Confessions of a YYC Travel Junkie

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Any possibility of a price war on these routes?

They're monopoly routes, so, no.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by butterfly

They're monopoly routes, so, no.

If they’re monopoly routes how come there are no stops at Marvin Gardens or Park Place?

[Wormius]

If middle names are optional when booking a flight, why not just eliminate it from the booking portion altogether? Especially if there are length limitations prevent it from being entered fully.

Is the API the only thing that matters that needs to match the ID?

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Wormius

If middle names are optional when booking a flight, why not just eliminate it from the booking portion altogether? Especially if there are length limitations prevent it from being entered fully.

Is the API the only thing that matters that needs to match the ID?

Usually required for passport control, if applicable to an itinerary.

I believe that the TSA requirement is that the name on the ID presented must exactly match the name of the ticketed passenger. Sometimes you can run into an agent who will enforce it and potentially deny boarding.

Also can help some families manage itineraries where a child and parent may share the same first and last name.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Usually required for passport control, if applicable to an itinerary.

I believe that the TSA requirement is that the name on the ID presented must exactly match the name of the ticketed passenger. Sometimes you can run into an agent who will enforce it and potentially deny boarding.

Also can help some families manage itineraries where a child and parent may share the same first and last name.

Yeah, that's the thing. We have one kid with too long of a middle name to enter into Westjet's booking system. So leave it off all together or truncate it ourselves and potentially make a bigger mess of it. It seems like if the passport matches API data and the ticket is associated with the correct passport number, then what's the problem?

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Yeah, that's the thing. We have one kid with too long of a middle name to enter into Westjet's booking system. So leave it off all together or truncate it ourselves and potentially make a bigger mess of it. It seems like if the passport matches API data and the ticket is associated with the correct passport number, then what's the problem?

Ouch. Yeah, that's a good question and very short-sighted of WS to limit the length of that field so much. I guess I'd lean toward using a middle initial, but don't hold me to that.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Ouch. Yeah, that's a good question and very short-sighted of WS to limit the length of that field so much. I guess I'd lean toward using a middle initial, but don't hold me to that.

*actually not limited that much, he has 2 middle names, our bad. I regret it.

Heh. That's the 3rd option I have heard.

Me: I can't enter the whole middle name in the box.
Westjet Twitter Centre Guy: Leave it out.
Me: Doesn't it need to match the passport?
Westjet Twitter Centre: Call the toll-free number.

Me (on phone): Hi. What do I do if I can't enter the full middle name in?
Westjet Call Centre Agent: "If it's two middle names, just leave the first name, or leave it out altogether. The only country we see that requires it is Jamaica".

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Wormius

*actually not limited that much, he has 2 middle names, our bad. I regret it.

Heh. That's the 3rd option I have heard.

Me: I can't enter the whole middle name in the box.
Westjet Twitter Centre Guy: Leave it out.
Me: Doesn't it need to match the passport?
Westjet Twitter Centre: Call the toll-free number.

Me (on phone): Hi. What do I do if I can't enter the full middle name in?
Westjet Call Centre Agent: "If it's two middle names, just leave the first name, or leave it out altogether. The only country we see that requires it is Jamaica".

It makes more sense now. After I responded to you, I really wanted to ask how many letters were in the middle name!

My first name is 7, middle name is 7, and last name is 6. The way the boarding pass always prints out is Last6/First7Middle5, so the last two letters of my middle name are actually truncated on all printed boarding passes. I'm sure it doesn't really matter because the data is already in the appropriate systems, but it looks funny.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by butterfly

It makes more sense now. After I responded to you, I really wanted to ask how many letters were in the middle name!

My first name is 7, middle name is 7, and last name is 6. The way the boarding pass always prints out is Last6/First7Middle5, so the last two letters of my middle name are actually truncated on all printed boarding passes. I'm sure it doesn't really matter because the data is already in the appropriate systems, but it looks funny.

I just find it very disconcerting when on some airlines, the name information on the itineraries and confirmation emails was truncated - especially when they all seem different: KLM was fine; ANA truncated one letter; Westjet would truncate 2 letters; Air Canada doesn't truncate anything.

I am strongly recommending my children drop a middle name when they can. We never really thought about the implications of international flight.

[CASe333]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I just find it very disconcerting when on some airlines, the name information on the itineraries and confirmation emails was truncated - especially when they all seem different: KLM was fine; ANA truncated one letter; Westjet would truncate 2 letters; Air Canada doesn't truncate anything.

I am strongly recommending my children drop a middle name when they can. We never really thought about the implications of international flight.

I'm not sure why you think middle names are ever required for tickets? Just ignore it, its not required.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by CASe333

I'm not sure why you think middle names are ever required for tickets? Just ignore it, its not required.

It's just the whole "must exactly match government id" requirement, and the Canadian passport doesn't differentiate between your first name and any middle names, so it just raises unnecessary confusion/anxiety. Especially when if it has to match, why is one field listed as optional?

Now, if the whole purpose is to avoid mistaking your from somebody on a DNF list with a same name, I am probably not at risk of that, but there was a story that made the news a few years ago about some people being denied board on a WOW flight to Iceland because they omitted their middle names from reservations. There is some controversy around that though.

I did check a bunch of old stuff airline reservations, and it seems like I was inconsistent at best with what names I entered for family trips.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I just find it very disconcerting when on some airlines, the name information on the itineraries and confirmation emails was truncated - especially when they all seem different: KLM was fine; ANA truncated one letter; Westjet would truncate 2 letters; Air Canada doesn't truncate anything.

I am strongly recommending my children drop a middle name when they can. We never really thought about the implications of international flight.

I just tried to sign up for a dummy WestJet account and the maximum name lengths are:

First: 20 characters
Middle: 15 characters
Last: 30 characters

Some data architect seriously drew that up once upon a time.

I tried the same thing on Delta and the maximum is some number above 104 characters for all three. (Repeated the alphabet four times and it kept letting me type). I wonder what happens in WestJet's system when someone with a long name purchases a Delta marketed, WestJet operated flight.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Wormius

*actually not limited that much, he has 2 middle names, our bad. I regret it.

Heh. That's the 3rd option I have heard.

Me: I can't enter the whole middle name in the box.
Westjet Twitter Centre Guy: Leave it out.
Me: Doesn't it need to match the passport?
Westjet Twitter Centre: Call the toll-free number.

Me (on phone): Hi. What do I do if I can't enter the full middle name in?
Westjet Call Centre Agent: "If it's two middle names, just leave the first name, or leave it out altogether. The only country we see that requires it is Jamaica".

I hope Jarome Iginla doesn't ever have to fly to Jamaica!

I never put my middle name in and have never had an issue. I had a friend once whose flight was booked with his name (let's say John Doe) but on his passport his name was John Doe II and he had to get a new ticket issued at the airport. I felt that was excessive (it was an Air Canada flight).

[bizaro86]

Air Canada is shutting down Saskatoon and Regina flights from Calgary, ceding thr market to westjet.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Air Canada is shutting down Saskatoon and Regina flights from Calgary, ceding thr market to westjet.

Ouch. I've only flown AC once on those routes (WS the remainder) but it's still nice to have options.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Air Canada is shutting down Saskatoon and Regina flights from Calgary, ceding thr market to westjet.

Permanent? Or is this a temporary adjustment due to Jazz being stretched thin and almost breaking right now?

I'd guess temporary until they can get there stuff sorted, AC no doubt funnels some of those domestic passengers onto transborder and the Frankfurt and London flights.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Permanent? Or is this a temporary adjustment due to Jazz being stretched thin and almost breaking right now?

I'd guess temporary until they can get there stuff sorted, AC no doubt funnels some of those domestic passengers onto transborder and the Frankfurt and London flights.

From CTV News in Saskatoon. They do say suspend which leaves the door open to return but focusing on their three hubs doesn't sound encouraging either. At least short term.

In a statement to CTV News the airline provider said “Air Canada has made some changes to its flights to/from Calgary. We are continuing to rebuild our business in a prudent and disciplined way and that means looking at every aspect of our network and deploying our resources where they will be most productive. After careful review, we've decided that we must continue to strategically focus on rebuilding our main hubs of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to suspend a number of regional routes from Calgary effective Jan. 2023.”

https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/air-can...ewan-1.6183885

[Bigtime]

Yeah this has to be due to the mess that Jazz is in, using the term suspend makes me believe that even more.

[Amethyst]

Hopefully temporary. I fly that route a few times a year and don't like the idea of being stuck with only WestJet as an option.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Permanent? Or is this a temporary adjustment due to Jazz being stretched thin and almost breaking right now?

I'd guess temporary until they can get there stuff sorted, AC no doubt funnels some of those domestic passengers onto transborder and the Frankfurt and London flights.

They can still go to all the American destinations connecting elsewhere, Frankfurt/London in YYZ.

Most annoying would be O&D traffic between Saskatchewan and Alberta, which now requires a connection and in some cases a double connection. They sure appear to have ceded that to WS.