Lesson learned – NEVER fly with Air Canada again!!
The fact it's called "Air Canada" really embarrasses all our Canadians. If a foreigner experienced these kind of serviced, what kind of impression would they have about Canadians? Either brand new management comes in and take over, or the company go bankrupt and stops embarrassing Canada in the international airline industry!!

Here is my complain email to AC

First incident – I arrived at the airport at 7:10am and approached an Air Canada agent. At the time she was walking towards the weight scale to check the weight for a piece of luggage for another customer. I asked her politely if could check in for my flight, she said exactly "you missed the boarding time, the cut off is at 7:00". I replied "it's 7:15 now, could you check if the plane is still boarding please?" She said "No you missed the boarding time, you have to call Air Canada and reserve for a later flight." Then, she give me the number for reservation with a terrible attitude and temper. I thought I really missed the flight and sat in the chairs across the room from the check-in counter and called Air Canada reservation, thinking to myself "now I have to drag all 4 pieces of my luggages and backpacks back home and spend another $30 on taxi to get to the airport again. Or might have to stay at the airport until tomorrow morning". After waiting on the phone for about 5 minutes, I saw a girl running towards the check-in counter. I wondered if she is checking in for the same flight. I approached her quickly after she checked-in and she said she is on my flight! Out of this incidence, three things that I find extremely unacceptable. First, I was sitting right across the room from the check-in counter, the agent definitely saw me sitting on the chair and calling Air Canada. She should have approached me and told me that I can still check-in for my flight, but she didn't. Second, after she checked me in for the flight, I saw her checking in another two customers for the same flight. This means that I was definitely not late for the boarding time. Third, although on my flight ticket, it says the boarding time is 6:55 (refer to attached file), I did my due diligence to make sure that I will not be late for the flight by calling the airport in advance, and I was ensured that the flight will be delayed for about 30 minutes. As it turned out, my flight was scheduled to depart at 7:30am, but it did not depart until 8:30am.

Second incident – After checking-in, I went to security check point. One of my carry-on bag was overweight, so I went back to the check-in counter to pay for the extra luggage. (This time it is the another agent who helped me. Note that there were two female agents who served at the Air Canada check-in counters at the time). I said exactly "one of my carry-on luggage is overweighted, I don't mind paying for extra", she said "then throw everything out!" She was getting mad at me for no particular reason, so I said "I beg your pardon", she replied "if you don't want to pay for extra, then throw everything out". I said "you heard me wrong, I said 'I don't mind' pay for extra". Then she didn't apologize at all and said "put it on the belt".

So many bad experiences, so much bad customer service. Sometimes I'll go back because I feel some sort of loyalty to our national carrier. After all, it's good to have a Canadian airline flying around the world, right? And I go back, like a wife to her abusive husband, remembering only the good things through a veil of nostalgia. And the trust is broken again, and again, and again.

Add me to the list as well, afer an Executive-Class trip to Punta Cana last year that could not even supply blankets and/or pillows to the hand-full of Executive-Class passengers, but did have some for sale to the coach passengers. Add to the insult by instead allowing us to use the complimentary newspapers as blankets, and 45 minute waits to respond to service call for a hot cup of tea (the attendants were all busy selling duty-free items!). When service was offered, the service was condecending & rude. A five hour layover in Calgary forced us to nap on benches as there really was no point in trying to get a hotel room with such a short lay-over. Even access to the Air Canada lounge was denied us as they close that at midnight.

Air Canada Vacations refused to compensate us as they are not responsible for any actions of their contracted carriers. Air Canada acknowledged our concerns and admitted they fell way short of the expected norms and offerred a one-time discount for a future SCHEDULED flight, that does not apply to packaged vacations. Since we only do vacation travel, this offer is less than worthless.

Lesson learned is to NEVER again fly Air Canada or their affiliated subsiduaries ever agian if at all possible. Customer satisfaction and loyality obviously are not their prime concern.

Good news for Air Transat, Signature, & WestJet Vacations !!

I have a question for you. I used to work for Air Canada Cargo as their exclusive graphic designer during the period 1996 to 2001 under Claude Morin.

Here is my question: my nine-year-old son lives in Osaka, Japan, with my ex-wife. I used to be able to fly to Vancouver direct, then to Osaka direct.

Now no one but Northwest/Delta flies from Canada to Osaka, except through byzantine and circuitous routes.

When I used to fly from Vancouver to Osaka with Air Canada, the capacity was almost always 90-100%.

Why on Earth would you stop service from Vancouver to Osaka? Even once a week, it would be standing room only. I have to fly to Osaka from Montreal twice a year now, and I’ve had to completely abandon Air Canada. Do you really think I want to fly Delta? Don’t you want my $5,000 per trip?

I just would like to know the reason you don’t fly to Osaka, unless it’s exorbitant landing fees. You fly to Tokyo, don’t you? What could possibly be the difference of, say, 600 additional miles? There certainly can be no lack of demand. Osaka is Japan’s second-biggest city, and don’t you think they want to come to Canada too? It’s like saying, “Let’s drop YUL_SFO because SFO is too much bother, let’s just do YUL_LAX because it’s bigger.”

Now I have to board Delta, go to Minneapolis, then Seattle, then Osaka. That’s patently ridiculous. Why, as a Canadian citizen, should I be made to go through American customs and immigration just for passing through? And extending my trip another ten exhausting hours with an equally-exhausted 9-year-old son in tow?

You have a very nice airline, Mr. Rovinescu, an airline I had absolute loyalty to, that I worked for for five years, and I want to travel on it.

Once a week, it’s all I ask. I know you’re in the black with all the cutbacks, and now your planes are at 80+% capacity.

So why not consider my request of reinstituting the YVR_KIX route? You’d be doing a desperate father a very, very big favor.

Yours sincerely,

Nicholas Robinson