessels in international waters?

Sopwith

Quad erat demonstratum.

getaround

In case your short on something to read.



Air Canada ranked 'best airline in north America'.
Saturday, 3rd May 2008
Source : Air Canada

In the world's largest survey of air travelers - The exhaustive passenger survey of over 14 million air travelers was conducted by the independent UK-based research firm Skytrax between August 2006 and June 2007 using 40 different aspects of passenger satisfaction for each airline's product and service standards.

This independent passenger survey is highly regarded in the air transportation industry as a primary benchmarking tool for passenger satisfaction levels of airlines throughout the world. It is the second time in three years that Air Canada has placed first among North American carriers. Star Alliance, of which Air Canada is a founding member, was ranked as Best Airline Alliance.

"We are thrilled to be acknowledged by air travelers around the world as the best airline in North America for the second time in just three years," said Montie Brewer, President and CEO of Air Canada. "I am very proud of our employees and congratulate them on this positive recognition of their efforts to provide our customers with a superior travel experience - bar none. This award confirms that our product innovations coupled quality service delivery and the introduction of brand new, customer friendly and fuel efficient aircraft is truly what our customers want."

Air Canada is recognized as leading the industry in developing innovative à-la-carte fare products and subscription passes that use web-based technologies to simplify air travel. In addition, Air Canada has been renewing its international fleet with state-of-the-art Boeing 777 aircraft since March 2007, and its North American fleet since 2005 with new Embraer aircraft featuring a choice of two cabins of service.

A major refurbishment of the carrier's existing fleet is well-under way, providing customers with interior upgrades that include brand new seats and personal entertainment systems at each seat. New fleet-wide amenities include digital quality in-seat monitors with touch-screen controls offering a wide selection of audio and video on demand programming, standard 110V in-seat power outlets within reach of every customer and industry leading lie-flat beds in Executive First, Air Canada's international premium service.

Air Canada's achievements have been honoured recently by consumers and the industry. This year, Washington D.C.-based Air Transport World, gave Air Canada Air Transport World's Market Leadership Award based on the airline's success in implementing an innovative and transparent pricing structure, its use of online technology to meet consumers' needs and its fleet-wide renewal with a consistent, market-leading onboard product among North American airlines.

Air Canada was also voted 'Best Airline in North America' and 'Best Airline in Canada' by readers of the U.S. frequent flyer magazine, Global Traveler, and the carrier was voted 'Best Business Class to Canada' by the readers of Business Traveler magazine.



http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_nshw.php?mwi=4410

danwhy

Congrats to AC on this. If I remember correctly I thought someone was just using Skytrax recently to say AC sucked, I guess that's not the case.