Ye Ole Flight Report...Westjet

[Kip Powick]

Flew YYZ to Kelowna ..... direct...

Easy Check-in

Easy Baggage drop off

Purchased seat 12A and 12b,,,,,,,,,no window shade on the Emergency door window...apparently MEL'd in Cabin Log book.

In flight service was adequate and it would not be fair to comment about the lack of ammenities on the flight as all airlines are "cutting-back".

The cabin crew was very good, nice service with just a touch of humour.

No PA's from the front end until top of descent and the PA was poor, at best.....

Landing was 6 out of 10.....(big bounce)

Flew Kelowna to YYZ ...direct...

Easy check-in

Easy Baggage drop off

Pre purchased seats again and this time the emergency exit door did have a window shade..(different airframe number)

Same comments about the inflight service

Cabin crew was extremely "rah-rah" to the point of being nauseating......the wave at the FA at the back and wave at a DH Captain plus the attempt at humour with really tired out and weak jokes did little to instill confidence that we were being "looked after" by professionals. .....was there really a requirement to have the Lead FA and another FA sing a duet of "be our guest ...be our guest" on taxi in at YYZ???

The PA's from the front end were excellent, informative and very polished. We had a PA just prior to PB at Kelowna and an update prior to descent as well as an explanation as to why we were sitting on a taxiway for 15 minutes, not moving, in YYZ...(thunderstorms had backlogged gates) Well done.

Landing was 8 out of 10..bit of a bounce and a bit harsh with the brakes upon arrival.

All in all, good flights except I think the return cabin crew (Kelowna to YYZ) overdid their attempt to be funny and make everyone feel warm and fuzzy. The flight (YYZ to Kelowna) cabin crew did interject some humour but not to the point of looking like clowns.

While waiting in Kelowna................there was a flight at the same gate counter as ours. It was destined for YVR. It was interesting to see a Jazz FO appear at the gate pulling the zipper up on his pants, installing a belt in his pants and never attempting to put on a uniform tie, (perhaps they don't wear ties?). His hat was jammed into the handle on his rollaboard and he never did put it on. Conversely there was a Jazz/AC(??) Captain who boarded the same flight much before this individual who looked very sharp in his uniform, (sans tunic) and was a credit to whatever company he was employed by......such a difference in dress and deportment.

Just my opinion.......and in the big scheme of things means absolutely squat...just my impressions .

[Thebean]

Flew YYZ to Kelowna ..... direct...

Easy Check-in

Easy Baggage drop off

Purchased seat 12A and 12b,,,,,,,,,no window shade on the Emergency door window...apparently MEL'd in Cabin Log book.

In flight service was adequate and it would not be fair to comment about the lack of ammenities on the flight as all airlines are "cutting-back".

The cabin crew was very good, nice service with just a touch of humour.

No PA's from the front end until top of descent and the PA was poor, at best.....

Landing was 6 out of 10.....(big bounce)

Flew Kelowna to YYZ ...direct...

Easy check-in

Easy Baggage drop off

Pre purchased seats again and this time the emergency exit door did have a window shade..(different airframe number)

Same comments about the inflight service

Cabin crew was extremely "rah-rah" to the point of being nauseating......the wave at the FA at the back and wave at a DH Captain plus the attempt at humour with really tired out and weak jokes did little to instill confidence that we were being "looked after" by professionals. .....was there really a requirement to have the Lead FA and another FA sing a duet of "be our guest ...be our guest" on taxi in at YYZ???

The PA's from the front end were excellent, informative and very polished. We had a PA just prior to PB at Kelowna and an update prior to descent as well as an explanation as to why we were sitting on a taxiway for 15 minutes, not moving, in YYZ...(thunderstorms had backlogged gates) Well done.

Landing was 8 out of 10..bit of a bounce and a bit harsh with the brakes upon arrival.

All in all, good flights except I think the return cabin crew (Kelowna to YYZ) overdid their attempt to be funny and make everyone feel warm and fuzzy. The flight (YYZ to Kelowna) cabin crew did interject some humour but not to the point of looking like clowns.

While waiting in Kelowna................there was a flight at the same gate counter as ours. It was destined for YVR. It was interesting to see a Jazz FO appear at the gate pulling the zipper up on his pants, installing a belt in his pants and never attempting to put on a uniform tie, (perhaps they don't wear ties?). His hat was jammed into the handle on his rollaboard and he never did put it on. Conversely there was a Jazz/AC(??) Captain who boarded the same flight much before this individual who looked very sharp in his uniform, (sans tunic) and was a credit to whatever company he was employed by......such a difference in dress and deportment.

Just my opinion.......and in the big scheme of things means absolutely squat...just my impressions .

Visibly unique and easily contrasted.

[props2you]

I thought WS was past the joke schtick?

[CanadaEH]

It's been years since I've flown and heard singing.....

[John S.]

. . . . It was interesting to see a Jazz FO appear at the gate pulling the zipper up on his pants, installing a belt in his pants and never attempting to put on a uniform tie, (perhaps they don't wear ties?). His hat was jammed into the handle on his rollaboard and he never did put it on. . . . .

Kip, you know darn well that Jazz F/O's wear ties.

Sounds like this poor chap got hooked up with one of those super friendly "Care-anty" agents and lost all track of time. You didn't happen to notice any agents with a dark coloured tie hanging from her bra did you?

The well dressed Captain, on the other hand, would never do such things with his tie now would he?

[Kip Powick]

Kip, you know darn well that Jazz F/O's wear ties. .........................

Hi John,

As you know, I have been "off the grid" for some time now and have not kept up with all the Regs concerning dress codes etc. I gave the fellow the benefit of doubt because I thought that there may have been an OAT where ties became optional. It was also not inconceiveable to think that he was not aware that he did not have a tie on. I, myself, have left, on ocassion, the flight deck and have forgotten to put the tie back on.

Along the same line, I think the WJ agent should have made a casual comment with respect to the missing tie....it could have just been a "slip-up" by the FO who seemed to be running a bit behind schedule.

All in all, no harm done but I think the FO did little to enhance the company image by getting dressed while standing in line.....no matter what the reason.

[SMP]

Hi Kip,

I was the CA on your return flight YLW-YYZ, thanks for the report. Glad you enjoyed the experience overall, feel free to identify yourself next time and we could get them to wave at you as well.

Cheers,

SMP

[John S.]

SMP here's a hint:

Look for the wonderful retired couple wearing weight belts and flippers.

Oh, and they smile a lot.

[Mitch Cronin]

SMP here's a hint:

Look for the wonderful retired couple wearing weight belts and flippers.

Oh, and they smile a lot.

His avatar contains another clue as well.

[Seeker]

Kip;

I fly on Westjet fairly often and I can agree with your trip report. The inflight service on Westjet has evolved (devolved?) to be virtually identical to what I see on Air Canada while sitting in economy class except that about 1 out of 5 times some weird aberration will appear such as singing FAs or a pilot who insists on doing a PA while standing at the front of the cabin. The humorous PAs have greatly reduced (thank god), the live TV is OK if your happen to get lucky with the time of your flight but I definitely miss the ability to pause the programming during the PAs. I still find it odd that the pilots are always referred to by their first names only and I am still puzzled by the odd use of the word "that" but aside from those affectations it's safe, reliable and generally pleasant transportation.

[Spinnaker]

Hi Kip,

I was the CA on your return flight YLW-YYZ, thanks for the report. Glad you enjoyed the experience overall, feel free to identify yourself next time and we could get them to wave at you as well.

Cheers,

SMP

But then you went and bounced it on landing

:biggrin2:

(probably better than mine... they usually send the paver out for the divets)

[J.O.]

I love the trip reports Kip, but I've always wondered about your ratings of the landings. I have a difficult time judging them from the back, as there are too many factors you can't see from back there. I've had approaches where from the cabin I was sure we were destined for a controlled crash only to be surprised by a nice touchdown, and vice versa. After seeing what "nice" landings look like on a flight data trace, particularly their affect on the touchdown point, I'm now in favour of the "friendly side of firm" variety of landing.

[Kip Powick]

I love the trip reports Kip, but I've always wondered about your ratings of the landings. I have a difficult time judging them from the back, as there are too many factors you can't see from back there. I've had approaches where from the cabin I was sure we were destined for a controlled crash only to be surprised by a nice touchdown, and vice versa. After seeing what "nice" landings look like on a flight data trace, particularly their affect on the touchdown point, I'm now in favour of the "friendly side of firm" variety of landing.

Hi Jeff,

I have always attempted to get a "greaser" if RCR and runway length were not controlling factors. With the 737, a few hundred feet of "float" to accomplish that aim is no big deal...again if RCR and runway length are not a factor. If the weather and RCR as well as runway length are such that a "planter" is required then so be it.

If I am "scoring" a landing then I do take into account the weather, wind and RCR and it the two landings above there were very light winds and in Kelowna....a dry runway.....in YYZ the runway was a bit damp, (earlier TSM activity), but certainly not "flooding" with rainwater.

After touchdown there is the after landing roll and slow to taxi speed and I have seen nice landings turn into not too smooth an effort when the aircraft starts to swing left or right during the landing roll. As well, the application of brakes with cement boots tend to have the "guest" do a nose dive into the seat in front of them and in the vast majority of cases are caused by pilots attempting to make a taxi way....when (in my opinion), when landing....... the whole damned runway is the "landees".

Certainly I am not in the pointy end and there may be occassions where the pilot applies brakes in an attempt to perform a humanitarian action such as avoiding a slow runway crossing turtle

Yes airmanship dictates that one should expedite the exit from an active runway but (in my opinion),not at the the cost of the machinery as well as "guest" comfort.

As I stated, I'm just along for the ride and I think I give credit where credit is due but on the other hand I am not shy in voicing my opinion and hopefully everyone realizes it is just a guy from "Dotland" doing so..

[Mitch Cronin]

on the other hand I am not shy in voicing my opinion and hopefully everyone realizes it is just a guy from "Dotland" doing so..

...and that's exactly what differentiates a forum from a Bulletin Board, in this age of internet.... We're all just expressing our opinions.

...Curiously, nobody's asked about the other clue in your avatar, Kip. You think they all figure you must be green, or have you met most of these folks?