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[Guest2]

Under current regulations, Air Canada's move is completely within the regulations.

Saskatoon Chamber Asks Watchdog to Examine Air Service Changes

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NEWS PROVIDED BY

Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce 

Jan 17, 2023, 10:30 ET

 

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Air Canada decision amounts to net loss of competition, customer choice

SASKATOON, SK, Jan. 17, 2023 /CNW/ - The Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce today called on Canada's Competition Bureau to examine Air Canada's decision to terminate air service from Saskatoon to Calgary's regional hub, and the implications for travellers who now face less choice and higher costs because competition has been harmed.

"Air Canada has not adequately explained its 'business decision' to disregard strong and growing demand and eliminate a route that has been consistently profitable for over 30 years," said Jason Aebig, CEO of the Saskatoon Chamber, noting forecasts that predict strong economic and population growth for Saskatoon and Saskatchewan in the years ahead. "If Air Canada is unwilling to explain its decision to its customers and stakeholders, it can explain its decision to its regulators."

He continued: "We believe in profitability. We believe in competition. This decision doesn't make sense and all of it needs a closer look."

The Chamber's 11-page submission to the Bureau contends that Air Canada's cancellation of service from Saskatoon to Calgary amounts to a net loss of competition and choice for business and leisure travellers, leaving its closest, direct competitor as the sole provider of comparable service to Saskatoon and Saskatchewan. WestJet will be the only airline offering direct service between Saskatchewan and Calgary now that Air Canada's route cancellation has taken effect, giving it an anticompetitive monopoly.

Route changes through 2022 suggest that Air Canada and WestJet took steps to soften competition in the oligopolistic Canadian airline industry. Air Canada withdrew competition from the traditional home-turf regional routes of WestJet, and WestJet did the same in the traditional home-turf regional routes of Air Canada.

The Chamber has asked the Bureau to determine whether the air carriers either expressly or tacitly came to an agreement to allocate markets, contrary to the conspiracy provisions, or the civil competitor collaboration provisions, of the Competition Act.

Even if the conduct falls short of being an "agreement" between the airlines, it amounts to an abuse of dominance by Air Canada and WestJet where the airlines have engaged in conduct intended to harm competition, thereby improving their respective positions in the market. 

"Generations of taxpayers have supported the operation of our airlines and national air services system with the expectation that they work for the benefit of all Canadians, in every province and region," says Aebig. "They have a responsibility to the country, and specifically the travelling public, to account for decisions that are clearly undermining competition and choice."

The Chamber believes softened competition between Air Canada and WestJet has been to the detriment of the Canadian travelling public and the Canadian business community with Saskatoon and Saskatchewan as the latest victims.

"Air Canada's route cancelation means that Saskatoon-based businesses will spend more time and more money to connect with the people and markets they serve," said Aebig. "Compared to neighbouring provinces, Air Canada's decision creates unnecessary barriers for Saskatoon's current businesses, research institutes and residents, as well as those wishing to visit, study or do business here."

The Chamber believes Air Canada's decision to abandon a longstanding and profitable domestic route, and cede ground to its closest direct competitor, is concerning and warrants the Bureau's intervention.

"We trust the Competition Bureau to clarify the issues," said Aebig. "What is clear is business confidence is strong, our economic horizon is bright, and growing numbers of people are eager to visit, study and work in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan."

The Conference Board of Canada is forecasting Saskatoon's economic growth to outpace nearly every other Canadian city. These trends are attributable to Saskatoon's impressive population growth, resource mining and processing facilities, thriving agri-food and research clusters, and burgeoning tech hub.

The full text of the Chamber's submission to the Bureau is available at https://saskatoonchamber.com/issues/.

SOURCE Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce

[Airband]

Ontario couple’s luggage containing tracker donated to charity by Air Canada

Tue Jan 24, 2023 - Global News
by Brittany Rosen

Quote

Passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs calls Air Canada's actions "theft."

Worried about the airline losing your luggage on your next trip?

More and more people are putting electronic devices like AirTags and Tile trackers on their bags just in case. It's what one Ontario couple did, but it didn't help them get their belongings back any faster.

Nikita Rees-Wilson and her husband enjoyed a honeymoon in Greece last fall. Like many, they returned home to Cambridge without any luggage.

"We did our due diligence," Rees-Wilson said. "We filed all the paperwork, we filed the missing baggage claim."

The couple tracked their baggage with Apple AirTags. They watched as it sat in Montreal for roughly a month before being shipped out to a facility in Etobicoke in the Greater Toronto Area.

"We got really excited because we're like 'Oh it's coming back to Toronto, it's going to go to a processing facility, this is awesome,'" Rees-Wilsons said.

However, their suitcases remained there for more than three months.

They called Air Canada countless times but did not get help retrieving their bags. That's when they got the police involved. Officers got a warrant to search the Etobicoke storage facility.

Toronto police told Global News in a statement, "it was determined that a charity organization that is contracted by the airline carrier had lawfully obtained the luggage from the airline after the luggage was not claimed. The luggage was transported to a storage facility in Etobicoke."

Rees-Wilson said, "We thought if we got the police involved they could seize this luggage because it's our personal property.

"So when we found out Air Canada said it was under legal terms donated, I'm like 'what kind of legal terms is this?' It made us even more frustrated."

Meanwhile, Air Canada told Global News: "our goal is to always have baggage arrive with customers. We are working to resolve this matter."

The airline did not provide additional information about its current lost luggage policies nor the name of the charity to which it is affiliated.

Passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs calls Air Canada's actions "theft."

"This is the most egregious baggage-related issue I've seen in my 15 years of being a passengers' rights advocate," Lukacs said.

"Just because there may be some contract with Air Canada and the charity, it doesn't mean that there's any basis for Air Canada giving away passengers' property."

Toronto criminal defence lawyer Marcus Bornfreund echoes Lukacs' concerns, saying "the airline is not lawfully in possession of that bag. It was delayed, lost and then found."

"It hasn't been signed over to Air Canada at any point."

While the couple has since been reunited with their possessions, Rees-Wilson says her experience can happen to anyone and encourages people to hold airlines accountable.

She tells Global News she has been financially compensated by the airline, but is considering taking further legal action.

[Kip Powick]

However, their suitcases remained there for more than three months.

 

 

I am not defending the airline's colossal screw up   but........

I guess I am just too simple minded........but if it was me, the moment I knew it was in Etobicoke, and knew the location ,....... I would be on my skateboard heading for the "luggage dump" . 

If the damned luggage was that important why would anyone wait over 3 months ??????

[Seeker]

11 minutes ago, Kip Powick said:

However, their suitcases remained there for more than three months.

 

 

I am not defending the airline's colossal screw up   but........

I guess I am just too simple minded........but if it was me, the moment I knew it was in Etobicoke, and knew the location ,....... I would be on my skateboard heading for the "luggage dump" . 

If the damned luggage was that important why would anyone wait over 3 months ??????

Yeah, actually 4 months.  My opinion is that it was a setup from the get go.  Self serve baggage tagging in YUL.  So they print a tag but don't put it on the bag, remove any id and contact information, drop an airtag into the inside pocket and send the bag down the belt.  Wait 4 months until the bag moves and drop a bunch of videos, tweets - fame and notoriety follows.  High likelihood of cash and prizes (free trips, etc).  

[Airband]

1 hour ago, Kip Powick said:

but if it was me, the moment I knew it was in Etobicoke, and knew the location ,....... I would be on my skateboard heading for the "luggage dump" .

What would you have done when you got there?

Quote

However, their suitcases remained there for more than three months.
They called Air Canada countless times but did not get help retrieving their bags. That's when they got the police involved. Officers got a warrant to search the Etobicoke storage facility.

 

[Guest1]

Mine would be, the airline paid out the claim and then they owned what ever was found.   Full Stop.   No big deal.

[Kip Powick]

What would you have done when you got there?

 

Turn on my iPhone camera, call the Police and show them that I can identify my luggage with the "airtags"  and ask them what happens next. 

Trust me...I would not be sitting on my butt for over 3 months waiting to see what happens..

Rule number 1.

Don't pi$$ off an old guy who is retired, knows how to use a computer,  and has nothing but time, and knows how to get the ball rolling.......I won't bore the members with details but it took just one letter with a lot of  copies going to many agencies that got the CEO of a company to personally telephone me and  apologize and then stated the "funds would be in the bank within 48 hours"..............................and they were.

If you want the details just PM me...I still have the file :

 

[Airband]

10 hours ago, Kip Powick said:

Turn on my iPhone camera, call the Police and show them that I can identify my luggage with the "airtags"  and ask them what happens next. 

Isn't that essentially what the customer did?

Quote

Rees said Wilson walked around the storage facility and found a storage unit where he believed the bag was located. There was a gap in the door and he was able to use a flashlight to see inside. Rees said he told her the unit was filled from floor to ceiling with luggage.
Rees said they called police and officers launched an investigation, but officers were unable to get them their bag because it belonged to a third-party handler that Air Canada sends unclaimed luggage to before it's donated to charity. - CBC News

 

[Kip Powick]

Isn't that essentially what the customer did?

Found the CBC article..you refer to ........yes, ... that is what they did....after...letting the luggage sit there for  3 months or more.

They were compensated by the airline about one month after they landed,  (the Global article makes no mention of that fact ), so if I understand the CBC article, the luggage is no longer theirs so now they make a big stink about it so the question arises....../// If they had got the luggage out of the lock-up, would they return their compensation....or are they looking for more Press?? //// 

I think the airline probably has legal forms that dictate that once the luggage is deemed, "lost" and compensation has been made to the claiment, the luggage now belongs to the airline and they can do what they want with it.

These two  individuals certainly have the right to be peeved that they did not get their luggage but they have been compensated, about a month after their submitted  claim, so why are they complaining now and "possibly seeking further legal action ? ".....Do they feel they should be compensated further ? If that is the case why did they accept the initial compensation, and not seek further legal action in October ??Is it because they like the press coverage .

My POV... based on only the GLOBAL article above, I was not aware that they had been compensated a month after they arrived in Canada and the Global  article tends to lean toward garnering sympathy from the public. Based soley on the Global article my  point  remains........ that they sat back for over 3 months before taking any action in attempting to get  their luggage back.  If it were me, and I had no luggage and no compensation, I would have been at the luggage "dump" the moment I knew it was in Etobicoke. 

Kargokings...Mine would be, the airline paid out the claim and then they owned what ever was found.   Full Stop.   No big deal.

I agree

[Airband]

3 hours ago, Kip Powick said:

Is it because they like the press coverage .

More likely they were pîssed off at the dismissive arrogance of Air Canada and responded accordingly. Seemed to have worked.

[Airband]

Can airlines really give away your lost luggage? 

AirTags could be a legal test for a controversial practice

Sat Jan 28, 2023 - The Globe and Mail
by Erica Alini and Irene Galea

Quote

“The technology that is available to the customer is far superior to the technology available to the airline,”

The case of a couple from Cambridge, Ont., who had their bag donated to charity by Air Canada  despite tracking it with an AirTag is drawing fresh scrutiny to airlines’ long-standing but controversial practice of disposing of luggage deemed lost.

Some legal experts and consumer advocates say that while airlines never had the authority to dispose of lost baggage, passengers’ use of tracking devices could become a new test of the legal soundness of that practice.

Nakita Rees-Wilson and Thomas Wilson made national headlines with the story of how they rescued their missing luggage from a storage facility in Etobicoke, Ont. The couple, who flew home from a trip to Europe with Air Canada in early September, say the airline left one of their bags in Montreal during a layover. They were able to track the location of the missing luggage for months through an Apple AirTag, a loonie-sized Bluetooth device that users can locate with their phones.

But the couple says Air Canada made no effort to trace the bag based on the AirTag’s location, even though they shared with the company several times. Instead, the airline paid them compensation and gave away their bag to charity. It wasn’t until Mr. Wilson drove to their bag’s location and got the police involved that they were finally reunited with their luggage.

Airlines’ inability to locate a misplaced bag never stripped passengers of their ownership rights, and the disposing of passengers’ possessions potentially raises issues of criminal liability for the industry, said Marcus Bornfreund, a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer.

Ms. Rees-Wilson and Mr. Wilson’s luggage fiasco shows how tracking devices are giving consumers a new way to “challenge the designation of their luggage as lost,” he said.

Typically, airlines consider a bag lost if it has no external identification information, such as a name tag, and if enough time has passed that passengers would receive compensation, said John Gradek, co-ordinator of McGill University’s aviation management program.

Carriers often rely on third-party companies to destroy or salvage the bags and their contents after they have been sitting in storage, he said, adding that Ms. Rees-Wilson and Mr. Wilson’s account suggests that Air Canada’s current policy is to give the luggage to charity.

Air Canada did not respond to a request to share details about its lost-luggage handling process, including how long it waits before giving bags away. Instead, the airline said it provided the couple with compensation worth $2,300 in October.

Under current air travel rules, Canadians are entitled to compensation of up to approximately $2,350 from an airline if they don’t receive missing baggage within 21 days. Passengers can seek additional compensation for any damages suffered, said Gabor Lukacs, an advocate for air-passenger rights.

Ms. Rees-Wilson and Mr. Wilson’s luggage saga suggests that Air Canada – and likely other carriers – have not adequately updated their missing luggage protocols to systematically incorporate passengers’ own information about where their bags are, Mr. Gradek said.

“The technology that is available to the customer is far superior than the technology available to the airline,” he said.

In e-mails, WestJet and Air Transat said they incorporate any information that passengers share about the location of tracked bags in their efforts to return misplaced luggage. Both carriers said they donate or dispose of bags that go unclaimed for 90 days.

[Guest1]

Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321 MAYDAY Due To "Multiple Successive Fault Messages"

BYCHRIS LOH

PUBLISHED 13 HOURS AGO

 

Various systems failed during the A321 flight from Cozumel to Toronto prompting a MAYDAY and diversion.

An Airbus A321-200 operated by Air Canada Rouge was flying from Cozumel (Mexico) to its home base at Toronto Pearson International Airport on January 23rd when issues arose with various flight systems. The issues were so severe that the crew was forced to declare MAYDAY and divert to Tampa, Florida in the United States.

Flight and incident details

According to The Aviation Herald, the Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321-200 registered C-GHQI was performing flight RV1997 from Cozumel to Toronto on January 23rd when the incident occurred.

Cruising at FL370, across the Gulf of Mexico and some 250nm north of Cozumel, the flight crew began to receive "multiple successive fault messages" on the aircraft's ECAM (Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor). The ECAM is used to monitor and display engine and aircraft system information to the pilots.

Messages alerted the crew of issues with the aircraft's ELAC (Elevator and Aileron Computer), stabilizer, autopilot and yellow hydraulic system. As result of these issues, the aircraft's fly-by-wire system reverted from Normal Law to ALTN LAW (Alternate Law). As pilot Mohamed Anas Maaz explains, "when met with certain failure conditions, the aircraft control laws degrade to alternate law. In alternate law, most of the envelope protections are lost except for the load factor protection."

The flight crew then declared MAYDAY and diverted Tampa International Airport. During the flight's approach towards this diversion airport, the aircraft's fly-by-wire further downgraded to Direct Law - a setting where all the protections (over/under speed protection, pitch/bank angle limits, etc) are lost, and the pilot is required to trim the aircraft manually. Despite the changes the aircraft's systems and controls, the pilots landed the aircraft safely on Tampa's runway 01L, approximately 50 minutes after issues surfaced.

 

Aircraft details and current situation

According to Planespotters.net, the Airbus A321-200 registered C-GHQI was delivered to Air Canada in January 2019 as a second-hand airframe. With an age of eight and a half years at the time of this article's publication, the aircraft began its service life as VQ-BMI (MSN 6232) flying for Russia's UTAir from 2014 to 2015. Then, from 2015 to 2019, this aircraft operated with the now-defunct Icelandic budget airline WOW Air - registered as TF-DAD.

As of November 2022, ch-aviation.com data lists the aircraft as having flown 20,142 hours across 5,652 cycles and is configured with a two-class cabin: 12 seats in its "Premium Rouge" class and another 184 in economy class.

At the time of this article's publication, it appears that this aircraft is still in Tampa (over four days since the incident). While FlightRadar24.com data lists the A321 as being scheduled to operate Air Canada flight AC1664 from Toronto to Fort Myers on January 28th at 12:00, this data may be outdated as there is still no record of the aircraft returning (or being scheduled to return) to Toronto from Tampa.

[Tango Foxtrot]

C-FDQQ, fin 201 recently retired. First A320, seen here being received January 1990

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kip Powick]

Grass is green.....why ear muffs and a scarf ?? Was it that cold that January day ???

Or is it head phones...I guess ear pods weren't around then  ??

IMO...a remarkable photo.............. but 

[Tango Foxtrot]

Just think about it. Nobody even knew what an A320 was .  Air Canada bought them. They made the right choice.

 

[boestar]

all we knew is that is cut trees faster than anything else at the tiime

[Specs]

23 hours ago, boestar said:

all we knew is that is cut trees faster than anything else at the tiime

And you got bags of money if you bought them.

Edited February 9, 2023 by Specs

[st27]

Re delivery photo…..sure it’s January?  That grass is pretty green.

[conehead]

11 hours ago, Specs said:

Any you got bags of money if you bought them.

Delivered by a German fellow in a brown paper bag. 

[J.O.]

14 hours ago, st27 said:

Re delivery photo…..sure it’s January?  That grass is pretty green.

Could the picture have been taken in Toulouse when they received the aircraft?

[Airband]

Customer Care winners and their guests joined Pierre Jeanniot and Leo Desrochers on the tarmac in Toulouse shortly after the official ceremony to mark the delivery of Air Canada's first A320.

[GDR]

We had a sad beginning with that aircraft. Capt. Pete Dzulinsky (sp?) was charged with accepting this aircraft and had been very involved with the program to get the 320 into operation with AC..

Unfortunately, while in flight planning in Toulouse he died suddenly. There used to be a plaque on that aircraft honouring him. 

[conehead]

55 minutes ago, GDR said:

We had a sad beginning with that aircraft. Capt. Pete Dzulinsky (sp?) was charged with accepting this aircraft and had been very involved with the program to get the 320 into operation with AC..

Unfortunately, while in flight planning in Toulouse he died suddenly. There used to be a plaque on that aircraft honouring him. 

Yes, I always noticed that plaque when I worked on that airframe..

[Guest1]

Air Canada testing 'voluntary' facial recognition boarding at Pearson, Vancouver airports

 

Air Canada is testing facial recognition boarding at Toronto and Vancouver airports. Air Canada YouTube

By Michael Talbot

Posted Feb 21, 2023, 11:35AM MST.

No identification? No boarding pass?

No problem.

Air Canada says it has become the first airline in this country to test facial recognition technology that would allow a person to board a flight without those key documents, instead using the Air Canada app to create a ‘faceprint’ that would verify their identity.

The pilot project is currently underway at Vancouver International Airport on select flights to Winnipeg and at the Air Canada Café at Pearson Airport in Toronto.

Air Canada says it has plans to expand the testing to “select Canadian airports and Maple Leaf Lounges” in the future.

The term “facial recognition” often sparks privacy concerns, but Air Canada says the technology is strictly on a voluntary basis, promising “a simplified and seamless process at the gate” for those who wish to participate.

“Many of our customers already utilize digital credentials to simplify their daily activities such as unlocking mobile phones, entering workplaces, verifying identification during financial transactions and more,” said Craig Landry, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at Air Canada.

“We are very excited to now take a leadership position in Canada and test digital identification using facial recognition technology to validate customer identification quickly, securely and accurately at select airport touchpoints.”

“Participation in digital identification is voluntary,” he stressed.

Air Canada says customers who don’t want to use facial recognition “may simply board as they currently do now by presenting their boarding pass and government-issued photo ID for manual ID check and processing.”

The federal government, which has faced pressure to alleviate wait times at Canada’s often-beleaguered airports, applauded the technology.

“Our government and Canadian airlines and airports are eager to move forward with innovative solutions and technologies to modernize the traveler journey in airports across the country, which would enable a more seamless and efficient air transportation system,” Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, said in a release.

Alghabra said facial recognition would speed up processes “while respecting robust privacy measures and security standards.”

“This project has great potential in making gate boarding easier and faster for Canadian passengers, while maintaining strong safety measures.”

Air Canada released a video showing how the technology works.

“Digital identification is a single enrollment feature on the Air Canada app. Biometric data is encrypted and stored only on the customer’s mobile phone,” Air Canada said.

“Customers must provide additional consent for the data to be used day-of travel and will only be retained for up to 36 hours subject to Air Canada’s rigorous privacy and security standards

[mo32a]

At the Miami cruise ship terminal, they used facial recognition for arrival, no need to show a passport.

It was not voluntary.