Air (or Error?) Canada. Our National Carrier…

[Ron in Regina]

In 2003, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection and in the following year emerged and reorganized under the holding company ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. In 2017, Air Canada flew 48 million passengers, as the airline celebrated its 80th anniversary. In October 2021, the Government of Canada acquired 6.4% of Air Canada, and has not ruled out further investment.

Air Canada - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Passengers aren’t the only ones complaining about Air Canada’s decision to stop flying from Saskatchewan cities to Calgary.

In a letter Wednesday to Air Canada brass, Economic Development Regina president and CEO Chris Lane raised the organization’s concerns about the move.

“It is with disappointment we learned of Air Canada’s decision to suspend direct flights between Regina and Calgary, effectively tripling the travel time between the two centres,” Lane wrote. “As one of Canada’s fastest-growing economies and population areas, the need for connectivity and the opportunity it presents for airlines is as necessary as it is mutually beneficial.”

The airline is eliminating flights from Regina and Saskatoon to Calgary starting Jan. 16, as it has decided to focus on its main hubs of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

For Regina and Saskatoon, Air Canada flights to and from Toronto and Vancouver will continue.

Lane pointed to the major companies that call Regina home — including Viterra, Farm Credit Canada, Brandt, AGT Foods and The Mosaic Company — and the investment they’re making in the city. As well, he mentioned Canadian Western Agribition and Canada’s Farm Show and the international visitors those shows attract to Regina.

“Consider too, that direct connection to Calgary is not only a gateway to Alberta but also it is the most effective and efficient way for Regina travellers to access Air Canada’s Star Alliance and code share partners — and for international travellers to access Regina in return,” Lane wrote.

‘Ill-considered:’ Economic Development Regina CEO reacts to Air Canada decision

Passengers aren't the only ones complaining about Air Canada's decision to stop flying from Saskatchewan citie...

www.cjme.com

“We are disappointed, but not surprised, that Air Canada has cut direct flights from Regina and Saskatoon to Calgary given that the airline is reducing the size of their Calgary hub and has cut many flights to other Alberta and B.C. communities,” Harrison wrote.

How many times, as Canadians, have we bailed out Air Canada? They went bankrupt in 2003 with taxpayer restructuring, and got another $100,000,000.00 taxpayer dollars (on April Fools Day) in 2008…

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1719700245

….then COVID$$$, and now this?

 

[Serryah]

IMO - and I used to fly AC quite often in my 20's - it's long past it's due to either be taken over and become part of a group of airlines that offer air travel in Canada, or just be gone period. AC still rules the roost when it comes to flying for the most part, and it's getting ridiculous. Throw in their other problems and time to just end their - and our - suffering.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Used them when I had to. Would use West-Jet when reasonably comparable. I hear you.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Capacity in the third quarter will be up about 131 per cent from the 2021 period, Air Canada said Tuesday. For all of 2022, capacity will increase about 150 per cent from last year’s levels. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization should reach about eight to 11 per cent of revenue, the company said.

Service issues at other players in the air transport supply chain are unlikely to hamper Air Canada’s efforts to boost capacity to pre-pandemic levels, Rousseau insisted.

“We don’t see much risk at all,” he said. “We are working very, very closely with all those partners, and we know they’re deeply engaged and deeply committed to restoring collectively the same service level that we had at least for 2019, if not an improvement.”

So far, at least, Air Canada isn’t seeing any impacts of a possible economic slowdown, chief commercial officer Lucie Guillemette said. Bookings going into the fourth quarter are strong, she added.

“We’re not seeing any evidence in our advance bookings that there’s a slowdown coming,” Rousseau said. “We’ve run recession scenarios, mild recession scenarios, and we’re quite comfortable with our plan.”

“Go Team! Air Canada” and then whoops…

'Not business as usual': Air Canada apologizes to travellers for 'challenges'

As travel demand roars back, Montreal and Toronto airports have often topped flight delay lists. Air Canada notes it's not the only airline having trouble.

montrealgazette.com

 

[Serryah]

Used them when I had to. Would use West-Jet when reasonably comparable. I hear you.

My first and only West Jet ride was to Moncton to Hamilton to Winnipeg; enjoyable flight really and the stewards were funny. Don't get that on AC.

 

[spaminator]

scair canada.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Someone should do something about the travel chaos: Inside the transport minister's thoughts — National Post

Dear Diary: Someone really should do something about these transportation issues. Maybe the army?... I can’t help too much, obviously. 'Arm’s length' and all that

apple.news

 

[Dixie Cup]

In 2003, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection and in the following year emerged and reorganized under the holding company ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. In 2017, Air Canada flew 48 million passengers, as the airline celebrated its 80th anniversary. In October 2021, the Government of Canada acquired 6.4% of Air Canada, and has not ruled out further investment.

Air Canada - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Passengers aren’t the only ones complaining about Air Canada’s decision to stop flying from Saskatchewan cities to Calgary.

In a letter Wednesday to Air Canada brass, Economic Development Regina president and CEO Chris Lane raised the organization’s concerns about the move.

“It is with disappointment we learned of Air Canada’s decision to suspend direct flights between Regina and Calgary, effectively tripling the travel time between the two centres,” Lane wrote. “As one of Canada’s fastest-growing economies and population areas, the need for connectivity and the opportunity it presents for airlines is as necessary as it is mutually beneficial.”

The airline is eliminating flights from Regina and Saskatoon to Calgary starting Jan. 16, as it has decided to focus on its main hubs of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

For Regina and Saskatoon, Air Canada flights to and from Toronto and Vancouver will continue.

Lane pointed to the major companies that call Regina home — including Viterra, Farm Credit Canada, Brandt, AGT Foods and The Mosaic Company — and the investment they’re making in the city. As well, he mentioned Canadian Western Agribition and Canada’s Farm Show and the international visitors those shows attract to Regina.

“Consider too, that direct connection to Calgary is not only a gateway to Alberta but also it is the most effective and efficient way for Regina travellers to access Air Canada’s Star Alliance and code share partners — and for international travellers to access Regina in return,” Lane wrote.

‘Ill-considered:’ Economic Development Regina CEO reacts to Air Canada decision

Passengers aren't the only ones complaining about Air Canada's decision to stop flying from Saskatchewan citie...

www.cjme.com

“We are disappointed, but not surprised, that Air Canada has cut direct flights from Regina and Saskatoon to Calgary given that the airline is reducing the size of their Calgary hub and has cut many flights to other Alberta and B.C. communities,” Harrison wrote.

How many times, as Canadians, have we bailed out Air Canada? They went bankrupt in 2003 with taxpayer restructuring, and got another $100,000,000.00 taxpayer dollars (on April Fools Day) in 2008…

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1719700245

….then COVID$$$, and now this?

When I was booking a flight to Winnipeg, I noted that there was only one way to get there without having multiple stops. There was a flight where I would go from Edmonton to Vancouver than from Vancouver to Winnipeg. WTF??

I did get a flight with a stop from Edmonton to Regina before heading for Winnipeg. This now makes sense to the alternative flight I was viewing - why go west to go east? Stupid or what? Now I know.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

When I was booking a flight to Winnipeg, I noted that there was only one way to get there without having multiple stops. There was a flight where I would go from Edmonton to Vancouver than from Vancouver to Winnipeg. WTF??

I did get a flight with a stop from Edmonton to Regina before heading for Winnipeg. This now makes sense to the alternative flight I was viewing - why go west to go east? Stupid or what? Now I know.

"We hub outta Atlanta."

An airline flight agent who suggested, when I wanted to go from Washington to Columbus, Ohio, that I might want to connect in Atlanta rather than Pittsburgh.

 

[petros]

The Great Reset You'll stay home and like it.


somebody doesn't want you to travel.

 

[Jinentonix]

The Great Reset You'll stay home and like it.


somebody doesn't want you to travel.

Or eat, or own your own home, or live.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Ivison: Transport Minister Omar Alghabra defends Canada's air industry plan in wake of flight chaos — National Post

Alghabra said he plans to strengthen passenger protection rules, but laying the blame on enforcement is 'debatable'

apple.news

The president of Sunwing Airlines, which left hundreds of Canadians stranded in Mexico and cancelled all flights to Saskatchewan over Christmas, apologized Thursday and acknowledged the airlines failed.

“The bottom line is, we know we could have done better, said Len Corrado.

Transport minister says he's not responsible for weather or Sunwing's 'bad decisions' — National Post

Omar Alghabra defends not personally calling airlines during travel chaos over Christmas

apple.news

Corrado apologized for having “failed to deliver to the level that we had expected and that Canadians had expected from us over this holiday season.”

He blamed the issues on massive winter storms across the country, which “included the virtual shutdown of Vancouver’s airport, and caused major delays in Ontario and Quebec,” airport infrastructure issues, and the denial of an application to bring in 63 foreign pilots, who would have been based in Regina and Saskatoon. Huh…this is new…

Strahl asked Sunwing why the airline kept booking flights when it didn’t have the pilots.

Corrado answered the company “had a certain amount of assurances from our legal team” that its application to bring in foreign pilots would be successful. Once it learned that wasn’t the case, it rebuilt its schedule but then hit further problems because of the storms.

Bachrach also questioned Air Canada executives about the case of passengers on one plane who were stuck on the tarmac for 11 hours, despite regulations that set a time limit of just under four hours. Kevin O’Connor, vice-president of system operations control at Air Canada, responded that there was no way to safely take the passengers back to a gate. “The airport could not keep up with proper apron clearing. Employees could not tow aircraft. We could not disembark using air stairs onto an open surface and transport the passengers to the terminal,” he said.

“Nobody wanted us to have customers on board for 11 hours.”

Bacharach responded he was “somewhat disturbed to hear that there was no plan to safely get those passengers off the plane.”

 

[petros]

Climate change..

 

[Ron in Regina]

Class action proposed for Sunwing customers

Thousands of people across the country have been dealing with cancelled flights, hours and days at airports an...

www.cjme.com

Passenger rights advocate offers tips on what to do after being stranded by Sunwing

The drama surrounding Sunwing continues, as many travellers have been stranded in tropical destinations withou...

www.cjme.com

Lukacs recommends suing Sunwing in small claims court instead of filing a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency, which currently has a backlog of more than 13,000 complaints.

“(The agency) has a track record of being biased against passengers in the airline’s favour,” he said. “They are not independent (and are) not impartial.”

Now, a well-known Regina lawyer’s firm is putting together a class action against the airline.

Merchant said there could be as many as 10,000 people from across Canada affected who could join the class action his firm is proposing, including 5,000 from Saskatchewan alone. He said because all flights in Saskatchewan are cancelled for a time, it’s been hardest hit.

 

[petros]

Good idea. Bankrupt Scumwing and then nobody can have a vacation.

 

[Ron in Regina]

On Tuesday, the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce called on Competition Commissioner Matthew Boswell to investigate the service cancellations and their impact on travellers’ choices and costs. The group urged Mr. Boswell to find out if the airlines broke the law by effectively agreeing to divide the Canadian airline market between them.

Air Canada told local media in December that the cancellation of the Saskatchewan-Calgary flights was part of its “prudent and disciplined” efforts to focus on its main hubs – Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

“Air Canada strongly rejects any allegations of anti-competitive conduct, and even after these route changes, remains a strong competitor across Canada including in Saskatchewan,” the airline said in an e-mail.

In June, WestJet said it would focus more on Western Canada and reduce its Eastern Canadian schedule, including the competitive Toronto-Montreal route, as it emerged from the pandemic. “We think that the West has more room for growth for us than the East,” chief executive Alexis von Hoensbroech told The Globe and Mail at the time.

The Saskatoon business group said Air Canada’s cancellation of twice-daily flights to Calgary has spurred WestJet to increase its airfares by hundreds of dollars. The loss of Air Canada flights to Calgary has also made it much harder for Saskatchewan businesses to reach other cities in North America and around the world.

Competition Bureau asked to examine Air Canada, WestJet over changes to regional service

Air Canada and WestJet rejected the suggestion that they had conspired with one another

www.theglobeandmail.com

Air Canada and WestJet rejected the suggestion that they had conspired with one another.

 

[petros]

Is this really the doings of the airlines?

Something isnt right about all this.

 

[Ron in Regina]

A newlywed couple from Cambridge, Ont. waited months to get their lost luggage back, only to discover it had been allegedly donated to charity by Air Canada. But can an airline legally give your bag away if it's reported missing?

Nakita Rees and her husband had travelled to Italy and Greece for their honeymoon in September. But when they returned home, one of their three suitcases didn’t make it back from Montreal to Toronto.

Thanks to an AirTag that was inside, Rees tracked the missing luggage to still be in Montreal. A month later, the couple saw its location move, down a highway, and end up at a storage facility in Etobicoke, where it stayed for the last three months.

“My husband's luggage did not return back from Montreal to Toronto, mine did, and his didn’t,” Rees said. “We’re still in the ongoing process now. It’s coming on four and a half months.”

Rees told CTV News Kitchener they reported the incident to Toronto police, who, over the weekend, informed her a charity organization contracted by Air Canada had lawfully obtained the bag after it wasn’t claimed.

Rees said police told her they found around 500 bags in the storage unit and several of them had beeping AirTags inside.

Is that legal? Traveller shocked lost baggage allegedly donated to charity by Air Canada — CTV News

A newlywed couple from Cambridge, Ont. waited months to get their lost luggage back, only to discover it had been allegedly donated to charity by Air Canada. But can an airline legally give your bag away if it's reported missing?

apple.news

In line with International Air Transport Association’s policy, the airline said customers whose bags cannot be located after 21 days are eligible for compensation. Meanwhile, Air Canada adds that bags whose ownership cannot be determined after 90 days will be disposed of – “something we do through a third-party company, which does make donations to charity.”

But Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, argues the policy doesn’t trump travellers’ ownership of their bags.

“If you abandon your baggage waiting to arrive on a belt, there’s something to be said about what will happen with it. But, it is still your property if you report it as missing when you leave the airport,” Lukacs told CTV News Toronto Monday.

He adds airlines have a significant responsibility to reunite passengers with their luggage, and that it’s up to the airline to track passengers’ bags.

“They made a contract to transport the baggage, and that contract includes the obligation to hand you back the baggage unless they can show somehow you proactively abandoned your baggage,” Lukacs said.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

The problem with AirTags is that you can go to the airline (don't bother calling their Customer Help line), show them your AirTag data, identify precisely where the bag is, and they STILL won't do anything about it.

 

[Ron in Regina]

That’s what happened here for over four months. I was listening to this woman being interviewed on the radio this morning. She did send piles and piles and piles of emails and so on and so forth, but also was directly at the airport with the AirTag information and got nowhere.

She and her husband eventually just drove to this storage compound and even figured out which container it was in. Eventually when the police cracked open the container with their warrant, there was something like 500 suitcases in there.