Air Canada.....YOU SUCK

[Tron_fdc]

Flight was delayed this morning coming out of Calgary, and am now sitting in the Vancouver airport waiting for 5 hours as I missed the connector (heading to Portland).

Long story short. I've slept 5 hours the last 2 days, and all I wanted was access to the Air Canada lounge after their (AC's) delays caused me to miss my connection. I didn't think it was a big deal.....I mean the reason I missed my connector was because the plane was late coming into Calgary from Toronto. Not weather. Not mechanical. Probably some boob holding the flight up because his suit coat doesn't fit in the business class cargo hold (heheheheh). All I wanted was some quiet and maybe a free newspaper.

Their answer? No. Apparently my "Prestige" card is not so prestige after all. All I get for my aeroplan level is a fancy card with my name on it...and upgrade certificatees that don't work. Ever. Hell, I even offered to pay for access, and was even denied that. The pompous dink at the counter looked puzzled I ws even asking him. "who is this strange young man who thinks he can get free access to MY lounge? not on my watch!" Never one to give in easily, I called Air Canada and complained some more. Still nothing. I am however in front of the lounge stealing free internet, so I think I might just download some lengthy porn movies. Screw me will ya! We'll see who gets the last laugh!

This is the last time I fly with these idiots, and as someone who flies worldwide on a regular basis, I'm looking for suggestions as to another carrier. I have one of those Avion Visa cards as well, so an air miles program is not necessary. I fly to the Western USA as well as China/Korea all the time, and have always used AC. NO MORE! Has anybody flown Horizon or Alaska airlines? Westjet is fine within Canada, but for US connections I need suggestions. Singapore Airlines is pretty swank as well. Sexy stuardesses who want to help you, not smoke-a-pack-a-day-and-take-pleasure-in-chargin-you-$2-for-a-blanket crusty old hags.

Oh yeah.....bitter old ticket lady who lost my passport: I hope you lead a lonely, bitter life with the only highlight being free flights on your company's 1928 747 with no functional seatbelts and headphones that don't work.

Yeesh.

[Jayems]

Whats your job?

[Dogbert]

I flew from Ottawa to Calgary during the weekend. My flight was supposed to leave Ottawa Int'l at 5:30 PM on Saturday. It left at 2:00 AM on Sunday.

Needless to say, I'll not be flying with them again.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Back in the day when I was a whore to consulting, I travelled enough I got (coughexpenszrrppprtcough) one of these to get me access to the ML lounges.

Air Canada Maple Leaf Club:

Enhance your overall travel experience... The Air Canada Maple Leaf Club card allows unlimited access to Air Canada's network of Maple Leaf Lounges, Air Canada's Arrivals Lounge in London Heathrow and selected affiliated lounges, as well as Priority Check-In services at all Air Canada handled airports.The Air Canada Maple Leaf Club card allows access when traveling on a departing Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, Star Alliance or Air Canada Codeshare flight.
Guest Policy:
No complimentary guest
Guests, $10/per person before 11:00 a.m.
Guests, $20/per person after 11:00 a.m.
Maple Leaf Club membership: $375 (CAD) per year

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelin.../maplelounges/

I think you can also buy passes on e-bay. Apparently Latitude Plus also gets you access to the lounge, which is pretty good.

Which is not the point I guess of your post - given the inconvience AC put you through, it would have been the nice thing for them to let you in to shower. Unfortunately, "nice" is something that doesn't exist in North American aviation anymore. If you think AC is bad, than you don't want to look at ANY US based airlines! Do a search on Alaska and I think they were busted for falsifying maintenance records. Horizon has some of the worst on time performance I think (might be the other way around).

I've even heard Singapore & Cathay service has slipped recently, all due to the changing reality of high fuel prices and civil aviation.

It's sad really. I'm old enough to remember when flying still had some glamour attached to it, instead of being draconian.

[STeeLy]

I had the same problem as well.

In November, I was on my way from Calgary to Hong Kong to visit my relatives. The Flight from Calgary to Vancouver was perfectly fine... Then the Vancouver - Hong Kong flight wasn't so pleasent. it is frigging JAM PACKED. Why? you ask... Because of the Star Alliance and the low demand to Thailand at the time... they put the Vancouver to Hong Kong along with those going from Vancouver to Thailand flight (Hong Kong transfer, same plane) together taking up absolutely every single seat possible.

Then return flight was even worse.
The Captain or First Officer of the Hong Kong - Toronto (Direct) was sick and couldn't fly... obviously no replacement pilots or anything... so they stuck them on the Hong Kong - Vancouver flight and they will transfer at Vancouver. That packed the plane up a little bit, then The Thailand thing once again! So some people who had seats on their plane had to change airlines and delayed their return. Then the Vancouver - Calgary flight was horrific. There was snow in both Vancouver and Calgary. The Hong Kong Flight was delayed as well, and some people connect to a 1:00 PM Vancouver - Calgary flight but the Hong Kong flight came in at like 12:30 and they couldn't get to that connector flight in time. So Air Canada decides to push them down to the 2:00 flight (which I was originally booked to get) and that flight was supposed to leave at 2:00 PM but first they had to switch aircrafts to accomodate a bigger mass (older 767 I believe) and they we had to sit in the plane for 3 friggin hours while they wait in line for de-icing. Really Screw Air Canada.

And Speaking of U.S. Airlines... I don't even wanna talk about them.

[FlamesAddiction]

What choice is there though?

I have had 2 really bad experiences with WestJet, and never a bad one with Air Canada.

It's a risk no matter what company it is.

[icarus]

All I can say is I am grateful that the Air Canada guy in Heathrow would let me catch another flight after I missed my actual flight to Calgary. (Well actually I arrived like 40 minutes before the flight and they wouldn't let me check in.)

[Indi]

I used to hate AC like everyone else....then I took a job transfer that rotates me out to the middle east every five weeks.....business class is something else on air canada...they treat a person like gold!....the pillows are still free, the port and cheese is a nice touch, but the best thing is the after dinner freshly baked cookies with hagen daaz ice cream......

[Incinerator]

Originally Posted by Indi

I used to hate AC like everyone else....then I took a job transfer that rotates me out to the middle east every five weeks.....business class is something else on air canada...they treat a person like gold!....the pillows are still free, the port and cheese is a nice touch, but the best thing is the after dinner freshly baked cookies with hagen daaz ice cream......

As with all (finer) things in life...you get what you (or your expense account) paid for.

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by Jayems

Whats your job?

I'm guessin' flight attendant

[Julio]

Things really depend on your chance experiences...for me, Westjet's name is mud. Went home and back before Christmas, and both flights were late with little or no explaination, the ground crew back home was just aweful, and the much heralded in seat TV kept blinking on and off for me both ways...next time I'll take AC...only time I didn't this time is my g'friend doesn't like to fly much, so instead of a smaller jet AC would have had us on we were on a 737.

[Cheese]

well tron...Im afraid your pooched....as bad as AC can be at times its still the best of the bunch.
Most of the American Airlines are arrogant, dirty, and usually packed and late. Id mark this latest trip to a bad day and try again. Then work at ensuring that you do get access if there is a next time. I personally have had one or two bad experiences on AC over 200? odd flights. Westjet is ok in Canada...but still not the best and getting to be the most expensive.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

and all I wanted was access to the Air Canada lounge after their (AC's) delays caused me to miss my connection. I didn't think it was a big deal.....

Yep. Back in 2001 (pre-9/11) I was coming back from Toronto. They asked for volunteers to take a later flight as they were overbooked. Nobody came forward. When I saw they were in a jam I said I'd take the later flight (they were offering a $300 voucher) if I could wait in the lounge. I had my laptop with me but needed power to run movies for 6 hours on it.

No go.

And I think that was the last time I flew AC. Westjet has always been awesome. Coming home from Grey Cup our flight was delayed because Vancouver had never seen snow before. Westjet turned on the TV's, and explained how bass-ackwards YVR's de-icing proceedures were.

[FurnaceFace]

I hear nothing but horror stories about Alaskan and this was coming from people who use them on a frequent basis. Always mechanical delays, never on time, etc.

I've flown NorthWest/Horizon from Calgary to Seattle and it's a prop plane so you likely don't want that. I've also flown Seattle to Narita (Tokyo) on NorthWest and they were good. Flight was packed but that's the way it works now, the era of half empty international flights is over.

I've had good luck with AA from Calgary to Dallas (and Brazil). On AA you'd likely need to transfer in Denver to hit Portland which would have similar potential for weather delays.

I've had good and bad on a number of airlines however, on the whole, AC seems less accomodating domestically and seem not to care to the same level as WJ.

[Gugstanley]

I use Delta most of the time since they have a hub in Salt Lake. You can access the west from Delta but you have that flight from Calgary to Salt lake before you can connect.
Had to fly America West the other day and they scare me so does Alaskan.

[MRCboicgy]

Well, I'm not the seasoned veteran of flying, but I do know several flight attendants :P I've flown AC, WJ, AA and Qantas--Qantas by far was amazing, but i liked AA as i've taken them alot. When my flight was delayed from the US they told me they would phone and get AC to hold my flight from toronto back home, I got there and the AC boarding agent was like "oh it's you" and let me on and the flight took off. I dunno if I was the reason, but for a guy sitting near the back, I felt important

[mykalberta]

Air Travel.

People who complain about the plane being late - a note: airlines are only obligated to get you to your destination within 24 hours (read the legal jargon on the ticket).

Also, the person travelling to HKG - what was so bad about the flight apart from the fact that ir was full (I must have missed something in the translation from English to English)?

Also, if you fly from Calgary to Vancouver for 100$ + tax or say Calgary to TO for $250 + tax -> you do realize that no sane buisness person would ever get involved with airlines correct.

Westjets average ppp is apprx 30-40 mil US with a 6.2% interest from ExIm bank (the best possible rate available). If the amortization on the aircraft is say 15 years do the math on the amount of profit you would have to make on each plane to simply recoup costs. Then you add fuel at 60$ /gallon - if fuel is 35% of the cost and the ticket prices havent gone up by more than 15% - whom do you think is eating that cost? Add to that exorbidant landing fees from Transport Canada who are PROFITING from airports (almost exact opposite in US as airports are not allowed to make a profit).

I have flown on the following airlines: WS, BA, AC, AA, UA, CO, AS, NW, Cathay, LH, QS (Qantas), RA (Ryan Air). Westjet on avearage is by far the best value for the trip. Yes there will always be headaches with every airline.

I have mixed feelings with AC, I have flown AA and CO to South America and both have been great for what I wanted them to do. BA is the only one I will travel to Europe after my last adventure from YVR-FRA-ATH (the YVR-FRA is the absolute worst time flying I have ever had - do people not discipline their kids anymore?).

If you fly Y and expect anything more than the Greyhound bus or at max the Red Arrow then I ask you why? Why are you expecting anything more than any other long range transportation option. Yes, Airlines are not as forthcoming about delays as they probably should be and I wonder why, in a culture that sues over hot coffee, or people that purposefully break for no reason on the Deerfoot only to be rear ended and then claim a "neck/back" injury (witnessed no less than 8 days ago) I wonder why corporations are reluctant to tell people anything more than they need to know?

I for one appluad anyone in the Airline management business as it is the last place I would ever park my future or money.

MYK

[Tron_fdc]

A quick update....I was late getting in last night because AC lost their pilots. Yeah, you read that right. They didn't know who was supposed to fly the plane, even though there was 2 pilots in 1st class taking the flight home. I did get a free rye and coke though, which ALMOST made up for the extra hour I spent on the runway.

I have always paid a little extra to fly AC in the past because of the whole trust factor (I have heard some pretty nasty aircraft maintenance stories on some of the other airlines), but I'm pretty sick of it now. Paying 6k for business class on AC vs 2k on Air China is worth the risk, especially considering the poor level of service I continually get from the AC staff. Mind you if I die a fiery death plummeting into the ocean because the turbine was held together with a seatbelt you all get to say I told you so.

[Eddie Bronze]

Since we already have a topic going here on air travel, I didn't want to start a new one, but I do have a question. I don't fly very often, once or twice a year presently, so I'm unaware of how the cost of a flight is determined and how it can change over the course of the year. I'm looking to book my Christmas vacation, just to go home and see family in NS, but the price is pretty high right now on WestJet and AirCanada. I'm wondering if those prices are so high right now because anyone who wants to guarantee their seat will have to do so at a higher price or if I should go ahead and get it now because the price could actually go up as the time nears. Anyone who has experience with that sort of thing, I would appreciate some info. Should I wait for a chance to save some or should I grab them now on the odds of them going even higher?

[CaramonLS]

I've always had problems with AC. I'm 6'4 and never have I been so uncomfortable on a flight as I have with Air Canada.

My knees are jammed into the back of the seat with absolutely no room to move, and if the person even attempts to move their chair back, It is absolute hell. I mean I don't think I am that far out of the height norm.

Westjet is my saving grace. They have plenty of leg room, comfortable seats, and their TV is great. Always have had great flights with them.