Saskatoon and Regina Air Service

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by McBean

I don't know the reason for your flight from Toronto being cancelled. But there have been up to 6 Toronto to Regina flights cancelled in the past month (AC and WJA combined). I believe AC was blaming it on Aircraft shortages the last time I checked. Not sure about Westjet though.

I think it's because WestJet is just a shitshow in general.

[McBean]

Originally Posted by pappcam

I think it's because WestJet is just a shitshow in general.

Yes, I tend to agree with you on WestJet

[casper]

Originally Posted by EDM753Fan

This I can confirm first hand. Does anyone know why exactly? Labour shortage? or what is the main factor driving this? Both terminals were like a 3rd world country last night.

Lineups for up to an hour just to get inside a restuarant. Lounges were at capacity. I've never seen anything like it.

I think it is the same as almost every other service industry. At the start of the pandemic all these companies right-sized. The people they let go all found other jobs. Then as things opened up things opened up faster than planned and they are scrambling to hire, and train new staff members. The new staff are still learning to do their jobs and when you add some stress for delays or over crowding and they just can't respond as efficiently and effectively.

Air Canada has a high degree of automation with some customer rebooking being automatic or self-serve through the app. WestJet is far more manual.

[Crisis]

Regardless of automation at Air Canada, at some point you have to deal with the people there and, in my experience, that's where the trouble begins. With AC, unless you're an Elite member or above, you're treated like crap - as if you're an impediment to them doing their real job, which is to take care of their Business Class clients,

Though Westjet is also now moving in that direction, the class distinction at AC is what bothers me as an economy class flier. Remember the Air Canada motto: "We're not satisfied until you're not satisfied."

[EDM753Fan]

Originally Posted by Crisis

Remember the Air Canada motto: "We're not satisfied until you're not satisfied."

This is sadly totally true.

That said - I'm AC 75K and have been at least 75K and up to 100K for several years. They still stick to that motto even if you do have status.

Just sayin'.

[McBean]

Monday night (Jun 27th) and both Westjet and AC Toronto to Regina evening direct flights cancelled yet again. Last night the AC was as well.

[Robag]

Originally Posted by McBean

Monday night (Jun 27th) and both Westjet and AC Toronto to Regina evening direct flights cancelled yet again. Last night the AC was as well.

Air Canada is cancelling 10% of their flights across their network right now. Not sure where WestJet is at.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by Robag

Air Canada is cancelling 10% of their flights across their network right now. Not sure where WestJet is at.

Rumours of Westjet leaving eastern Canada and consolidating to west.

[Robag]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Rumours of Westjet leaving eastern Canada and consolidating to west.

Not leaving Eastern Canada, just focusing on Western Canada. Almost going back to their roots, but not all the way from what I understand.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by Robag

Not leaving Eastern Canada, just focusing on Western Canada. Almost going back to their roots, but not all the way from what I understand.

*Mostly* leaving Eastern Canada.

[EDM753Fan]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Ya, it is clear that from all the layoffs and retirements during the pandemic has left the airlines quite low on workers once demand ramped back up. This is the free market in action and those who love capitalism should not be surprised. It’s almost like these companies (not limited to the airlines) should have been investing in their workforces instead of buying back stocks, giving out dividends, continuing to pay executives millions, etc. Our just-in-time society is so fragile and it is clear the pandemic wasn’t enough to change that.

I don't want to get into the pros and cons of the Free Market in this forum. That said, I had thought AC was pretty much a socialist organization? Crown Corporation that is propped up by the Federal Govt. No?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by EDM753Fan

I don't want to get into the pros and cons of the Free Market in this forum. That said, I had thought AC was pretty much a socialist organization? Crown Corporation that is propped up by the Federal Govt. No?

Air Canada was privatized over 33 years ago!

[McBean]

Now Toronto to Regina Direct had an Airbus 319 "Rouge" today, 2.5 hours late arriving Regina at 12:08. i don't even know what they're doing anymore on these Toronto flights to Sask.

[Draftsman]

Just checked AC/Jazz flight JZA7908 (CRJ-900) which is normally scheduled to depart daily to Toronto at 8:35 pm. Seven of the last 12 flights had been cancelled. All five of the departing flights left behind schedule (as per www.flightaware.com) . This evening's flight is still a go, but tomorrow evening's has already been cancelled. Not good.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Regarding Flair…

Toronto – Regina Suspended 12JUN22 – 11MAR23

https://aeroroutes.com/eng/220614-f8ns22update

[Dino35]

I’ve noticed over the past couple of weeks that some of the Swoop flights from YXE have been cancelled. Today, Saturday July 16th, all of the flights (Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton)are cancelled. Anyone have any insight? Is this due to low loads? Staffing related?

[casper]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Why we need to (re)nationalize Air Canada

I don't think we need to nationalize Air Canada. We need a passenger bill of Rights that forces all airlines to rebook onto next available flight after a delay even it it means using a competing airline.

I would look at differently. Many of the people that ended up working for the airport authorities and large corporations went there for one reason, job security.

The airport authorities were basically quasi-government jobs where until COVID the likelihood of a layoff was near to non-existent. COVID demonstrated that was not the case.

Now they need to hire and train new people. Thankfully the airport employees in a place like Saskatoon and Regina are fairly limited to management, planning allocation of aircraft to gates, facilities management and fire fighting. They maintain a fairly simply baggage handling system. With food services, cleaning, security contracted out.

It is places like Toronto and Montreal where they are maintaining a much larger more complex baggage handling system that there are more problems.

WestJet basically got rid of nearly all their staff at non-hub airports in Canada. The people wearing WestJet uniforms at a place like Saskatoon or Regina are not WestJet employees. They work for a ground handling contractor that would have been brought in at the start of COVID. Less job security, less benefits, less training and less compensation. No surprise they can't find people.

[casper]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Did you even read the article? How would your idea of a passenger bill of rights, solve the problems highlighted in it particularly the profit motive vs national interest, lack of competition, lack of workers, and the use of public infrastructure to benefit private interests?

I’m also confused by how you say “thankfully” workers in Regina/Saskatoon are contracted out and then a few paragraphs later admit that job security is why airlines can’t find workers. Nationalization would solve this major problem.

I did read the article and agree on the problem, the performance of Air Canada, WestJet and the airports over the past few weeks has been terrible and needs to be fixed.

I disagree on the proposed solution. They propose the solution is to nationalize Air Canada.

The key difference between now and the 1980s and 1990s for domestic air travel is we use to have two airlines running aircraft on the same routes that were operating at fairly low capacity factors. I use to travel between Ottawa and Vancouver regularly in the 90s. A route that was always a A320 or 737 and usually had an empty middle seat. Today that is not the case. Computer modelling, yield management etc and result in full flights.

When a flight gets cancelled you just cant rebook people onto another flight. To their credit AC and WS have an agreement in place that allows them to move passengers on the other airline if it same day and a domestic only itinerary. The requires staff know how to use their computer systems which is another problem.

That does not happen with the ULCC. Swoop and Flair are island onto themselves. That needs to be fixed. If Swoop is going to be late and seats are available on Flair or WS or AC it needs to be forced to rebook passengers. It will cost them money and their prices will go up to be incline with AC and WS.

Nationalizing AC and then making them compete with Swoop is not a solution.

As for the airports, honestly they are already nationalized. The land is owned by the government, the airports are operated by community based non-profits with board of directors mostly made up of local business and municipal governments.

[casper]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Are WestJet and Air Canada not overbooking flights 11 months in advance knowing full well they cannot staff them? How does one get re-booked onto another flight when no flights have open seats? Again, how would this requirement solve the staffing issues that are at the heart of the problem? I will admit, your idea could be implemented yesterday, yet our feckless federal government continues to sit on their asses.

WestJet does not overbook. It use to be because their reservation system did not have the capability to overbook. A few years ago they transitioned to Sabre that should permit it but they have said they don't.

Air Canada does overbook in Economy but not in Business class. That is all driven by sophisticated computer algorithms that look at past no-show data to determine just how many seats they can overbook on a specific flight at a specific time of the year and get away with.

Even if they overbook there are always going to be open seats at the last minute due to people missing connections etc.

What both airlines do, is 11 months out they will typically loading the schedule from the pervious year into the reservation system then they start making adjustments. The people who build these schedules are doing it based on the number of aircraft they have in the fleet with the assumption that the departments responsible for training crew and staffing flight have sufficient people to fly all the aircraft they have. Just now they can't get them hired and trained fast enough.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Early morning AC flight to YYZ from YQR finally coming back (though it being Rouge)