Complain about a product or service

Air Canada

Heather of Mission, BC February 5, 2009

I, with my two small children, was booked to fly from Toronto (YYZ) to Regina (YQR) on Thursday August 28th, 2008 on Air Canada Jazz flight # AC8451 leaving at 8:15am. Upon arriving at Pearson International Airport at 7:00am, I managed to find a domestic departures counter and asked an Air Canada employee standing at the end of the line for assistance. I told him that I didn’t know if I was in the right place and that I was afraid I was going to miss my flight. He asked me where I was going and what time my flight was leaving. I showed him my printed itinerary, he looked at his watch and told me I was fine and to get in the line-up; which was very long.

I followed his instructions and waited in the line for over 30 minutes, unaware that there was a cut-off time for passengers to check in. I figured as long as I was at the gate by the time the flight was boarding I would be fine. When I got up to the counter, the woman proceeded to tell me that I had too many pieces of checked baggage and that my two car seats were also considered checked baggage. She very rudely went on and on about this for about 10 minutes. After explaining this to me, she proceeded to tell me suddenly that the flight was now “closed� and I would have to pay 150.00 each to get on the next flight.

I was shocked!! Not only did the first employee give me false instructions by making me stand in the line instead of taking me ahead as he should have done, but the woman at the check in counter was very rude to me. Her attitude scared my six year old daughter into tears, making her think that we were stuck there and she showed absolutely no sympathy for my situation what so ever. Not knowing otherwise on Air Canada's policies and procedures, and desperate to get to my destination, I paid and extra 275.00 for my luggage (3 bags @ 25.00 per piece and 2 carseats @ 100.00 per piece) and another 450.00 to get myself and my two children on the next flight leaving at 12:10 pm. Plus any applicable taxes.

On August 30th I called Air Canada to get some information on their flight and baggage policies. I was told by the agent that the new baggage allowance as of July 15th is one piece up to 50 pounds per paid ticket. I booked and paid for my flight on July 13th, which is why my itinerary clearly stated that I was allowed 2 bags up to 50 pounds each per paid ticket. I also showed this to the check in agent who told me that “she doesn’t make the rules�. I was also told by the telephone agent that car seats are NOT considered part of the baggage allowance as long as the child has a paid ticket, which both of my children had.

After hearing this I checked with Air Canada's major Canadian competitor on their policies and they assured me that they would have done everything they possibly could to get me on the flight I was originally booked for. The employee did NOTHING and then standing there upset and not knowing what to do, she asked me if I could move aside so she could help somebody else while I decided. So, to sum it all up: I am not from Regina. I was visiting my mother in Toronto then flying to Regina for a wedding. My husband had driven from our home in Mission BC, spent part of Wednesday night in Calgary, had gotten up at mid-night to drive to Regina to pick us up, then found out we weren’t able to get on the flight we were supposed to be on and had to wait in Regina for over 8 hours!!!!!!

I myself, had to sit in the airport for over 4 hours with my children, ages 3 and 6. Having had breakfast already and anticipating being in Regina by 9:30 am I did not pack lunch for any of us, therefore I had to spend more money on that. Not only was I inconvenienced, but so were my children and my husband.. And in the end it wound up costing me over 1600.00 for 3 of us to fly from Toronto to Regina, not to mention the stress and hours of wasted time!!!!!!!

After I paid the extra amount to get on the flight and took a deep breath to calm down I approached the woman directing people at the start of the line who had replaced the man standing there earlier to get the man's name so I would have something to use when I filed a complaint..she was VERY rude to me and told me she didn't have to give me that information, and then turned her back on me. All of their staff is obnoxious and rude and very un-helpful. To sum it all up, if the original employee (the man directing people at the start of the check in line) had of done his job and taken me to the counter right away I would have not missed the check in cut off time. Also, I found out afterwards that the flight generally "closes" 30 minutes before take off, and if the check-in attendant had of just told me that I was pressed for time and that she needed to check me in right away, I also would have not missed the flight.

I filed a complaint with Air Canada, who has done NOTHING. This all started September 25th 2008. At that time I was told they would refund me the money for my carseats (200.00) but that was all they could do. I responded that I was unsatisfied with her response to which she gave me some generic, rude response.

I then emailed their customer relations department (you see, with Air Canada, there is LITERALLY nobody you can talk to in person if you have a problem/complain) Again on December 12/08 to say I had NOT received my 200.00 refund yet and I got an auto response saying it would take 21 days for them to respond. It is now Feb 4/2009 and I haven't heard anything or received a refund. (it should have been refunded to my mother's mastercard) I am not satisfied with the decision and I truly believe I should be refunded the entire amount, but now I feel the only thing I can do is send another complaint and wait! (this is what the man on the phone told me to do)

Christine of Vernon, BC January 15, 2009

Christine of Vernon BC (01/15/09)
I spent 5 days in the airport, 4 nights in hotels. Air Canada's customer service is horrid. I missed my connecting flight, they re booked me the next day. I am at the gate ready to board and they cancel that flight due to maintenance. Back through customs, back to a long line to rebook my flight again. I am at the gate again, they cancel the flight due to maintenance. Back through customs, back into their long line with only one employee working. To have them re book me with US airways the next day (standby).

I arrive the next day and they give me a seat. I board the plane only to have them come and ask me to deplane, they are very sorry but they have given me a seat my mistake. I wait 7 hours to fly on another flight, to finally arrive in Phoenix and they lost my luggage (2nd time so far). I was going on a 7 day cruise with my girlfriend. I made it to the ship to enjoy 3 days of it. I spend 5 days trying to get there, no help from Air Canada, no one to talk to, no one to offer assistance.

Monica of Nanton, AB January 8, 2009

Monica of Nanton AB (01/08/09)
My minor son became stranded today in Halifax at the airport without notice or any recourse from Air Canada. His flight from Halifax to Newfoundland was cancelled and they let him know on the way off of the plane. We were told that weather was the reason for cancellation why is it that all other airlines were flying in and out and there was not one snowflake in the sky. We even phoned Newfoundland and all was clear there. They leave this young lad stranded at the airport where he will have to sleep as he does not have another 200.00 for a motel to say nothing of the taxi cab and food that h will need and they won't be able to fly him out until tomorrow night at 8pm - he is supposed to be back at University tomorrow morning.

IT took him 2 hours to even find an Air canada representative and she promptly closed her little kiosk before he could even get his ticket money back. What is up with this scenario. If Air Canada just pulls out the weather card every time they want to fleece their customers then ofcourse there is no recourse for us. As I say all other flights were moving my son can vouch for that as he watches them take off through the window while he waits for us to book another flight for him. No not through Air Canada but through West Jet - Never, Ever again will be fly with these again!

Money spent, time wasted, anxiety and hardship on a young traveller that is supposed to be in Newfoundland, sleeping in a ruddy airline terminal and worried as he must register for classes and be there by tomorrow morning

Cindy of St Stephen, NB December 29, 2008

Cindy of St Stephen NB (12/29/08)
This ticket was a major Christmas gift for my daughter to visit her sister and it was her first time flying. She was to arrive in Windsor on flight AC7791 at 11:59PM on Dec 26/08. The flight was turned back from Windsor to Toronto because of fog (understandable). However, the way the situation was handled by Air Canada from the time the plane was turned back is appalling and in my opinion inexcusable. -after the flight was turned around, there was an announcement indicating that the passengers should not be concerned that all passengers were being rebooked onto another flight at 6:00AM -the passengers were then told that (instead of the 6:00AM flight) Air Canada was adding some seats to a 9:50AM flight (simple math suggests 10 extra seats) but they were not told who would get on that flight and who would not -they were then told there would be another flight at 12:00noon that some passengers could take -

the passengers were disembarked (dumped into the Toronto airport) with a piece of paper and instructions to call to rebook -there was no Air Canada staff at the airport to handle inquiries or rebooking -my daughter (and other passengers) spent more than 2 hrs (until shortly before 3:00AM) on a pay phone (on hold) trying to reach someone at the 1-888 number to get a definitive answer about when/if Air Canada was going to get her to Windsor -hungry, scared and exhausted, with the help of a more experienced passenger she found a bus to Windsor (approx 4:00AM to 10:00AM on Dec 27/08) that cost 80.00

If I had for one minute thought that Air Canada was not going to follow through on their commitment get her to Windsor, I would have arranged ground transportation from Toronto to Windsor myself rather than paying the flight fee (136) for that portion of the trip. If anyone at Air Canada had had the decency to let her know when exactly she was going to be rebooked to Windsor, she would not have taken a bus.

My husband and I have reconsidered booking an Air Canada prepackaged vacation for this winter with the apparent risk of being dumped in an airport with no answers. I respectfully request a refund for the flight from Toronto to Windsor (approx 136) or at the very least reimbursement for the 80 bus ticket.

- 80 bus fare + approx 136 for flight that didn't go and was not rebooked - emotional/physical duress (fear, worry, lack of sleep, lodging and food - restaurants closed) - safety - abandoned at Toronto airport in the middle of the night with a bunch of strangers in a strange city with no transporation,information or Air Canada employees available for consultation/information (only cleaning staff at the airport when passengers disembarked)

Lois of Guysborough, NS December 27, 2008

Lois of Guysborough NS (12/27/08)
My children are expecting a visit from their dad. He gets time off once or twice a year to visit them for 4 or five days travelling from Bangkok Thailand to Halifax, nova Scotia. He is currently stuck in Toronto. They delayed the flight for about 5 hours and then told them it was cancelled and gave them a 1-800 number to call for air canada. No other assistance was offered. He has only 4 days with his daughters and has travelled so far only to be stranded by air canada.

I can not believe that they can cancell your flight and then expect you to find your way to you destination on your own. and pay for it. Still don't know how or even if he will manage to get here in the time alotted for the trip. There will be some very sad little girls for the next few days and a some very disappointed parents.

economic damage done- couple thousand dollars down the drain in travell costs with the possibility of not even seeing his daughters. The emotional damage- pain and suffering of the entire family I can only begin to imagine the fallout. We have been planning this since August.

Wayne of Thunder Bay, ON December 5, 2008

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