Frustrations...
 

Warning: The following post is mostly just to vent....

Why can't the agents help me today? They are completely useless.

My scheduled 7am flight from Newark to Vancouver had a mechanical failure they could not fix. We boarded the aircraft and moved back and forth from the gate a couple times while the crew attempted to fix, all the while they roasted us in the back with no air conditioning. By about 8:15, we finally deplaned. After a 15 minute wait where folks freaked out etc, the GA notified us that they put a new scheduled flight time of 3:45... There was only a single GA at our gate and she was dealing with folks who were losing it, so I walked out of the secure area to the check-in counter. There was a few agents visible but a small lineup of folks in the regular check-in lineup, so I stood in the Exec check-in lineup (I am *G and checked in there this morning). Well only a single agent was processing the check-ins and I waited as she kept taking folks from the regular line. Another agent walked past and I asked her if she could help me get to Vancouver another way, and she said "you can take the next flight to Toronto but I have to go down to baggage, so she will have to help you".

Well the next guy in the regular line asked me what she said, as he was doing the same thing as me. I said she told me I could go through Toronto but I have to wait for the agent... Then the agent finally called me over as the guy attempted to walk up, and the guy started flipping out that he had been waiting for 10 minutes etc. She told him she has to deal with the exec lineup first, and then the guy turned to me and said I am very rude and some other stuff I just ignored and shrugged my shoulders. Then he called me an a**hole which I also ignored. The agent overheard all of this but said nothing... Anyways, I asked the agent if she could help me get to Vancouver today as my flight was delayed, and she told me that she has to help the other people check in first. I shook my head and moved aside, so buddy could go ahead and get told the exact same thing. Then he asked if he could just go home and come back later to catch the flight... Duh. He called me an ....... again as he was leaving, to which I just half smiled and shook my head (I didnt say how much I enjoy this part of the world did I?).

So I waited for the rest of the people in line to get checked in, and then the agent told me that her flights were already oversold and the next flight wasn't until 2 to Toronto which would get me to Vancouver later than if I just waited for the direct flight. At this time I am wondering if all the time I spent waiting allowed the GA to book other folks into the last seats. Anyways, she then told me that it would be fastest to call AC if more delays occur as there aren't enough agents at the airport to help everyone at once and the seats go out first come first served....

Well now the flight is delayed until 4:30, so I called AC to talk to an agent about the next flight. After waiting on hold for 15 minutes, I talked to an agent who said the next flight with open seats is Montreal at 4:10, but I WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO AN AGENT AT THE AIRPORT TO CHANGE! :mad:
I asked her to confirm that she couldn't do anything for me then, and she repeated that I would need to talk to someone at the airport to make the change...

At this point I am not confident that the flight will go out at all, but AC isn't helping and I checked with UA and they have full flights, and can't look into AC's systems (not sure about that).

So I sit in the RCC refreshing the flight status page hoping it doesn't get delayed further. I guess if I had ran to the front of the gate as we were deplaning I might have gotten some help but I assumed the delay wouldn't be more than a couple hours, and since I was flying direct with no connections it wouldn't kill me. Also, I probably would get better attention if I yelled and screamed and acted like a total jerk but I am not distressed enough to lower myself to that point. I fly over 100k a year and these things happen, I just wish AC would try harder to help me out... I guess I would have to be a SE to get any action anyways.

I figured flying direct would save me from these kind of days, as usually these length of delays only happen when I misconnect...

Lastly, Steve Nash is on my flight. So that's the only cool thing that has happened today.

Phew.

Who's Steve Nash?

Will "On My Way" cover this type of mechanical delay?

I assume he means this Steve Nash?

Seriously?

Greatest Canadian basketball player of all time? Back-to-back NBA MVP winner? Doesn't ring a bell?

It's definitely that Steve Nash.

What's "On My Way" ?

My solution to this would be simple. Make sure you're stuck in an airport with a good lounge that you have access to, and if they don't want to help you, just drink enough to be overly annoying, but not enough to be kicked out.

Ask for enough to irritate them... more snacks, refresh this, blah blah blah.

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelin...r/onmyway.html

another cash grab :p

If mechanical delay is a covered event, the $35 would have saved OP a lot of frustration. Those who had bought it and had unfortunately had to use it all said that it was worth every penny. Last winter during the snow storm at YVR, AC OMW actually bought tickets on WS to take those with OMW coverage to their destinations.

Nope

Answering my own earlier question, just read the small prints on "On My Way", yes, mechanical delay is covered.

Although mechanical delay should be handled by the airline anyway.

That's too bad... Aside from being a great basketball player, he is an all-around great human being.

I noticed him on the plane when we were de-boarding and he turned around to look back from Exec class. I wanted to say hi, but I was too shy and didn't want to bother him.

Yes except OP (if he/she had purchased OMW) could have requested to be put on an earlier flight on another airline to YVR. OP would also have been able to do it over the phone.

My thoughts exactly. I doubt the compensation for a 9.5+ hour delay is anything substantial, but I will ask anyways.