• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Canadian: Air Passenger bill of rights [Merged]

a_majoor

Army.ca Legend
Inactive
Reaction score
35
Points
560
Considering the level of service that other government monopolies offer, this is not too surprising. Why it should be allowed to happen is a result of wrong headed policies and regulatory failure that allows such monopolies to exist unchallenged (who else flies international flights out of Ottawa?).

Action item; start writing your MP to complain about government monopolies (Air Canada, the CBC, Canada Post, etc.) and demand the market place be opened to allow competition and subsidies removed from these and other organizations.

http://www.doggerelparty.ca/2008/05/obligatory-post-vacation-air-canada.html

Obligatory Post Vacation Air Canada Rant

If you've flown Air Canada recently, skip this post, as doubtless you have experienced the joys of the world's worst international carrier first hand.

The majority of my previous Air Canada experience was a period of time when I was commuting between Ottawa and Toronto once or twice a week for about a year. Those kinds of flights are just non-events; no luggage, only an hour in the air, and you hardly notice anything after a while. Therefore, my first international Air Canada journey in years was something of a rude (literally) shock.

Doggerelle and the two small pups, (now 18 months and nearly 4) travelled alone on the opening leg of the great Doggerel Party trip. As such, it would have been nice if there had been someone around to help her with the stroller, the car seat, the luggage and the two kids, at least between the gate and immigration. We called twice to arrange this service at Heathrow for her, but it never materialised. On the plane, the flight attendants were swapping entrees over the heads of my wife and kids, and managed to drop the beef dinner into my wife's lap, scalding her legs. Thankfully nothing hit the children. They didn't even apologise.

When I called to book children's meals, the phone attendant keyed in the booking reference, found the file and then announced that since I booked through an agent, they would have to call and reserve the meals. He hung up on me.

Trying to organize help at the Ottawa end for her solo trip back, I was (finally) told that the Meet and Assist service no longer exists. Why was I not told this when I mistakenly thought I'd booked it on the outward flight? Nobody knows.

Flight back: no entertainment system. Everyone gets a compensation voucher. Go online to redeem.

So, back to Ottawa, again with a month's worth of luggage for the family, plus the car seat, stroller, etc. Only this time, they've broken the stroller; the catch that locks it in the unfolded position is missing. So, the trip from the gate gets interesting: 4 year old, toddler, car seat, useless stroller, three carry-on bags. Not bad for one woman to manage on her own eh? Help? No, no we don't do that at Air Canada. Bad for business.

[Contrast this with a similar experience on Varig at Sao Paulo... they lost our stroller, and wouldn't let us leave the aircraft door... the flight attendant got on the phone to the baggage guys on the tarmac; then the cabin director took over the phone. Off the aircraft came the first officer. Flight attendant tells him what's happened. He takes the phone. Stream of rude sounding Portuguese from first officer to baggage crew. Stroller restored.]

Off to the baggage counter. Air Canada Baggage Man inspects stroller, insists it's oversize and shouldn't have been carried. Notwithstanding it's just completed it's fifth flight of the trip. Finally he grudgingly types up a damage report. Call Air Canada claims, he tells her.

An aircraft tech standing nearby (God bless him) overhears and finally someone helps. "You can't leave her like that with no stroller,' he says and whips up a quick temporary repair with cable ties. Presumably he didn't work for Air Canada.

Call Air Canada Claims. "You should have left the stroller at the airport," we're told. "You're not supposed to remove damaged items from the airport." Why didn't Baggage Man mention this? "He must have been busy." Doggerelle was the only person there. What to do in the meantime, now that we have no stroller that can be safely used? Not Air Canada's problem.

So, either drive the stroller back to the Ottawa airport and wait for them to figure out what to do, or suck it up and buy a new one out of pocket. Not much of a choice, really.

What is new about all of this, is that there was nobody anywhere in Air Canada who cares. Normally you might find big corporations with lousy service, but the odd human being in there, who at least cares, who can at least on a personal level empathise with the passenger as they're screwing them. Who might take pity on a mother who is forced to move through the airport in relays, leaving one child standing as far ahead as sight permits, then returning to collect the other child and other things. Who might think offering amends for a scalding hot meal in the lap would be appropriate. Who might be pro-active enough to recognize leaving a mother without a stroller is simply not safe. But on the whole trip, across four Air Canada international flights, every single employee we encountered was uniformly surly, rude, aggressive and unhelpful. There's no good people left at Air Canada.

Final attempt: those vouchers. Good for 5% off a future flight. 5%? It's insulting.

Markets are based on choice, and for flying internationally from Ottawa Air Canada is the only convenient (direct) choice. But no matter whether I drive to Montreal or Toronto, or have to change planes twice in the US, my family will never, ever, fly Air Canada again. The choice might be inconvenient, but if we find a pleasant staff member with a helpful smile it will be worth it. Take your 5% and stick it up one of your employees.

Posted by Clive at 10:42 AM  

Luckily I live where I can go to Detroit Metro and choose a wide variety of airlines to go places (and save a huge amount of money). Not everyone has that option. Make a difference; write.
 
I have had a few Air Canada nightmares, but then again I've had a Canada 3000, Westjet, Air Transit, and Sky Service one too.  Air Canada is just consistently, and infamously terrible at customer service.   

I think we're forgetting the real Air Canada issue here.  Which is the hideous paint job the fleet was given.  I don't know if the baby blue is to make them, like camouflaged against the sky or what.  But it is quite hideous to look at it.

Best airline I ever flew was Lufthansa IMO.   
 
My personal favourite:  When Air Canada lost my carry-on baggage.  Or, once with a short connection where I had to clear customs (returning from the US), the helpful crew told me: "Gee, you won't make that connection."  (I did, by using the "Aircrew and Diplomats" line - the CBSA agent scolded me, I played innocent and pointed out that no one else was in the line, then said (with fingers crossed) that I wouldn't do it again).

Or even their unfortunate habit of abandonning luggage on the tarmac in Montreal for flights to Fredericton...

Singapore Airlines economy class is far beyond the quality of Air Canada business class... the trip back from Singapore was disappointing, since I had to switch from Singapore Airlines at LAX and resume on Air Canada - quite the letdown (and lost luggage, with the usual Air Canada attitude of "Well, it might show up sometime.  Oh, you have a connection?  Well then, let's slow things down even more...")
 
According to Air Canada, they never "lose" your luggage.  I believe the standard apology letter is something like:

"We regret to inform you that your luggage has flown to a different location." 

Implying of course that your luggage got up, subdued the loading crew with stealthy lethal precision, and jumped onto another flight.  ::)
 
I was going to Jamaica via Air Canada to Toronto, then Air Jamaica from there.
Air Canada delayed me from my 6 am flight (meaning I was at the airport at 4), a total of 4 times. Each time saying the plane had engine problems. My step-dad, who was a pilot for 30 years, and a general mechanic, was looking at the plane thru the window, and noticed ZERO work being done on it. His thought was that they were delaying the flights so that they could combine multiple flights and make more money. After the third 'delay' I was told I would be compensated if I missed my connection, surprise surprise, 4th delay, missed connection.
I go to the ticket counter to rebook for tomorrow and recieve my compensation. She rebooked for me (and was actually very nice and seemed sorry for the delays), I then asked about my compensation, completely shocked the lady behind the counter said she rebooked my flight for me for free. I politely explained to her that I had travel insurance that covered this, and it didn't take her more than 5 minutes to rebook it. I asked to speak to the manager. Manager comes out, completely unapologetic, hands me a voucher she tells me was good for anywhere in the airport, because it was now lunchtime. I take a look at the voucher and explode, it was for $3, I am now a flagged passenger on Air Canada, because I said "This is BS!", anyways, the folks at Air Jamaica were nice enough to print off the manager's report, which told a very different story, said I was abusive and threatening, even when offered "sufficient compensation".
Now whenever I absolutely have to fly Air Canada, I have to put up with an extra amount of BS, because my name is flagged.

Screw you Air Canada.
 
I came back from Afghanistan this spring and suprisingly lost my Valise off my rucksack on my flight home to NB.  I had not secured it well enough and it did not show with the rest of my luggage. To top it off, I had passed through some little airport in Montreal.  I desribed it to the best of my abilities when I reported it missing and wouldn't you know it, it turned up at my door two days later, hand delivered!!

I am suprised to hear horror stories like the one above and hope that it makes people realize that competition is a good thing.  They really don't have any reason to serve you "above and beyond" as you are a guaranteed customer, you have no other choice.

On a side note, I have never flown with Westjet but when I drove 12 hours with a Westjet pilot this spring hitchhiking across the country, he convinced me that they are good people.  I hope to try them out once they head East.
 
The only pleasant experience I had with Air Canada was when I flew from Toronto to Vancouver coming home from Tour. The fact that I was dressed in  arid CadPat is most likely the reason why.

I will not fly AC if given the choice.
 
I've actually had little trouble with Air Canada... But I've only ever flown with them once; Toronto to St. Lucia.  I don't like flying, so I generally just sleep, waking up long enough for crappy airline food (which doesn't seem to be different with any airline).  So, I can't say I noticed anything really bad that seems out of the normal.
There are things I didn't like; Food, lack of leg room...  But like I said, food is the same on just about all flights, and since I'm over 6ft. no seats are really made to fit...

But, poor customer service is a huge pet peeve for me.  So, much like submitting a UCR, I would strongly suggest submitting a complaint to Air Canada and the Better Business Bureau of Canada

The way most companies work is they weigh the difference in cost between improving their current system and giving a settlement which may subdue the complaint. For the most part, companies go with paying off the complaint, so if you complain individually and accept what they give you, you will get a "voucher"... But if enough people complain about the same service (or lack there of) or complain in a public forum (such as a news paper) and compel others to formally complain, you may not get a voucher, but the company may review their state of service.

Companies like Air Canada can, as I would imagine, afford to ignore individual complaints... And for the most part, could ignore a great deal of international flight complaints, as most of their revenue most likely comes from National flights.  So it may even be better to contact Canadian Transport Agency


As I've said; I haven't had any real issues with Air Canada, but I sure as hell can't stand it when companies treat people poorly... Sometimes these companies need to be reminded that people are their source for income and sometimes people need to remember that they don't have to tolerate poor service... It's all about competition.


 
I'm not a fan of Air Canada (or WestJet for that matter), but anyone who thinks Air Canada is bad, needs to take a couple of flights on a U.S. carrier via Chicago, New York or Miami. 

I should add, Toronto has some of its own issues regardless of carrier.  If you fly Air Canada out of many other airports, it's much nicer.


Matthew.  :salute:
 
Yea thats a good point, I just cant get over AC paint job!  The color scheme is far too hideous!  :crybaby:
 
Thucydides said:
Action item; start writing your MP to complain about government monopolies (Air Canada, the CBC, Canada Post, etc.) and demand the market place be opened to allow competition and subsidies removed from these and other organizations.

Air Canada is a private company; it hasn't been a Crown corporation since the 1990s.  Nor is it, broadly speaking, a monopoly (although it is the only game in town for a number of smaller airports).

(CBC also isn't a monopoly; there are all kinds of other radio and TV broadcasters in Canada.  Canada Post is a monopoly only in so far as flat-rate lettermail is concerned, and I don't think any other company in Canada would move an envelope from St. John's to Whitehorse for under a buck even if they were allowed.  For everything else they do, you can get Fedex or whoever instead if you prefer.)

None of that is to say that Air Canada is very good at running an airline, mind you, because I agree that they're not!

The first time I flew to Victoria fully half of the passengers on the last leg (Vancouver to Victoria) were luggageless on arrival.  My bag arrived at the duty officer's desk sometime in the small hours the next morning.  The next time I flew with them I managed to get everything I needed into a bag small enough to carry on.  Unfortunately so did a lot of other people, so finding a place to stick everything was a challenge.

VIA Rail is slow in comparison, but so much more pleasant.
 
You cant avoid travelling Air Canada for some trips.  They are, unfortunately, still the dominant airline with the greatest coverage across Canada (under their main line and subsudiary smaller branches), at least until Westjet takes over. 

I take it for granted on every trip with them nowadays that something will get damaged or go missing (as something has gone missing or got broken on every trip in the past) and end up packing accordingly...

 
 
Air Canada has been consistently terrible every single time I've flown with them. On a flight from Montreal to Edmonton, several onboard speakers were emitting some sort of loud buzzing noise. None of the AC personnel had any idea what it was, and when I informed them that it was preventing me from sleeping, they suggest that I bring earplugs next time. Then they ran out of complimentary beverages.

Best flight ever? Flying from Montreal to Wemindji, QC for an exercise aboard Air Creebec. Pros all the way.
 
OK, I have to jump in here.

I fly maybe eight or nine times a year our of Fredericton, traveling to Valcartier, Petawawa and Edmonton.  I fly Jazz, and if I'm going to Edmonton, then I go Air Canada.

I book my own flights, and I don't know if it is because of the staff at Fredericton or not, I have never had a major problem in the last seven years I've been traveling.  The only time my baggage didn't show up, it was turfed for priority baggage.  One of our own, complete with escort, in a coffin.  I certainly wasn't going to complain about that, and neither was anyone on the aircraft.

Oh, occasionally there will be a delayed flight, due to weather or mechanical breakdown.  It happens with any airline, even our very own Argus and 707's weren't always on time!

Mind you, I don't travel with small children, or with strollers, but I do always have checked baggage.

Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones, or maybe they like my charm and good looks (or they take pity on me for the way I look), but I really can't complain about Air Canada.....
 
Lance Wiebe said:
OK, I have to jump in here.

I fly maybe eight or nine times a year our of Fredericton, traveling to Valcartier, Petawawa and Edmonton.  I fly Jazz, and if I'm going to Edmonton, then I go Air Canada.

...

Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones, or maybe they like my charm and good looks (or they take pity on me for the way I look), but I really can't complain about Air Canada.....

Or perhaps it's because you're their best customer?? There are only 8 or 9 flights a year out of Freddy after all ...  >:D

Kidding ... you're lucky. I've had problems out of Freddy on Air Canada.
 
MedTechStudent said:
Yea thats a good point, I just cant get over AC paint job!  The color scheme is far too hideous!   :crybaby:

And expensive too. I heard they they overloaded the paint so much that it adds extra weight to the plane, which in turn costs more fuel.  ;)
 
I've had little trouble flying with Air Canada. Never lost any luggage with them, but I find their customer service agents and their flight attendants are jaded and rude.
I've flown with LIAT, Solomon Airlines, Air Vanuatu, Lufthansa and Air New Zealand. I would have to say that Air NZ was the best I've flown with followed by Lufthansa.
 
I'm knocking on wood here, but so far I've been happy with Air Canada... or at least reasonably so.  I was flying business class to Colombia, though, and felt very overlooked by all but the male flight attendant (the only Spanish speaker - he was dealing with the coach cabin).  The surly older women didn't even take my dinner order, didn't offer to take my jacket, etc. etc.  All of which should be par for the course in business.

I just hate how they don't apologize.  They were blaming a delay in a Houston - Calgary flight on "bad weather" while my travel agent said that the flight was delayed due to mechanical difficulties.  The difference?  If it's weather they don't have to compensate you or put you up for the night if the plane doesn't come in.  None of the ground staff offered an apology (my second run in with Houston ground staff).

But I've also had awful experiences with other airlines.  I had a terrible Tokyo - Washington DC flight on ANA (switched to middle seat, middle section after being given the requested aisle seat, rude service, etc.).  At Christmas, flying Westjet from Calgary they announced that there was a missing flight attendant and that they could only seat the first x number of passengers and could only go with those passengers unless she showed up soon, due to safety regulations.  Then the whole flight smelled like wet animal and urine.

So it's not just Air Canada that is awful.  Some of their new planes (the embrear's, for example) are comfortable and I love to fly them.  Also lots of foot room compared to the same route on a United plane.
 
I dread Air Canada, but its the only choice pretty much for me. Crap entertainment on the TV thing, average food, and what I consider old dirty interiors of their planes.

I rate them equal to Air Uganda or Air China. Aeroflot even sounds better

I will be flying Brisbane to Vancouver again soon, then Van to Regina. Not looking forward to it at all.
 
Wes:  Sing Air to some US destination, then connect to AC.  Much more civilized (and a Star Alliance partner, so you can gather more Aeroplan points if you want).  Just avoid international arrivals at LAX.  Believe me, the gates of hell are better organized, and probably less painful...
 
Back
Top