An ugly end to a great Negril week-AC1699

[Homebrewer]

Spirit has to be the worst airline in the history of air travel. It's a shame, they were very reasonable at one time.

Maybe not the worst, the very 1st time I flew I was flying Peoples Express out of Newark to Chicago. Our plane didn't arrive in Newark until 3 hours after its scheduled departure due to a "mechanical" problem. To complicate things, Peoples had another flight departing to Chicago every hour but we couldn't get on those flights and bump those passengers to the next flight so 2 planes came and left while we sat in the concourse in Newark (which was a crappy terminal). Finally our plane arrives and we board, and sit in the plane in the tarmac for an hour before we finally begin our take-off. 5 minutes later the pilot announces that as we flew past the control tower they noticed we had a cargo hatch not secured and must land to secure the hatch and should only be a minute.

As we are landing we notice that every emergency vehicle at Newark is along the runway waiting for us to land. Did I mention this is my 1st flight ever? Landing was otherwise uneventful EXCEPT that about 35 people demanded to be let off the plane because it was destined to crash. After being instructed that their luggage would not be removed and no refunds issued, 35 people still got off the plane muttering things like I don't care if my luggage dies as long as I live. OK, I'm thinking that every one of them probably had more flying experience than me and maybe they were right but then again there were still 300 people on board so I'll stick it out. That few minutes to secure the hatch stretched out to another hour, this was in July and they left the ventilation turned off so it was uncomfortable but eventually we took off and everything turned out fine. In fact my ride from O'Hare was not going to arrive until about 4 hours after I was scheduled to so that timed out pretty well. My flights have all been a joy since that one.

[M&G Montreal]

It's M of M&G here. First off, I am not fond of flying, but it's the only way to get from Point A to Point B. I deal with it.

I agree with Dash - loved the 747's/DC-10's and L1011's! THAT was flying!

Any airline that takes me up and lands me safely - regardless of delays - is #1 in my book. So far, Air Canada and West Jet to Jamaica are tied for #1 in my book!

If the pilot doesn't want to fly that plane, I am right behind him! I'll sit in any airport terminal as long you want me to until that pilot is happy to fly that plane. I'm quite OK with that.

Ditto on a flight crew who are way into overtime because of weather delays. I can wait til the pilot feels fresh as a daisy and ready to fly! No problemo from me!

Since I like to go to the tropics during Canadian winters, it seems inevitable that there will be delays somewhere along the way at some point in time. I do good deeds so that the travel gods will smile on me and make my delays on the way BACK! It usually works.

Other than that, I don't let delays ruin my vacation or bring an ugly end. Curl up wherever; use the wifi; read a book; people watch - no better place than airports - and just go with the flow. They'll get you back to the snow and ice and (shiver) work eventually.

It's much less stressful!

[Mayanryan]

My wife and I were on flight 1699. Yes we are happy we eventually got home safe and sound. However, I am curious if anyone has received any sort of compensation for this flight? By the time we arrived home we had extra costs for missing work as well as two extra days for parking at the airport. I'm not even going to get into the lack of communication and overall poor handling of the situation by Air Canada. To offer me a 25% discount on my next flight is an insult. I can get the same thing if I hit the right seat sale. C'mon Air Canada

[thepegboy]

Points taken negrilsand. I still don't think its right that Air Canad would trade its pain of finding planes, crews, etc. in favour of its customer's misery. I do intend to contact the President or Directors of Air Canada. What I want in compensation is unlikely to happen; I want a better customer contract, published processes for dealing with delays, punitive costs for customer misery, and perhaps some openness and sincerety. I'm likely to get black-listed for my efforts, they are a vengant corporation!

[SLP]

It's not just AC. The one (and only) time I flew West Jet, the flight left 3 hours late making us miss our connecting flight to Ottawa. We too were freezing as we waited for a transfer to an hotel for the night - with our luggage! Then we had to check in all over again the next day. I have had delays with AC but nothing like the one I described.

[JR&Naise]

How was your actual stay in Jamaica?

[thepegboy]

How was your actual stay in Jamaica?

Jamaica was great! interesting blustery weather for a few days, excellent concert, great mornings!

[Gailieb]

Exactly the reason(s) why we fly American Airlines from Calgary. Yes we have to overnight in Dallas but it's part of the vacation experience!
WestJet may offer a direct flight (but only in the winter) but that's almost 8 hours stuffed in like sardines. Thanks but no thanks. Air Canada is the most expensive
carrier so we nix that altogether.

[dash]

Failing, If AirCanada is the most expensive, why are they always full. All the airlines have become the same. Cram them in, charge for toilet paper and breathing space. Aren't Westjet and American using the same type aircraft?

[negrilsand]

What I was trying to explain is that, under the circumstances, it would have been almost impossible to do what you propose. Montego Bay is a rather isolated station for Air Canada. It is at an end of their route structure and a replacement aircraft and crew would not have arrived-even if possible-until after your actual departure. Unfortunately you also apparently had a mismatch upon your arrival in Toronto. Air Canada is a fairly small airline and can not offer the flexibility that Delta or American ,for instance, could offer out of Atlanta or Dallas Fort Worth. Air Canada should, indeed, have handled the situation with more understanding. They should have allowed access to your luggage, perhaps, but you would not have been happy with the additional security screening and baggage check-in afterwards. This would possibly have delayed you even further. Air Canada might have allowed access to luggage in Toronto but again with further delays. What Air Canada could certainly have done is to have offered, as a courtesy, blankets, at least, and some vouchers for future flights. I think that there is still a possibility of the vouchers . I will add this serious bit of advice. I think that it is foolish for anyone to travel in flip-flops, shorts and tee shirts especially to a cold place such as Toronto. Hopefully, most of us will never be involved in an aircraft accident where we will have to walk through sharp glass and metal or even through a flash fire. With every "chicken little" yelling terrorism these days there is an even better chance that you might be required to exit the aircraft away from the gate. Gee, the hotel shuttle might not make it to the hotel. I carry nomex gloves in my carry on just in case of an on board fire. I would be able to help myself and others in such an event. I was once a passenger on an SAS flight in Norway when I noticed the flight attendant putting on nomex gloves just before the landing. I told her of my gloves in my carry on and she replied that she would not be of much help in a crash landing if her hands were badly burned. I noticed that she also wore lace up shoes. I noticed the nice legs too!