Do they get it?

[handyman]

Why is it that most if not all AC employees and managers do not understand what has happened to the viability of there company. It was not 911 or the Iraqi war nor was it SARS. It was the steady decline in support from their passengers.

Other airlines have tough times and also declare bankruptcy but only AC seems to have created a deep seeded hatred among the very group they are so dependant on, the flying public.

I find most travelers in Canada will take alternate means of travel to avoid AC if possible. The reason is often due to the unfriendly service from the employees.

Personally, I have met some very pleasant and friendly employees at AC but I have also been on the receiving end of some very miserable people. These people are the ones responsible for the state of the airline. It's all about perception and AC is considered the big bad bully and only management and the employees can change that. Become known for being the friendly airline and I'm sure your future will be bright and clear.

I personally hope things change at AC as I believe we need a national airline and one the people of Canada can be proud of.

To all the AC employees, do not take this as a slam but as a plea to encourage change in your airline.

[Guest CJRT]

CPDude,

you are right on the money. Perception is everything and somehow AC has created for themselves this image that you talk about. As someone who works in the AC system I see examples of hard working, friendly, customer oriented employees every time I work. Unfortunately, I also see AC employees talk down, berate, ignore, and grumble at customers and fellow employees.

If as an AC employee you find yourself muttering the words "..it's not my job.." and it prevents you from assisting a customer, marshalling an airplane in or crossing a seatbelt, you may want to take a moment to realize that you are part of the problem and with a slight change in attitude you can make your day easier, someone else's day better and help turn this company around.

Cheers !!

[dagger]

Notwithstanding the attitude and service issues you refer to, the numbers don't back up the theory that AC is in trouble because customers are abandoning it. Last year Air Canada mainline had a record number of total passengers and a record load factor. What it couldn't do was sustain the kind of yields that it has in the past, a function of rising discount competition and by cutbacks in business travel related to all kinds of global geo-political and economic concerns.

[Guest Eclipse]

I can fully understand you encounters with less than friendly AC employees. I have run into them also, but they are fewer and fewer.

But if you look at Air Canada's load factors the are very respectable. Almost 10 percent higher than our main competition.

If AC had paid Westjet wages in 2002 they could have shown aprox a 800 million dollar profit.

[Guest Starman]

Load factor and yield tend to be inversely proportional in todays market. What we need to do, and CPDude is making the point, is to increase the value of our currently de-valued product in order to justify a higher yield.

[DEFCON]

Perhaps like vallet parking certain flights could pay a premium and in return recieve priority handling by all levels of the ATC service?

[handyman]

Sure it does! They lost the high yielding passenger and drastically lowered the fares to get them back. The problem is that they are trying to compete with the low cost carriers when the salaries are double and the productivity is almost half. Also, load factors mean nothing if yields are low. Give away free seats and I'm sure you will have a 100% load factor.

Bottom line, people have fun on some low cost carriers and they don't on AC. For the same price and similar service, which one would you take?

[Guest chiselcharter]

How much profit sharing would 800 million produce?