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'A brutal summer': Air Canada paying the price for airport chaos

Shares have fallen 23% in three months for second biggest decline in the Bloomberg Americas Airlines Index

Author of the article:

Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Ana Paula Barreto Pereira
Publishing date:
Jul 11, 2022  •  22 hours ago  •  3 minute read  •ple wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. PHOTO BY NATHAN DENETTE /THE CANADIAN PRESS

 

Air Canada’s hope for a strong recovery in 2022 has been foiled by chaos at Canada’s biggest airports.

Travellers are back in big numbers as the summer vacation season kicks off. But Toronto’s Pearson International Airport has descended into scenes of long lines and a sea of luggage, and the nation’s largest airline is paying the price.

About 65 per cent of Air Canada flights tracked by FlightAware.com were delayed on Friday and Saturday, again making it one of the worst-performing airlines in the aviation website’s daily rankings. More than half of Pearson departures — for all airlines — took off late on those two days, the site said. Nearly half of departures from Montreal’s Trudeau International were delayed on Saturday.

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CANADIAN AVIATION NEWS

CANADIAN AIRLINE AND INDUSTRY NEWS

Air Canada and United Airlines Expand Relationship to Make Transborder Travel Easier, With More Choice

Expanded relationship to bring more flights, improved schedule coordination and shared reward benefits between the MileagePlus and Aeroplan loyalty programs

Air Canada and United Airlines Expand Relationship to Make Transborder Travel Easier, With More Choice (CNW Group/Air Canada)

MONTREAL, July 22, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada and United Airlines today announced a joint business agreement for the Canada-U.S. transborder market, building on their long-standing alliance, that will give more flight options and better flight schedules to customers traveling between the two countries. Customers will be able to connect to 38 codeshare destinations in the U.S. and eight of the most popular cities in Canada — all while enjoying the benefits of the carriers’ MileagePlus® and Aeroplan loyalty programs. The agreement will also strengthen and grow both carriers’ networks and help accelerate their COVID-19 recovery.

“United is a world-class airline and we are pleased to significantly expand our well-established partnership to further enhance the customer journey between Canada and the U.S. by offering more choice, greater convenience and an improved airport experience,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President of Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada. “This agreement marks a new phase in our evolving relationship that will speed the recovery from the pandemic and strengthen both carriers. It will also enable us to optimize our hubs and schedules and to broaden our global network connectivity to maintain our leadership in the market.”

“With this new agreement, we are further strengthening our long-standing partnership with Air Canada,” said Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United. “As international travel continues to recover, this expanded partnership will provide an enhanced experience for all transborder travel.”

Customers who search for flights between the U.S. and Canada on United’s or Air Canada’s websites and apps will find more flight options scheduled at more convenient times. Codeshare between the two carriers will also be expanded and members of both the MileagePlus and Aeroplan programs will have more accrual and redemption options.

In 2019, the U.S.-Canada transborder market was the second largest international passenger air transportation market in the world and the largest international market for both Canada and the U.S., as measured by seats.

Air Canada and United already cooperate in the transborder market, according to the terms of their existing U.S. antitrust immunity. Under the joint business agreement, subject to compliance with U.S. and Canadian regulatory and antitrust requirements, the two airlines will now be able to:

  • Coordinate their networks and schedules, enabling the carriers to offer customers more choice, including more flights throughout the day and more access to each airline’s seat inventory.
  • Enhance codeshare on transborder flights, excluding certain U.S. leisure markets and territories. The carriers anticipate customers will be able to connect to 46 transborder codeshare destinations with more than 400 daily frequencies in 2022 – with opportunities to add more codeshare destinations for domestic routes within Canada and the U.S.
  • Sell seats on each other’s transborder flights and share revenue on flights between hub markets (where regulatory authorities and antitrust requirements allow), allowing the carriers to grow their overall capacities.
  • Align customer policies for greater consistency and enable the seamless provision of onboard products, establish airport co-locations where available and provide extra value to each carriers’ frequent flyer programs.
  • Allow the two carriers to work closer together to advance their sustainability objectives.

The implementation of an expanded partnership builds on the existing close cooperation of the two carriers and previously acquired regulatory approvals. United and Air Canada are also founding members of Star Alliance and a transatlantic joint business agreement with the Lufthansa Group.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just goes to show that when allowing a relative to travel on your passes, you must make sure they understand the pass policy. 

Quote

Air Canada revoked a worker's flying privileges after her daughter complained about poor service

7 hours ago
 
  • Air Canada revoked an employee's flying privileges after her daughter complained.
  • The woman was upset that her mother was being punished for an issue between her and Air Canada.
  • The airline said the employee broke its code by allowing a family member to file a grievance. 

 

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20 hours ago, Kargokings said:

Just goes to show that when allowing a relative to travel on your passes, you must make sure they understand the pass policy. 

 

Whenever I give out travel privileges to whom ever, on top of a guide for a dress code above and beyond what the rules are…..it comes with a speech that goes something like this….maybe not exactly that direct but they know where they stand if they ever want to use a pass again.

 

 

8AF34BCE-845D-4DAB-BA16-5098EE9C46EF.jpeg

C935C2DB-70D8-4FEE-8618-291D581D03F2.png

Edited by Jaydee
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Air Canada Revokes Employee Travel Privileges - One Mile at a Time

Quote

Air Canada Revokes Ridiculously Entitled Person’s Employee Travel Privileges

  • Ben Schlappig
  • 2 hours ago
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One of the awesome benefits of working in the airline industry is that you get travel privileges. However, some people don’t seem to get that this comes with certain expectations related to conduct and how to behave.

Why Air Canada revoked employee’s travel perks

Some people don’t seem to know when to stop. The daughter of an Air Canada employee is complaining to the media after her mother’s employee travel privileges with the airline were suspended.

The woman claims that she filed a complaint with the airline after receiving what she deemed to be poor customer service by ground staff while traveling with her mother’s employee travel privileges. The woman not only emailed senior officials at the airline, but also copied media outlets. The woman also allegedly misrepresented herself as a revenue customer, rather than someone traveling on employee privileges.

Both the 62-year-old Air Canada employee (who is an administrator) and her daughter have had their travel privileges with the airline suspended for a period of two years due to this incident. The woman claims that the travel privileges are one of the main reasons her mother worked for Air Canada, and she’s worried that her mother might lose her job if the situation escalates.

Now the woman is going to the media again to complain about the treatment she and her mother received, with having their privileges suspended:

“I had a really like sickening feeling when my mother told me what they did to her. It’s one thing for me to be reprimanded, but it’s totally different for my actions impacting my mom.”

The employee allegedly went to the union to try to protest this decision, but the union stated there was nothing that could be done, and suggested she apologize to the airline to reduce her penalty.

An Air Canada spokesperson issued the following statement regarding this situation:

“We deal with our employees directly on internal matters. However, we can confirm employee travel is a special privilege and a unique and generous perk of working for an airline that comes with responsibilities which the overwhelming majority of employees and families understand and value.

“We take feedback about our services seriously. In fact, we undertook an investigation into the complaint lodged, and subsequently found facts which did not align with what was presented.”

 Air Canada suspended an employee’s travel privileges

This is RIDICULOUS

We obviously don’t know the substance of the complaint that was filed with Air Canada. However, no matter how you slice it, the daughter of the employee crossed the line, and keeps digging herself (and her mother) a deeper hole:

  • When you take advantage of employee travel perks, you have to agree to certain terms and codes of conduct
  • Even if she had a legitimate complaint, you can’t misrepresent yourself as a paying customer, and you shouldn’t try to get media involved in trying to solve an internal issue
  • She’s outraged that her mom is being reprimanded for her actions; that’s how it works when you take advantage of employee travel privileges
  • Even the union made it clear that nothing could be done to defend the employee, and that she should just apologize
  • Even after all this happened, the woman is still trying to go to the media to complain about the outcome of this, claiming she fears her mother could now lose her job (which very well could happen if she keeps this up)

The level of entitlement here is kind of mind-boggling. Unfortunately this isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone traveling with non-rev perks act this way, and it’s also why some airline employees are hesitant to extend travel privileges to friends & family, since they fear this kind of behavior.

This behavior is literally the definition of looking a gift horse in the mouth…

 This traveler doesn’t seem to understand what a privilege is

Bottom line

While airline employee travel privileges are awesome, they come with certain behavior expectations. I think the daughter of this Air Canada employee is the perfect example of how not to act when you’re traveling with airline benefits.

The fact that this person is still trying to go to the media to essentially mediate is a very odd approach to take, if you ask me… I don’t see this ending well for her or her mother.

 

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13 minutes ago, Specs said:

Lets not forget that we're talking airline employees here.  

It was the daughter of the employee who is the entitled one. There is nothing g in the article to even suggest the employee was aware and/or approved of the daughter’s complaints to management and media

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4 hours ago, neverminds said:

It was the daughter of the employee who is the entitled one. There is nothing g in the article to even suggest the employee was aware and/or approved of the daughter’s complaints to management and media

Fair enough.  I will delete my comment

 

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Air Canada Misses Estimates Amid Second Quarter Airport Chaos

800x-1.jpg

Tue Aug 2, 2022 - Bloomberg News
By Mathieu Dion

Air Canada reported results below estimates in the second quarter, a period in which the global aviation industry could not meet passenger demand.

Operating revenue was nearly five times the same quarter as 2021, when Covid-related travel restrictions were still in place, at C$3.98 billion ($3.1 billion), but short of the C$4.02 billion expected by Bloomberg’s consensus estimates. The company also recorded a C$1.60 net loss per share, about double what analysts predicted.

“Despite meticulous planning and projecting, participants involved in the air transport system are facing significant pressure in restarting,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada. “We acknowledge the inconveniences and disruptions some of our customers have faced, and we deeply regret this. This is not business as usual.”

Canada’s largest airline had to cut dozens of daily flights amid labor shortages and wider airport disruptions. For the quarter, Air Canada still managed to increase its available seat miles, a measure of airlines’ capacity, about five times from the same period in 2021. That was in line with projections made in April. Capacity was still 73% of levels in the second quarter of 2019.

Air Canada hopes to regain 74% of its 2019 available seat miles capacity this year.

In late June, the airline had to cancel about 154, or 8%, of its scheduled flights per day in July and August.

Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, Air Canada’s biggest hub, was recently ranked the world’s worst for delays, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.

As of last Friday, Air Canada had slightly underperformed its peers since the start of the year with a negative return of -17.66%. 

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On 7/31/2022 at 8:31 AM, Kargokings said:

Just goes to show that when allowing a relative to travel on your passes, you must make sure they understand the pass policy. 

 

The dingbat daughter never learned that when you find yourself in a hole, it’s tough to get out when you keep digging it deeper.

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  • 1 month later...

Air Canada ordered to pay passengers $2,000 for flight cancellation caused by crew shortage

Crew shortages are generally within an airline's control, Canada's transport regulator says

air-canada.jpg

Thu Sep 15, 2022 - CBC News
by Sophia Harris

A recent ruling by Canada's transport regulator in favour of two Air Canada passengers whose flight was delayed is the latest development in the ongoing battle over whether airlines must compensate passengers for flight disruptions caused by crew shortages. 

In a decision published on Aug. 25, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) ordered Air Canada to compensate passenger Lisa Crawford and her son $1,000 each following a flight cancellation that delayed their August 2021 trip from their home city of Fort St. John, B.C., to Halifax by almost 16 hours.

According to the CTA, Air Canada initially told Crawford the flight cancellation was caused by a crew shortage linked to COVID-19, and was safety-related — so she wasn't eligible for compensation. 

The airline's response prompted Crawford to take her case to the CTA, a quasi-judicial tribunal.

"Staffing and other aspects of operations are the employer's responsibility to manage," said Crawford in an email to CBC News. 

The CTA agreed, stating in its decision that Air Canada failed to provide evidence "establishing that the crew shortage was unavoidable despite proper planning," so Crawford and her son must be compensated.

Under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), airlines only have to pay compensation — up to $1,000 per passenger — if a flight cancellation or delay is within the airline's control and not required for safety reasons. 

"I was thrilled with the CTA's finding," said Crawford, though she and others question if the case will carry much weight.

"Given the ongoing disagreement on how the regulations are to be interpreted and/or applied, I believe the real outcome for my case and likely many others, remains to be seen," said Crawford. 

Court battles raise questions

According to the CTA, it has received 13,743 air passenger complaints since May 1, of which 87 per cent are related to flight disruptions.

The CTA's ruling in the WestJet case, issued on July 8, was supposed to help clear the air on some of those compensation disputes.

In that case, WestJet initially denied passenger Owen Lareau of Ottawa compensation for a cancelled flight, stating it "was impacted due to flight crew member availability and required for safety purposes."

In its decision, the CTA clarified that staffing issues typically warrant compensation because, in general, they are an airline's responsibility and can't be categorized as a safety matter. 

The agency also ordered WestJet to pay Lareau $1,000. 

"Training and staffing are within airline control and therefore crew shortages are within airline control, unless there's compelling evidence" to the contrary, said CTA spokesperson Tom Oommen in an interview. "It's a high threshold."

But in a motion filed in the Federal Court of Appeal on Aug. 10, WestJet argued that, according to the APPR, the CTA can't presume crew shortages warrant compensation and then put the onus on airlines to disprove it. 

Consumer advocate and lawyer, John Lawford said WestJet is offering a narrow reading of the rules, and that the CTA ruling in July set out to clarify them.

"[The airline is] saying, 'That's nice, the actual wording of the regulations is all we will follow and we're going to court.' "

WestJet, the CTA and passenger Lareau have each declined to comment on the case.

"They're going to continue down this path until they're told otherwise," said Gradek, a lecturer and program co-ordinator for the aviation management program at McGill University.

"They'll keep trying to get away without paying, because it is a very serious expense."

'Minister should be spanking these guys'

CBC News asked Air Canada if, like WestJet, it planned to appeal the CTA's ruling that it must pay Crawford and her son compensation. 

Spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick replied that the airline was unable to comment as it's still reviewing the ruling.

But Air Canada is already taking part in a legal battle that calls into question Canada's compensation regulations. The airline is one of more than a dozen applicants, including the International Air Transport Association, which filed a motion in 2019 to appeal the APPR.

In that case, which is still before the Federal Court of Appeal, the applicants argue the regulations are "invalid" for international flights because they differ from the Montreal Convention, a treaty adopted by many countries — including Canada — which establishes airline liability for flight disruptions. 

"I suspect before Christmas, we will find out from the Federal Court of Appeal if the entire APPR regime gets tossed or not," said Lawford, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Some travellers say they’re being denied compensation for cancelled Air Canada flights as the airline claims the flight disruptions were 'due to crew constraints' and beyond their control.

Lawford said federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra should assist passengers with compensation claims by sending a stern message to airlines that they must abide by the compensation rules set out by the CTA.

"The Minister should be spanking these guys, these airlines, and saying, 'How dare you, how dare you screw up my regulations,'" said Lawford.

Since August, Alghabra has repeatedly issued public warnings to airlines that they must follow the rules. 

"Passengers have rights and they need to be respected," he said in a statement just last week. "We will continue to protect the interests of passengers when travel doesn't go according to plan."

But, so far, the warnings haven't curtailed the flood of air passenger complaints pouring in to the CTA; it currently faces a backlog of more than 23,000 grievances. 

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Air Canada ‘temporarily suspending’ YK flights to Calgary, Edmonton

Published: September 22, 2022 at 10:09amCAITRIN PILKINGTON


Air Canada has quietly made a significant change to its daily Yellowknife flight schedule that means non-stop flights to Calgary and Edmonton will soon disappear.

Over the past week, passengers booked on forthcoming flights involving Yellowknife and either Edmonton or Calgary received notices that they will be re-routed through Vancouver.

Approached for comment by Cabin Radio, Air Canada said the change would not be permanent but did not state when passengers can expect flights to resume.

 

“Non-stop flights will be temporarily suspended from Yellowknife to Edmonton starting October 1 and to Calgary starting November 1,” an Air Canada representative wrote in an email to Cabin Radio.

“Affected passengers are being offered travel options including rebooking over YVR.”

The airline gave no clear reason for the shift.

“We made some seasonal adjustments to our fall and winter schedule to bring more resiliency into the overall winter and summer 2023 schedule,” the representative stated.

“Air Canada continues to operate daily flights from Yellowknife to Vancouver.”

 

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On 9/15/2022 at 10:08 AM, Airband said:

Air Canada ordered to pay passengers $2,000 for flight cancellation caused by crew shortage

Crew shortages are generally within an airline's control, Canada's transport regulator says

air-canada.jpg

Thu Sep 15, 2022 - CBC News
by Sophia Harris

A recent ruling by Canada's transport regulator in favour of two Air Canada passengers whose flight was delayed is the latest development in the ongoing battle over whether airlines must compensate passengers for flight disruptions caused by crew shortages. 

In a decision published on Aug. 25, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) ordered Air Canada to compensate passenger Lisa Crawford and her son $1,000 each following a flight cancellation that delayed their August 2021 trip from their home city of Fort St. John, B.C., to Halifax by almost 16 hours.

According to the CTA, Air Canada initially told Crawford the flight cancellation was caused by a crew shortage linked to COVID-19, and was safety-related — so she wasn't eligible for compensation. 

The airline's response prompted Crawford to take her case to the CTA, a quasi-judicial tribunal.

"Staffing and other aspects of operations are the employer's responsibility to manage," said Crawford in an email to CBC News. 

The CTA agreed, stating in its decision that Air Canada failed to provide evidence "establishing that the crew shortage was unavoidable despite proper planning," so Crawford and her son must be compensated.

Under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), airlines only have to pay compensation — up to $1,000 per passenger — if a flight cancellation or delay is within the airline's control and not required for safety reasons. 

"I was thrilled with the CTA's finding," said Crawford, though she and others question if the case will carry much weight.

"Given the ongoing disagreement on how the regulations are to be interpreted and/or applied, I believe the real outcome for my case and likely many others, remains to be seen," said Crawford. 

Court battles raise questions

According to the CTA, it has received 13,743 air passenger complaints since May 1, of which 87 per cent are related to flight disruptions.

The CTA's ruling in the WestJet case, issued on July 8, was supposed to help clear the air on some of those compensation disputes.

In that case, WestJet initially denied passenger Owen Lareau of Ottawa compensation for a cancelled flight, stating it "was impacted due to flight crew member availability and required for safety purposes."

In its decision, the CTA clarified that staffing issues typically warrant compensation because, in general, they are an airline's responsibility and can't be categorized as a safety matter. 

The agency also ordered WestJet to pay Lareau $1,000. 

"Training and staffing are within airline control and therefore crew shortages are within airline control, unless there's compelling evidence" to the contrary, said CTA spokesperson Tom Oommen in an interview. "It's a high threshold."

But in a motion filed in the Federal Court of Appeal on Aug. 10, WestJet argued that, according to the APPR, the CTA can't presume crew shortages warrant compensation and then put the onus on airlines to disprove it. 

Consumer advocate and lawyer, John Lawford said WestJet is offering a narrow reading of the rules, and that the CTA ruling in July set out to clarify them.

"[The airline is] saying, 'That's nice, the actual wording of the regulations is all we will follow and we're going to court.' "

WestJet, the CTA and passenger Lareau have each declined to comment on the case.

"They're going to continue down this path until they're told otherwise," said Gradek, a lecturer and program co-ordinator for the aviation management program at McGill University.

"They'll keep trying to get away without paying, because it is a very serious expense."

'Minister should be spanking these guys'

CBC News asked Air Canada if, like WestJet, it planned to appeal the CTA's ruling that it must pay Crawford and her son compensation. 

Spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick replied that the airline was unable to comment as it's still reviewing the ruling.

But Air Canada is already taking part in a legal battle that calls into question Canada's compensation regulations. The airline is one of more than a dozen applicants, including the International Air Transport Association, which filed a motion in 2019 to appeal the APPR.

In that case, which is still before the Federal Court of Appeal, the applicants argue the regulations are "invalid" for international flights because they differ from the Montreal Convention, a treaty adopted by many countries — including Canada — which establishes airline liability for flight disruptions. 

"I suspect before Christmas, we will find out from the Federal Court of Appeal if the entire APPR regime gets tossed or not," said Lawford, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Some travellers say they’re being denied compensation for cancelled Air Canada flights as the airline claims the flight disruptions were 'due to crew constraints' and beyond their control.

Lawford said federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra should assist passengers with compensation claims by sending a stern message to airlines that they must abide by the compensation rules set out by the CTA.

"The Minister should be spanking these guys, these airlines, and saying, 'How dare you, how dare you screw up my regulations,'" said Lawford.

Since August, Alghabra has repeatedly issued public warnings to airlines that they must follow the rules. 

"Passengers have rights and they need to be respected," he said in a statement just last week. "We will continue to protect the interests of passengers when travel doesn't go according to plan."

But, so far, the warnings haven't curtailed the flood of air passenger complaints pouring in to the CTA; it currently faces a backlog of more than 23,000 grievances. 

If there is no crew, there is no safety issue.  Kind of like "nobody works, nobody gets hurt"

 

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Air Canada to Launch New, Non-stop Transborder Routes to the U.S. from Halifax and Vancouver Français


NEWS PROVIDED BY

Air Canada 

Oct 03, 2022, 06:00 ET

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Halifax-Newark, Vancouver-Houston flights convenient for customers

MONTREAL, Oct. 3, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ -  Air Canada today announced new, daily transborder flights between Halifax-and-Newark and Vancouver-and-Houston. The year-round routes will start in December and conveniently link these major urban markets, as well as provide easy onward connections through Air Canada's and its partner United Airlines' global networks.

 
Air Canada to Launch New, Non-stop Transborder Routes to the U.S. from Halifax and Vancouver (CNW Group/Air Canada)

 

"With these new routes from Halifax and Vancouver, Air Canada is meeting demand in these important markets and building on our strengthened trans-border partnership with United Airlines to solidify our leadership in the Canada-U.S. market," said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada. "These routes will give customers in Atlantic and Western Canada more convenient options for flying to the U.S. They will reinforce the already strong links between Atlantic Canada and New York, while for customers in Western Canada they will provide more options for reaching destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean through United Airlines' Houston hub. They will also facilitate many new one-stop connections from the U.S. onto Air Canada's extensive domestic and global network."

 

Air Canada is the foreign carrier with the largest number of flights to the U.S. Including these new routes, Air Canada's U.S. network will be 6 per cent above its 2019, pre-pandemic capacity for the summer season of 2023. It serves 51 U.S. airports.

Halifax-Newark

Air Canada's new, year-round Halifax-Newark route will begin December 16, 2022. It will operate daily with an Air Canada Express Q-400 in an all-Economy cabin configuration. The non-stop service is timed to connect conveniently to and from regional centres in Atlantic Canada and, in the U.S., with a variety of destinations through United Airlines' network.

Flight

Route

Departs

Arrives

Frequency

AC8670

Halifax-Newark

11:45

13:04

Daily

AC8669

Newark-Halifax

13:45

16:35

Daily

Vancouver-Houston

Air Canada's new, year-round Vancouver-Houston route will begin December 16, 2022. It will be operated daily with an Air Canada Airbus A220, offering Business and Economy cabins. The non-stop service provides increased options from Western Canada to Texas and connections onward through United Airlines to Latin America and the Caribbean, while providing new convenient one-stop connections from the U.S. to Air Canada's Asia-Pacific network from the airline's Vancouver hub.

Flight

Route

Departs

Arrives

Frequency

AC1300

Vancouver-Houston

08:45

15:08

Daily

AC1301

Houston-Vancouver

16:30

19:15

Daily

All flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, where available, for eligible customers and Aeroplan members, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access, priority boarding and other benefits.

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https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/air-canada-agrees-to-add-more-a220-planes-to-airbus-order-1.1837281

Air Canada agrees to add more A220 planes to Airbus order

Air Canada agreed expand a plane order from Airbus SE as the carrier looks to enlarge its fleet amid the post-COVID rebound in air travel. 

The carrier said it's adding 15 A220-300 jets by converting options into firm orders, according to a statement that confirmed an earlier report by Bloomberg News. 

The order follows a deal closed in 2016 for 45 A220s that included 30 options. Air Canada has already received 31 of those planes, according to Airbus orders and deliveries data for September. 

The market value of the 15 additional planes is about US$528 million in 2021, based on prices provided by aircraft appraiser Avitas Inc.The A220 is a Canadian aircraft, designed and launched by Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. before being sold to its European rival. 

The airline last month said it will purchase 30 ES-30 electric-hybrid aircraft to offer zero-emission flights to customers in Canada as soon as 2028. The planes, which are being developed by Sweden-based Heart Aerospace AB, are “much more cost efficient” and could help the airline expand in regional markets, Chief Executive Officer Michael Rousseau said at the time.

The landscape for plane deals is being revived as travel returns following two years of paralysis amid the COVID pandemic. Chinese airlines have ordered aircraft worth more than US$40 billion from Airbus in the past few months, while formerly state-run Air India Ltd. is in talks with Boeing Co. and Airbus to place one of the largest orders in commercial aviation history, Bloomberg News reported in June. 

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Emirates Has Now Activated Its Air Canada Codeshare Agreement

Riley Pickett - 3h ago
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Emirates Has Now Activated Its Air Canada Codeshare Agreement
Emirates Has Now Activated Its Air Canada Codeshare Agreement© Provided by SimpleFlying

Air Canada and Emirates have announced that beginning November 1st, passengers will be able to take advantage of a codeshare agreement between the two airlines. The agreement will allow customers of both airlines to access 46 destinations across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Most of these are through Emirates networks, with Air Canada offering six domestic destinations as a part of the agreement. Frequent flyer members of the two airlines will soon be able to earn mileage rewards while flying on the other airline.

 

Codeshare agreement

As of November 1st, the codeshare agreement offers services to 35 destinations. The other 11 are pending approval from foreign aviation administrations. Once all planned services are approved, Emirates passengers looking to visit Canada will have access through the codeshare agreement to visit six destinations beyond Toronto. These include Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax, and Montreal. For these passengers, Emirates will place their code on Air Canada tickets for these flights across Canada.

Air Canada passengers looking to visit one of the many destinations offered by Emirates through the codeshare will have Air Canada's code printed on their Emirates ticket. The agreement will allow Air Canada to advertise connections around the world. Its customers will have access to destinations across the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The airlines have stated that they plan to further expand the list of codeshare destinations in the future.

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.

 

Optimistic partnership

Both airlines expect this partnership to increase passenger traffic along their routes. It will enable Emirates to advertise connections to Canadian cities beyond Toronto. The President of Emirates, Tim Clark, stated,

 

"We are delighted to establish a partnership with Air Canada, to expand our reach into more points in North America. Partnering with Canada's flag carrier enables us to offer customers seamless connectivity when flying to domestic points within Canada via Toronto. Besides the added-value benefits and rewarding experiences that leisure and business travelers of both airlines can look forward to, the partnership allows Air Canada's customers to travel to destinations across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, thanks to our expansive network via our hub in Dubai."

The President and CEO of Air Canada, Michael Rousseau, shared the airlines' enthusiasm for the new codeshare agreement. Rousseau said,

 

"This exciting new partnership with Emirates will allow Air Canada to meaningfully broaden the choice of flight options for our customers. It will create easier connections between Canada and destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. As well, it will allow us to draw more connecting traffic through our Toronto global hub and expand our presence in these dynamic regions where demand for global travel is expected to grow,"

Frequent flyer rewards

The airlines are currently working on a reciprocal frequent flyer program where Skywards and Aeroplan members can earn and redeem points on flights operated by Air Canada and Emirates. These passengers will also be able to access the applicable airport lounges of both airlines.

What do you think of this codeshare agreement? Let us know in the comments below.

  •  
    Air Canada
    IATA/ICAO Code: AC/ACA
    Airline Type: Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s): Calgary International Airport, Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport
    Year Founded: 1967
    Alliance: Star Alliance
    CEO: Michael Rousseau
    Country: Canada
  •  
    Emirates
    IATA/ICAO Code: EK/UAE
    Airline Type: Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s): Dubai International Airport
    Year Founded: 1985
    CEO: Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
    Country: United Arab Emirates
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  • 4 weeks later...
40 minutes ago, FA@AC said:

".......“I went up to him and said, what’s the delay? He said they had no staff. That night, there were five baggage handlers for all incoming flights.”

The Pearson employee told the woman that, typically, there would be as many as 30 baggage handlers per shift at the Toronto airport........."

  • Sad 1
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Nonstop flights from YYC to Vancouver island also on the chopping block.

Air Canada to cancel flights from Regina, Saskatoon to Calgary

Jeanelle-Mandes.jpg?quality=85&strip=all
By Jeanelle Mandes  Global News
Posted December 7, 2022 3:31 pm
 Updated December 7, 2022 5:00 pm

Global Saskatoon checked in with passengers de-boarding a plane from Calgary on Wednesday. Starting mid-January 2023, residents of Saskatchewan who want to travel to Calgary will now have to find another option. Opinions were mixed with some travelers supporting the change, as skipping the layover could amount to a less stressful experience.

  • Starting mid-January 2023, travellers will notice some turbulence in their travels. Air Canada is ending direct flights from Saskatchewan to and from Calgary starting next month.
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In a statement, Air Canada says it is looking to rebuild in a prudent and disciplined way by deploying resources where they will be most productive. The company added that it will continue to focus on main hubs in Canada such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

“As a result, we have made the difficult decision to suspend a number of regional routes from Calgary airport effective mid-Jan. 2023,” stated Air Canada.

“While changes are made on some regional routes, it is important to note that Air Canada will continue to fly to every community it currently operates in. Saskatoon and Regina will continue to see flights to/from Toronto and Vancouver.”

he Regina Airport Authority manager of customer experience and marketing said it’s going to be disappointing as there is only one flight a day to Calgary with Air Canada currently.

“They’re going to have to look at WestJet, which currently flies about three to five times a day to Calgary from Regina and in the spring, five to six times currently in their schedule,” said Justin Reves.

“So, they’re going to have to choose a different airline. But money also opens up opportunities for an ultra-low-cost carrier like Lynx, Flair or Swoop to come in and help fill that void that was left by Air Canada.”

CJ Dushinski, vice-president of business development and service quality at Skyxe Saskatoon Airport, said it was surprising news for them as they heard late last week.

“It’s a loss for the market and the community. It’s certainly disappointing,” she said. “We do hope to see Air Canada pick up some additional seats into their other hubs such as Toronto and Vancouver to help offset this loss.”

In a letter to Air Canada’s president and chief executive officer and executive vice-president and chief operations officer, the president and CEO of Economic Development Regina (EDR) expressed disappointment and highlighted the need for connectivity.

“EDR stands ready to join in these types of conversations and it is with hope and respect that we ask you
to reconsider this operational decision and commit to a renewal and eventual expansion of service to
Regina,” stated Chris Lane. “It is good for Air Canada, it is good for Regina, and it is good for the country.”

In an email statement, WestJet says it has no plans to reduce service levels to Saskatoon or Regina and will continue to focus on enhancing Western Canada’s connectivity.

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  • 1 month later...

https://canadianaviationnews.wordpress.com/2023/01/12/air-canada-announces-the-retirement-of-lucie-guillemette-executive-vice-president-and-chief-commercial-officer/

 

MONTREAL, Jan. 12, 2023 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada today announced the retirement of Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. Ms. Guillemette, who is responsible for the airline’s commercial strategies, will retire at the end of April 2023, ending a highly successful career touching five decades at Canada’s flag carrier.

Lucie Guillemette (CNW Group/Air Canada) Lucie Guillemette (CNW Group/Air Canada)

Air Canada also announced today a realigned senior management structure taking effect with Ms. Guillemette’s departure. Mark Nasr, Senior Vice President, Products, Marketing and eCommerce, will become Executive Vice President Marketing and Digital, and President of Aeroplan. Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management, will become Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning, including responsibility for Air Canada Vacations. The new appointments will be effective May 1, 2023.

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