why fly

even if AC gets 1% of people paying a $50 fee its still 100's of millions of dollars. So this fee is not going away. [and anyone flying yyz-yul will agree it is WAY more than 1%]
Also if the airline ended "free food in Y" for the new $5 fee, I dont think a $20 charge to "bury" the change fee is going to change.

However perhaps AC would make even more money if the fee was $25 rather than $50? maybe that would increase the number or percentage of people willing to pay the change fee.^

acplt

Andrew. Thanks so much. As a 35 year Captain I have heard so many misconceptions voiced such as AC cancels half their flights, AC always late ( our OTP always near the top and recently #2 behind Hawaiian), AC always more expensive . All totally false.
I'm always impressed with your factual replies

acysb87

I do many segments on an annual basis,many on Dash equipment..Mechanicals are a way of life,or so it seems to me at least.I have often wondered what happens as to mechanical issues,but put my trust in the safety criteria that AC/Jazz must follow.IOW,I am OK with it.

I could only imagine the airline saying the plane went mechanical because "the wing is hanging by a rivet".By the time someone picked that up in the media it would have been "rivet all that saved airliner from ......(you fill in the blanks)

IMHO,some things are best left unsaid.

(perhaps I should have said nothing)

LiquidJ

I've had good luck in expressing mock disappointment, and then commenting that I'll be enjoying more than $50 worth of alcohol in the lounge. Given my "volume" (height and weight), the agent usually believes me (or takes pity on me, one of the two).

The reality is, of course, that I almost never drink when travelling, and while my "bill" for the soft chocolate fudge cookies is high, it's nowhere near $50

hjohnson

I have to admit, in the 115000 miles I flew last year, I didn't have any bad customer services that I can really think of. Most of the service I've received from AC has been professional and reasonably prompt. Has it been outstanding/amazing? rarely, but that actually makes me feel a tad uncomfortable.

For example, on my last flight back from Helsinki, the IC personally introduced himself to me while I was sitting up front. On the one hand, I do appreciate this kind of personal service, on the other hand, I was a tad embarrassed by it. Maybe it's just the humble Canadian in me. I do appreciate the "Welcome Mr Johnson, if you need anything, please let me know."

As far as the crew hiding out in the back of the airplane... Well, I'm of two minds of that. It really is a fine balance when it comes to that. On the one hand, I don't want to be pestered too much in my seat; after I get my coke, I just want to be left alone. On the other hand, it would be nice if they were more available if needed. Having them walking the aisle(s) with the bottle of water and glasses is a nice touch.

Finally, when it comes to dealing with harried staff on the ground, especially in IrOps situations, It really does help to be pleasant, give them a smile, and thank them for their patient. On more than a few occasions, I've seen people ahead of me being very nasty to the staff at the desk, demanding this that or the other, and their tone was very disrespectful. When I got up to the desk, I smiled at him/her, thank them for their patience, and proceed with my request in a humble tone. This gets a lot more traction than being a dick.

Aspan

I just returned from Miami on Monday. Flying FLL-YUL-YYZ-YYJ. Not the best routing but the Z fare was fantastic for 2 seats. Get a phone call from AC at 9, can we make an earlier FLL-YYZ flight as the weather was making YUL iffy. Sure, no problem. Now FLL-YYZ-YYJ. Arrive in YYZ @14:30, claim baggage and head upstairs to ticketing as we have a 5 + hr. layover. Check on expertflyer mobile, lots of Z to YVR. Ask the ticket agent if we can go earlier via YVR. "Why not" he says. Onto the YYZ-YVR 16:10 on a XMed 333, love the pods, then onto the 19:00 flight to YYJ and home 3 hrs. early. Thank you AC. After leaving me stranded at YYJ during the Dec. _ Jan. mess twice this was a pleasant experience.

threepoint

Thanks for your reply, but don't get me confused with the poster that was affected by this flight and questioned the reason of the cancellation. I didn't personally see anything to do with AC455 nor experience any frustration, considering I was thousands of miles away at the time. Having previously respected all of your posts and helpful & balanced inside advice, I'm not sure why the sudden condescension dripping from your post. I appreciate you may not be keen to provide answers, but temper that with the fact that, to be fair, nobody asked you to.

I commented on the silence when the explanation was challenged, mainly because previous replies are usually so prompt (7 minutes in this case) and this query went unanswered for a while. I fully accept that most of us have offline lives and are not attached to the keyboard with a umbilical cord; I have not questioned the eventual response given.

My point, to be perfectly clear, is not that the flight was canceled due to a mechanical or low loads or because it was Thursday. It's the very familiar yet very relevant assertion that AC - for the most part - could use a real step up in its communication and PR. As a safe & effective airline they're great. But passengers, regardless of fare paid or status held, deserve an explanation for delays and cancellations. A simple gate announcement will do, and no, I do not expect a dissertation on the report by an AME. Layman's terms ("we have a problem with the door") and an initial, non-binding estimation of time are perfectly acceptable. As is the expectation that display screens within the terminal show accurate information, which by itself will sooth so many nerves and avoid staff overload by lines of people repeatedly asking "when do we leave". Someday, sooner or later, management and staff will 'get it'.


The rivet comment was of course a gross exaggeration, and even nervous flyers will accept a layman's explanation of delays. Knowledge is power, and defuses so many tempers and tendencies for uptight people to become riled at the gate. It's unfortunate so many people aren't the "oh well, whatever, no biggie" type of traveler we all aspire to be.

YOWkid

And then you will complain that fares are too high and that AC is ripping you off.

YOWkid

What makes you think you are ENTITLED to receive an informal answer from people who work from AC and post here? From what I know, it's not part of anyone's job description.

And what makes you think yoiu should receive an answer at the drop of YOUR hat?

Holy sh!t! If you want an answer, then write to AC Customer Solutions. They really should rename Elite and Super Elite to Ego and Super Ego!

Before you hit the submit button, just remember what goes around comes around.

YOWkid

Of course he is.

YOWkid

Then I think you need to increase the value of those soft chocolate fudge cookies. Come on, have you learned nothing from the latest financial crisis? Overvalue the assets, increase the value of the goodwill, and watch people fall for it. Then by the time they discover the truth, you're long gone. Learn from John Roth!

emcampbe

I'm just glad the OP was only on YOW-YYZ. Wonder what this thread would be like if it was the once a day YOW-LHR, or YYZ-CDG, that got cancelled.

Truthfully, if my flight is delayed due to a mechanical, I trust that the staff determined that the aircraft can't be flown safely. I don't really care if its b/c the door won't close, the wing is hanging by a rivet, or the power systems are down, I only want to get to my destination safely. For me, if I get there 30 minutes, an hour, or 5 hours late, it's certainly not perferable, but I can almost guarantee that this is a far better solution then whatever alternative flying on a damaged aircraft would lead to.

YOWkid

Exactly. People forget why Canada has one of the best aviation records in the world. Strong safety and security regulations and requirements are in place and Canadian airlines aren't dumb enough to let planes fly when they are not at least meeting, if not exceeding, those requirements/regulations.

why fly

Who cares we have a great aviation records? Even the worst country aviation record is safer than driving, so whats the big deal.
Take a BILLION $$$$ from airline safety, and put it into road safety, it would save a LOT more lives.^

threepoint

Careful not to veer off on a tangent. We're talking about communications regarding delays, not the regulations that may contribute to the delays.

And the list of Canadian airlines large & small that are or have been "dumb enough" to allow airplanes to fly when mandated safety regulations have not been met is longer than your arm. Otherwise TC wouldn't need an enforcement section.