Whelp I'm flying to France in October via YUL. Hope they sort their shit out by then. Everyone should be back to school/work by then right?? RIGHT??

I think you’ll be fine by then..

I’m flying this Saturday. No chance they sort out this mess by then. I’m going to be in the thick of it!

It's all of their fault. CATSA underpays and I guess a lot of their people left during Covid layoffs. AC laid off an/or offered retirement packages to their staff and were left flat-footed when travel bounced back. Haven't heard if it is as bad at WS.

WestJets call center is almost impossible to talk to. It is almost like there are no humans that work there.

Have not noticed anything on any of the WestJet flights I have taken.

I have heard from friends of lost luggage recently and the impossibility of getting through to WS as you say.

AC just sent an email apologizing in advance for the incoming July/August slash and burn.

According to data from FlightAware, 58% of Air Canada flights scheduled for yesterday were delayed, which is the worst percentage among all the airlines listed by the platform.

Yesterday, 37% of flights were delayed in YUL, and 41% in YYZ, which places them respectively in the 8th and 6th place in terms of airports with the worst delay rate in the world.

Been seeing social media pics lately of the piles of baggage in airports. You kind of expect it in the big, busy hubs but even in Winnipeg the baggage claim area is nuts with stacks of suitcases all over the place. Not the most encouraging feeling when I'm about to set off on a two week family vacation :uhh:

Right before the pandemic, WS contracted out above the wing airport services at all airports except in YYC, YYZ, and YVR. It’s been hard for those companies to hire and keep staff. From check in to baggage services to wheelchair services, there are lines and delays. It’s frustrating and hope things will smooth out soon!

I believe YEG was also included in airports that were not contracted out.

https://worldairlinenews.com/2020/06...rt-operations/

I heard on the radio last night a man account how is was trying to fly SDF-ORD-YUL-YQM and the chaos that was YUL. He gave up waiting for his bag after 2 hours and then the following day a friend of his coming from overseas spotted his bag in the mess and texted him a pic. The man going to YQM tried to retrieve his bag as he was still stuck in Montreal and no luck. It eventually rejoined him in Moncton a week later.

I personally don't have a lot of sympathy for AC. It's largely self-inflicted.

^ A lot of stories out there ! And I agree, the airlines and airports are to blame.

A tourist from France has been waiting 9 days for his bags to arrive at YUL.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2022/06/...depuis-9-jours

I am returning home from YHZ via YUL next month... I'm guessing it could be a while before my bags make it back to Winnipeg :haha:

I'm flying next Saturday to Mexico, hopefully it goes though, how much advance notice would they give? We planned to not take any checked bags so that's a plus.

European airports are having the same issue an dmany flights there cancelled due to lack of Airport staff.

Airport chaos: All countries reporting major delays and queues as problems sweep Europe

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/art...n-Portugal-evg

A few of the F1 media and teams were complaining about YUL for the race in Montreal, and in particular complaining about Air Canada. I guess they were cancelling and delaying flights and not giving any reasons. Leclerc's initial flight to Montreal was outright cancelled.

My partner is returning from Europe shortly so hopefully her flight goes well. No checked bags. ;)

Unpopular opinion: Flying got too cheap and too massive. People expected that to continue forever. The Ryanair effect, writ large.

That cheapness was the product of slicing every cost out of it. Pay the baggage guy peanuts, cram more seats in, trim every frill, enjoy the falling cost of oil, and ride high on the foolish investment dollars of people chasing potential pennies with buckets of dollars by starting ULCC airlines. It was great while it lasted.

Until COVID upended the works and keeping costs low meant letting everyone go. The great reset; only a few industries got hit harder.

Who wants to come back to haul baggage off an airplane in the freezing cold or sweltering hot for minimum wage in a country of 5% unemployment? Apparently not enough people.

Combine the labour shortage and high oil prices and I think a lot of the bottom is going to fall out of the el-cheapo end of the market. A 737 costs about the same to fill with fuel, regardless of airline. Hard jobs for low wages are going to be hard to fill. Pilots are is short supply, why fly for sketchy upstart when Air Canada and Westjet offer more stability?

Golden ages have to end some time. My suspicion is that the golden age of cheap flying will soon.

Honestly seeing the ULCC go away is a positive.

I expect government regulation will drive some of it. Requiring an airline to do everything reasonable to live up to its commitment is something Air Canada and WestJet use to be good at. The ULCC not so much.

AC Express q400 flights to Vancouver start a 2nd daily flight from here today. 5pm arrival time.

They kept YEG too. I have no sympathy for them though elsewhere. The above wing staff in airports were the ones still drinking the teal kook-aid, didn’t unionize and then were given the pepto bismol aka pink slips.

I don't know, I have sympathy for all workers, whether they drink the kool aid or not. A job is a job and these people just wanted to provide for their families.

wonder if also keeping above wing staff in airports like YYJ, YLW, YXE, YWG, YHZ, YQR, would've been a good idea. At least those are western airports that have a significant amount of WS flights.