Air Canada Consumer Reviews - Page 7

I've flown Air Canada from London to Toronto within the past 8 months and found the first class service substandard and not close to being worth the price paid. My partner and I were not impressed with the overweight flight attendants, who, despite the increases in space offered by first class, still managed to nudge me with their backside every time they walked past. No smiles and not encouraging me to feel it was first class. We got off the airplane and immediately said we will never ever pay to fly first with Air Canada ever again.

Recently I've booked another flight for my father from Toronto to Vancouver. I'm in Europe right now but thought it would be a nice gift. The customer services in India were so helpful. Much more helpful than in Canada. So much so they recommended booking online to save money to which I did. 200$ I saved thanks to them.

But they have this issue that when I book and only me it would seem (my partner books all the time and doesn't have the same problem).. they make it mandatory that I show up at the ticket desk before the flight so that they can run my credit card manually. Well I'm not flying to Toronto to do this prior to my father heading out to Vancouver. A chat with Canadian customer services was abusive and ridiculous.

I don't appreciate customer services telling me how things are when it's obvious they aren't. I'm looking for options and I'm looking for a company who values their customers and is willing to look for alternate options. There's always a way. Nothing is black and white. So, after asking to speak to a manager I was put on hold for 40 min... hung up, called the swiss number (routed to India) and spoke to another delightful lady. She found a way and helped me out and now it's all resolved. Of course, cost me an extra $60 on the original price I had been quoted via the internet... I've spent thousands and thousands on Air Canada. My choice is to never spend it again.

On Jan 25, 2005 I went to Air Canada checkin at SFO airport to fly to Vancouver on the evening flight. First I returned the rental car and proceeded on the cumbersome 20 min route to the terminal that involved a skytrain, walking through a park deck and numerous steps, tunnels and escalators and elevators.

The Air Canada "self service machine" failed to see my reservation, technical problems, I queued to check in, with only 50 minutes now left for departure - I was getting nervous. I was told abruptly by the french sounding rep that the flight was operated by United Airlines in another terminal, the codeshare had no meaning - it simply was a United flight and Air Canada could not check me in.

I ran with the luggage to United with 30 min before departure. They refused to take me and re-booked me for the morning flight. It was fair play from United and I accepted it was Air Canada to blame for the mis-leading codeshare information. I came earlier the next day and checked in with United and took off. The luggage went to my final leg Vienna, Austria, I was on my first leg to Vancouver followed by Air Canada to London and finally British Airways to Vienna. Great service from United (!) you tagged it one week in advance of my final arrival to Vienna.

Thanks to the rudeness of Air Canada in London where I thought the luggage ended up - I never expected to see the luggage again. I then asked British Airways if they carried the luggage to Vienna (last leg was on BA), they said it is the responsibility of the last airline but as a courtesy they will help me even though they have not flown me yet. To my surprise a day later my mobile rang with detailed information. One bag waiting in Vienna for me, two bags in London in a courier car to be delivered to my hotel in an hour. How can bags fly without the passenger in today's heightened security?? Nevertheless congratulation to British Airways for finding the bags and taking care of it.

Lesson to all, only carry baggage onboard and if you must check in luggage check the tags. Do not assume you have been tagged correctly. Air Canada is the rudest airline in the world, they should be shut down forever. They even had the nerve to close the "maple leaf" lounge in Vancouver 35 minutes before the London flight departure, in fact the coffee machine was switched off 55 minutes before take off! Is that civil service government mentality or what? Long live British Airways. RIP Air Canada.

My daughter flew out of Grande Prairie AB today via Air Canada & its local connector Jazz Air. When she went to check in the check in person, who wasn't wearing a name tag, told her her bag was a bit overweight. She made my daughter open her suitcase at the check in counter, with everyone in line watching, and made her take out a light grey hoodie jacket.

When my daughter asked her why she was making my daughter do this, the reply was, "I'm trying to save you some money damn it!" My daughter took the hoodie out and put it in her carry on. This removal of a 1 pound item made her baggage suitable to go on now. After my daughter got her boarding passes, she found that she only had 2 instead of 3. She got back in line and when she finally ended up at the check in was told "You have to get that in San Francisco," and then told my daughter to move on so she could help another customer.

My daughter made her flights, with United in Edmonton getting her pass that was missing. My wife phoned Air Canada and related what happened. The Air Canada representative told us to make a complaint, because this kind of customer service wasn't appropriate. The representative on the phone and the people at United in Edmonton were more helpful and explained what was happening better than was done here in Grande Prairie. I think the next time we fly to the US we'll drive to Edmonton, park the vehicle at the Park & Ride and fly from there rather than from here, or else fly Westjet.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- On most airlines, American, United, Jet Blue etc. you are allowed to fly on earlier or later flights on a standby basis without extra charges particularly on the return flight. My son flew from Edmonton to New York this morning to Toronto on Air Canada and wanted to spend a few hours with his grandparents in Toronto before flying back to New York. The Air Canada reservation agents who were spoken to said it would not be a problem and that he could fly back on a standby basis on a later flight without charge.

When he tried to arrange this upon check-in this morning in Edmonton and then again in Toronto, the gate agents told him he cannot do it and told him if he wanted to fly standby later today it would cost him another $538.00 despite the fact that many of their flights this afternoon were half-empty.

Way to go Air Canada... No wonder you are always on the list as one of the worst service-oriented airlines in the world. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! We just love when you rip us off! Oh, talking about ripoffs, it is wonderful to see you and American Airlines charging $ 750.00 and more for a round trip ticket from New York to Toronto! Where are you Jet Blue?

DORSAL QUEBEC -- I just received a letter back from Air Canada stating that they will not cover broken items worth over 250 dollars. My wife and I were travelling out of Toronto Airport, when they stopped us at the X-ray machine. They claimed we were not allowed liquids and either they keep them or we turn around, and pay 20 dollars to put them in the over-sized area with fragile stickers all over our 1 bag. I explained to the attendant that I was concerned these liquids were going to break. He didn't really respond, as we just got off the flight from Cancun with the liquids on board with us, however we got back to Winnipeg they lost our luggage then found it.

We asked the attendant in Baggage handling if everything was OK with our bag, he stated yes! However my wife opened the bag to find that our Khalsa 40 oz had broken inside. We have a 250 dollars iPad destroyed in which I claiming for. The best they came back with was "it could have been turbulence" which they're not responsible for, shifting of items, during takeoff and landing. You can tell all your excuses you want, you're a joke Air Canada, just trying to recoup your bankrupt money. No wonder because your customer skills also, now I know why I haven't flown with Air Canada in 30 years or more. I will go back to the best as far as I'm concerned - Westjet.

VANCOUVER -- This summer I flew from Vancouver to Toronto and noticed that my zipper was open about four inches as the luggage went around the turnstile. As I had a busy commute I didn't unpack until the next day and found that I was missing two very expensive woman's tunic, a beautiful metallic lace vest which I had just purchased and two scarves that went with the tunics. The total of these clothes would be about a thousand dollars. It's not just the clothes - it's the violation.

The little pad lock had been broken and the luggage was open. Air Canada was uncaring. I will make certain I put a ziplock tie on my suitcase from now on... Big Warning... Do not trust checked luggage.... will be secure once it leaves your sight until you meet it again on the other side!

PORTLAND, OREGON -- Air Canada has their own set of rules when it comes to service. Most Airlines have a cut off of 30 minutes from departure. Air Canada has a 60-minute cut off that is NOT disclosed on their online ticket purchase documentation.
My wife had terminal cancer and we arrived 50 minutes prior to departure. We were rudely told that we had missed our flight and were told that our money would NOT be refunded. We talked to two different reservations personnel in Montreal who were apathetic and the male even hung up on me. Their solution was to to charge an additional $700 to put us on the next flight after we had already paid in FULL.

My wife was not feeling well, was on chemo and terminally ill. They took none of these facts into consideration. These guys are jerks, do not have to compete or be good to their customers because they are owned by the Canadian Government. I will never fly or recommend Air Canada to anyone ever again.

CALGARY, NEW JERSEY -- On Tuesday July 10th 2012 at the Frankfurt Airport I felt the service by Air Canada staff was unacceptable. Our flight 8499 United/Air Canada left Frankfurt at 1 pm to Ottawa. When we checked our bags in Frankfurt we needed to pay extra because they were overweight. That was no problem and we understood. We needed to go to another counter to pay for the extra weight. This is where our problems began. An Air Canada employee was at the counter and she was occupied at the computer doing something. We waited and waited while she sharply told us she was busy. Other uniformed personnel passed by looked at the line and did nothing.

Some people in line indicated they were missing their flight while the Air Canada employee worked on her computer and paid no attention to our distress. After standing in line for 45 minutes, I demanded to see a manager while she totally ignored me. Finally, another AC employee came to the counter to help us but not before she chatted with the lady at the computer. I have never flown AC before but somehow expected better. Gentlemen, in Frankfurt you have a problem, they don't know the value of a customer.

SUCCURSALE AEROPORT.DORVAL.MONTREAL -- On September 11 I arrived to Montreal from London and for my big surprise two of my luggage never came in my flight AC865, first I did reclamation in yul airport. The next day I travel to Cuba and I did another reclamation to Air Canada in Jose Marti airport, one week later I travel to Miami and I have called to Air Canada and nobody could told anything about my luggage, finally I did another reclamation to Air Canada in central office in Havana.

Three weeks ago after the reclamation I came back to Montreal and I asked in lost and found about my luggage and one employee of the company use and abusive language to told me that still these day no news about my luggage, I came back to Cuba and did another reclamation because apparently in Canada did not received the reclamation that I did in Cuba, but this is not true because the Cuban Air Canada's send the first reclamation.

Actually after seven month I don't have any news about my luggage, and Air Canada never have given me any news about my luggage, I have never been refunded. Also I paid for my excess of weight in my luggages, I want to know who is the responsible of the loss of my luggage, when I will be refund.

Air Canada is increasingly behaving the way that formerly only fly-by-night outfits and charter airlines would. If you ask for an extra drink on an international flight, they will say "Yes," and never return. If you ask for a pillow on a flight within Canada, they will tell you that they are only for first class.

Now they want to charge for a 2nd piece of luggage, a practice that only ultra-inexpensive airlines like Ryan Ari used to do. But Air Canada's prices stay the same. Well, keep rising. I am avoiding this airline increasingly, even though I have been a supporter for four decades.