Complain about a product or service

Air Canada

Caldi of London, United Kingdom August 27, 2009

No more direct flights are available when you use premiums tikets (tikets aquired with miles earned). This is the case recently, because in spring 2009 I could have dirct flights from Montreal to London or Paris . In other words it is a way to lower the service without changing the amount of miles required. It is not fair

hadi of calgary, AB August 8, 2009

This is about my booking for the 14th off September. Booked and confirmed on the 26th of July. Start my day on 14th of September by catching a Bus first one of the day to get to Winnipeg airport. Leave at 7:00 to get to airport at 9:30. Next one is too late. Booked a flight from Winnipeg to Calgary for 11:05, where I will be meeting someone from my office get some papers at Calgary airport and catching a 12:55 flight to Fort McMurray. With Westjet as Aircanada did not have any good times.

Aircanada changed the booking itinerary. The first time by 10 min which was ok because I could still meet my flight. A week later they changed it again and I get an email Midnight on 7th telling me that its changed. This time they changed it by two hours. I arrive in Calgary 2 14:19 which will make me miss my Westjet flight. I walk up on the 8th and started calling Aircanada.

After 6 attempts - because there phone systems are having issues (can not run a phone system, I would be worried about them flying plans) I get my first chance to talk to someone. I explain my situation. And I am offered two choices. One is an earlier flight at 7:00 or a refund I explain that an earlier flight means inconvenience for me and a hotel room as there is no bus earlier so I would have to come in the day before. I am willing to handle the inconvenience but did not want pay 130 + for a hotel.

I am told air Canada doesn't pay for hotels. I explain that a refund is not an option as I am not able to get other flights at any even remotely close price range as of the time factor. So I suggest that they get me a flight from Calgary to FortMcmurray. and I am told that they will not do that as they have no affiliation with westjet.

I ask to speak to a supervisor. This is when the phone systems malfunction again and I lose my connection. I call again and go through the whole thing again. Step 1 explaining, to step 5 the hang up. we repet these steps 4 times. Each time taking anywhere from 15 to 20 min and a lot or restraint from my side. On the 4th time I am told that the supervisor on duty is not there right now and a message was left on their Voice mail. I will be contacted.

Xingcheng of Springfield, MA July 24, 2009

Air Canada was ill equiped to cope with contingencies. I was traveling on AC032 from Beijing to Toronto and then on to Bradley, US. The weather was bad and first I was told that the flight was delayed. After almost five hours, the announcement came that the flight was canceled. This is when the chaos started. The person who came to the Business Class lounge was not clear in explaining what's next. Finally we all figured what's going on and had to go all the way back through security and custom to take a bus to the hotel. We were told that we had to go together and shouldn't take taxi on our own. But then there was nobody around to show us the way (the guy disappeared shortly after) and no sign anywhere to be seen.

Through asking around our group finally made it to the bus and the hotel. I was given a room WITH NO BED! I finally got my room and was told to be ready for the bus at the lobby at 6am the next day. The wake up call was automatically set for me, as I later realized, at 5am. So I get up and ate my breakfast and checked out my room. Then I was told at the lobby that the bus won't come until 8am!! I am fine with all the flight schedule changes but the lack of coordination and poor management caused a great deal of discomfort and stress throughout the process.

Peter of Toronto, ON July 6, 2009

Air Canada is a horrible company to deal with if you are a consumer and have changes to make. The service reps are inconsiderate, often complaining about their own issues with their employer. I have traveled with Air Canada for years and have had top tier status. The following scenario is a real scam in my mind and someone should advocate to have it changed.

REAL SCENARIO WITH EASIER NUMBERS: 1) I buy a tango plus ticket online from Air Canada for 300 + 45 taxes = 345 ticket. TOTAL PAID: 345 2) I cancel the ticket due to change in plans. 3) I have no choice but to call Air Canada to rebook the ticket. I book 1 month out and the fare price is now 200. I get ZERO refund. I also PAY 115 in change fees for having to rebook the ticket on the phone. The original 300 does not cover the change fees even though the new fare is lower. TOTAL PAID: 345 + 115 = 460.00 4) I had to cancel this second itinerary. I call again. 115 in change fees are added a second time. The new fare this time is 385.00. GUESS WHAT!!!! They calculate the difference that I now owe as (385 - 200) = +185 more. I now owe another 300. TOTAL PAID: 760.00

This is ridiculous. No company in the world that interacts with consumers gets away with these calculations to gauge customers than Air Canada. I asked the rep on the phone if that seems fair that they re-calculate from a price of 200 (not the original 300 I paid, and not the cumulative amount I paid since cancelling and rebooking once. She was very rude and said they " are an airline, not a t-shirt company". It wouldn't be so bad if these customer service representatives weren't so rude and disgruntled already... if I had another choice (I don't) I would never ever use Air Canada again.

wayne of vernon, BC May 28, 2009

bought a round trip from montreal to rio.i cancelled the return flight on january 26 2009 and the agent sent me a new booking for june 1 2009. on april 15 2009 that read that it was an official itinerary and reciept right at the top of the first page. it also said at the top of the first page that the booking was confirmed.

nearing the end of may i was making a booking with another airline and they informed me that my booking with air canada was not confirmed. i then contacted air canada and was told that i could keep the same bookings from sao paulo to toronto and from toronto to montreal but that i had to take a flight from rio to sao paulo that was four hours earleir than the original booking leaving me with a five and a half hour stop over in sao paulo and also making me need to go to the airport four hours earlier in rio. they say that they cannot give me the original booking and that if i want that flight i will have to pay 358. i even asked them if i could cancel that portion of the booking and take a local company and thay say that it is not possible.

wayne of vernon, BC May 28, 2009

bought a round trip from montreal to rio. i cancelled the return flight on january 26 2009 and the agent sent me a new booking for june 1 2009 on april 15 2009 that read that it was an official itinerary and reciept right at the top of the first page. it also said at the top of the first page that the booking was confirmed. nearing the end of may i was making a booking with another airline and they informed me that my booking with air canada was not confirmed.

i then contacted air canada and was told that i could keep the same bookings from sao paulo to toronto and from toronto to montreal but that i had to take a flight from rio to sao paulo that was four hours earleir than the original booking leaving me with a five and a half hour stop over in sao paulo and also making me need to go to the airport four hours earlier in rio.

they say that they cannot give me the original booking and that if i want that flight i will have to pay 358. i even asked them if i could cancel that portion of the booking and take a local company (they are very cheap and i would recommend to anyone flying to brazil to fly to sao paulo and then get another flight to wherever you want to go in brazil) and thay say that it is not possible. i have to go to the airport four hours earlier so that i can sit around for five and a half hours in sao paulo becase they are not honoring the booking that they officially confirmed with me!

Harminder of Cupertino, CA May 7, 2009

I had to cancel my ticket because of the death in the family from Vancouver to SFO last year after Christmas.In order to attend funeral at Seattle,I flew back on a different carrier to SF. The CS representative when I called to cancel my reservation assured me credit and told me since it was canceled because of the death in the family we would waive the re booking fee as a courtesy. But was surprised when I wanted to re book the flight for my next trip for June 2,2009 from same destination. Air Canada is not honoring their words and asking me to pay 50 dollar re booking fee and were too rude to ask for death certificate of the person who passed away. It does not seem to be justified to ask death certificate from a relative or friend just for re booking a ticket. I was really disappointed and felt insulted. They should rethink or revise the policy if there is one before it is too late?

Christine of Vernon, BC January 15, 2009

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

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

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)

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