My Latest Air Canada Adventure
July 3, 2008 by Doug
Filed under Miscellaneous
There are times that I wonder how Air Canada stays in business.
I need to travel to Portland in September to the garden writers conference (I’ve been threatened with the loss of back-of-the-bus party membership status if I don’t show up after a few years of absence).
I do the basic research and call the points folks – no availability on those flights in Sept on points. Nice to know the points really can work for you this far out. Foul Ball #1
So knowing that Air Canada has the feeder flights into the local airport, I get on the website and start filling out the online forms. Find the right flights and want to buy the package.
First problem. It won’t take my air miles card number and password. Foul Ball #2
OK – maybe it doesn’t like the password, maybe it’s old. Get referred to Aeroplan site to sign in and get proper password. Sign into Aeroplan on old password. Works fine. AC site messed up. Can’t use Aeroplan card. Foul ball #3
Say to self – to heck with points, I’ll have check-in people swipe card. Let’s sign out. Go through the checkout procedure twice finally discovering that AC and it’s Mastercard software doesn’t like my street address like 99% of the rest of the world accepts, it only accepts a RR number. Interesting. Tipped foul.
Finally get through to the point where AC is willing to take my money but then says that I have to pass some kind of card security check with Mastercard. But unfortunately, their software is offline and not working so to make sure my card is secure, they’re going to disable the card on their network. Foul ball #4 (getting very tired of swinging bat)
Thanks.
Phone customer service (misnamed). Wait 12 minutes. Get told I’m in wrong spot for making reservations. Yes, this is reservations but not for solving online website problems. Foul ball #5
If they make reservations, they’re going to charge me $25 for the privilege. Hmmm, get this straight – won’t take an order, disable card, charge $25 for solving problem or directing (now really irate but under control) caller to Internet problem solvers. Wait another 4 minutes .. hang up. Foul ball #6
Book flight on U.S. airlines – can drive to nearest US city and take flight for half the price of Canadian non-service. They’re out!
I’d recommend sending this to them, except that there’s an excellent chance you’d have to sign up, find the right site, sign again, type in your address (which they might reject), your e-mail address, your birth date, the date of your high school prom, the age of your eldest child, and then the screen would go suddenly blank and a great big ERROR sign would come up.
–Kate
Yup – that’s about the state of the AC world – it’s actually better than I wrote – at one point in the procedings, I had the chance to pay for an add-on ($35.) that would get me guaranteed customer service in case of flight problems. So – if you want the normal non-customer service, you don’t pay. If you want to get customer service, it will cost you $35 bucks.
That’s the state of mind of this ashamedly national air carrier.