Air canada!

[sledneck_03]

My wife, our 5 month old and my brother in law spent 17 hours in the airport because of a flight delay!

Crazy ridiculous! They kept giving them times they were shooting for to fly all day so they couldnt leave and come back, just a bunch of false hope.

They were flying saskatoon to Toronto to see family and attend a wedding, as well as my wife was doing the brides hair so if there was any chance of a today flight over tomorrow she was going to take it. She was in the air port from 4 am for a 6 am flight, took them until 9pm to cancel it! They refunded her the ticket but i think something else as payment for missing a wedding, maybe last time she would see her grandmother and spending 17 hours in a airport worth?!??

anyone else deal with this? Good thing i wasnt there and my brother in law is very mellow cause if not i would have lost it and he was able to keep her calm.

 

[Nagzs]

Should email air canada and see what their response is. I've heard of people getting free flights even when delayed.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Should email air canada and see what their response is. I've heard of people getting free flights even when delayed.

Very true, try contacting some brass, deal with the calmly though. Very surprising the weren't trying to get another one off the ground. Knock on wood but can honestly say I have never had a problem with them or any other airline out there, I have heard some real horror stories though. Best of luck.

 

[Clode]

This is nothing new for air canada, a similar event happened to my parents, air canada did nothing to compensate for the delays....so now its only westjet for my family, last trip I was on westjet had plane problems and they put the whole flight up in a hotel, bought breakfast and paid cab fairs...thay also gave us a $100 gift card...westjet is a better way to go.

 

[adamg]

Because S&M is a balanced discussion forum, I will offer that the landing on yesterday morning's Winnipeg-Saskatoon flight was perhaps the best I've ever had on a commercial flight (and I fly a lot).

 

[Wilk INStheWEST]

Because S&M is a balanced discussion forum, I will offer that the landing on yesterday morning's Winnipeg-Saskatoon flight was perhaps the best I've ever had on a commercial flight (and I fly a lot).

Those computers are pretty awesome pilots! Granted, on a short haul like that I wouldn't expect the same automated system as you get on an inter-continental long haul. I'm pretty sure my Canadian North charter pilot, up to work this week, used to fly in the Navy. He slammed both landings down hard, like a carrier landing.
Air Canada has its share of issues, but I find if you deal with them in a very civil manner, they will treat you the same. I'm not too sure how I feel about the direction WestJet is going, with their changing of fare classes, and the new iPad rental crap, etc... Put a proper entertainment system in the seats, I never like the old TV system they had. It was only useful if you were flying in the evening and you could catch a game live. WestJet does have some very friendly staff though, I'll give them that.

 

[snopro]

I would walk before taking Air Canada. Westjet is the way to go.

 

[Shadam]

I prefer westjet ...

 

[maxwell]

Those computers are pretty awesome pilots! Granted, on a short haul like that I wouldn't expect the same automated system as you get on an inter-continental long haul. I'm pretty sure my Canadian North charter pilot, up to work this week, used to fly in the Navy. He slammed both landings down hard, like a carrier landing.
Air Canada has its share of issues, but I find if you deal with them in a very civil manner, they will treat you the same. I'm not too sure how I feel about the direction WestJet is going, with their changing of fare classes, and the new iPad rental crap, etc... Put a proper entertainment system in the seats, I never like the old TV system they had. It was only useful if you were flying in the evening and you could catch a game live. WestJet does have some very friendly staff though, I'll give them that.

Computers only work until shortly before flaring to land. The rest is up to the pilot. Hence why every landing is different. West jets fleet is new and has all the automated goodies even on the short hauls. But Canadian norths fleet is old and may not have those automated systems.


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[eclipse1966]

I fly a lot with many different carriers here in Canada and overseas. I can tell you Westjet has its fair share of issues as well as I have been subjected to them over the years. AC is not immune from them either. No airline is. AC has put me up in hotels, fed me etc etc due to delays so it is not only unique to Westjet. Frankly speaking, I am experiencing better service from AC and deteriorating service from westjet over the past several years. It is bound to happen when you get big and have to manage the bottom line. Just my 2 cents worth.

This is nothing new for air canada, a similar event happened to my parents, air canada did nothing to compensate for the delays....so now its only westjet for my family, last trip I was on westjet had plane problems and they put the whole flight up in a hotel, bought breakfast and paid cab fairs...thay also gave us a $100 gift card...westjet is a better way to go.

 

[Bogger]

WestJet is going down hill but still the better option... I WILL NOT fly air Canada, been stranded by cancelled flights with no make-up flight, they left it up to each individual to find a spot on a different already scheduled flight the next morning after sleeping on an airport bench. they would not let us off the plane after the cancellation until the Calgary police were on site to deal with pizzed off passengers...worst customer service experience of my life. this was a scheduling screw up, their own fault, not weather related.

Only time westjet has stranded me they provided hotel and meals & shuttle with a new flight in the am to accommodate all passengers and that was a weather delay

 

[Luke The Drifter]

I used to fly back and forth from fort Mac for work using both westjet and air canada for my flights. Westjet going to fort Mac and air canada back. I never had an issue with westjet but air canada is another story. Crappier planes, terrible service and I've almost had flights cancelled on me by them. Not cool when all you want to do is go home and get the hell outta fort Mac.

 

[btcowboy]

I have been flying from Van Isle to Ft Mac and return every 2 weeks for going on 3 years now. While AC can and does have their issues they are the only one I fly and have been put up in hotels and fed when they have had delays or cancellations. The only real complaint I have was last spring break the only seats left were executive class. I paid 2200 for the seat, well my company did. The flight out of the Mac was delayed and did leave until my flight from Edmonton was scheduled to leave. When we landed in Edmonton my plane was still there so ran up to the counter to board. She scanned my boarding pass and I headed down the ramp. She called me back that they had given away my seat and I was rebooked in 2 days. There was 8 people from Ft MA going to Van standing there. The other girl announces final call for 8 other people. I spoke up and said if you have away our seats for being late ( not our fault) then those 8 just lost their seats am we all get them. The AC staff agreed and gave us those seats. However I sat in economy even though I paid executive price. I felt small price to pay just to he home lol

 

[Wilk INStheWEST]

Computers only work until shortly before flaring to land. The rest is up to the pilot. Hence why every landing is different. West jets fleet is new and has all the automated goodies even on the short hauls. But Canadian norths fleet is old and may not have those automated systems.


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Canadian North's fleet being old is an understatement.
I was actually very confused how that Korean flight crashed in San Fran, because an A330 should have an automated approach system, which should have prevented them from being too low. Yes, the pilot still does have to flare and touch down, but they shouldn't have ever been that low to begin with. Anyway, that's a completely different topic.

I fly a lot with many different carriers here in Canada and overseas. I can tell you Westjet has its fair share of issues as well as I have been subjected to them over the years. AC is not immune from them either. No airline is. AC has put me up in hotels, fed me etc etc due to delays so it is not only unique to Westjet. Frankly speaking, I am experiencing better service from AC and deteriorating service from westjet over the past several years. It is bound to happen when you get big and have to manage the bottom line. Just my 2 cents worth.

Up until last year, I had done a bunch of overseas travel as well, and found the same thing with AC and WestJet changing places in the service department. So far, my favourite airline to travel with has been KLM, though I did have a great experience with South African Airlines, though I lucked out and got a very new plane, where most of their fleet is rather old. Air France, you get the exact service you would expect from the french.

 

[eclipse1966]

I agree KLM is great but I have to say Singapore Airlines is the best and Quantas not far behind. Lufthansa is low on the totem pole IMO

Canadian North's fleet being old is an understatement.
I was actually very confused how that Korean flight crashed in San Fran, because an A330 should have an automated approach system, which should have prevented them from being too low. Yes, the pilot still does have to flare and touch down, but they shouldn't have ever been that low to begin with. Anyway, that's a completely different topic.


Up until last year, I had done a bunch of overseas travel as well, and found the same thing with AC and WestJet changing places in the service department. So far, my favourite airline to travel with has been KLM, though I did have a great experience with South African Airlines, though I lucked out and got a very new plane, where most of their fleet is rather old. Air France, you get the exact service you would expect from the french.