Notes from Airline Hell

Should Air Canada's 180-day commitment refer to waiting time?

By: Susan Sperling

"Air Canada customers deserve the very best service an airline can provide. That's why Air Canada has embarked on an ambitious 180-day plan to make sure that is what they get." (From '180 Day Commitment' issued upon the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Airlines - available at www.aircanada.ca)

  A frosty Tuesday night early in January 2001. For some reason, I've agreed to pick my sister and nephew up from the airport as they return from a holiday visit to Houston, Texas (long story). The flight is due to arrive at 11:00 p.m.
  I'm not happy about the late hour on a work night, but she's flying Air Canada, and I've heard all about the airline's famous 180-day commitment to customer service. I know I'll be back in my snuggly bed by midnight, and I'm okay with this.
  And then I do what everyone should do when they're going to the airport. I call the airline to check on the arrival time. And so it begins.
  After pressing, 1, then 2, then 4, then 3 (or was it 2, then 3, or 4, then 1?) on my touchtone phone, and entering the flight number - 3199 in case you were wondering - I am informed that there are "technical difficulties" and that I should "wait for the first available" customer service representative. I figure that this won't be a long wait, since only last month, Air Canada was pleased to announce that they'd met their 180-day commitment on December 8, 50 days early.
  "Wow," I think as I peruse their website while I wait. "That's impressive." And then I see why they've been able to achieve their goal way ahead of schedule. The website is full of wonderful things they've done, starting with "hiring over 2,100 new employees in key customer service areas." So I should have no problem getting arrival information.
  But I wait. And wait. Twelve minutes later, I still believe that the call is a mere formality, since Air Canada is also delighted to inform me that they now have "better on-time performance." And then I find out that the plane will land 71 minutes late.
  When my 18 year-old niece and I get to the airport, I find that the pretty Arrival Information screen - they're in colour now! - still flashes the arrival time of 00:11 in red, even though it's already 00:20.
  When my cell phone rings and 'JODY CELL' appears on my call display, I'm thrilled, as they've obviously landed.
  "We're just pulling up to the gate. I'll race through customs and see you in a few minutes."
  (It's around 12:45 when my niece whines at me: "Oooooo, Sue, it's so early!!! What am I going to do tonight?" Never fear. She soon finds her boyfriend and arranges to pick him up between 1:30 and 2:00.)
  00:54 a.m. Ring ring (actually, the digital strains of The Entertainer) goes my cell phone. JODY CELL. "Sorry, Sue. We had to wait over half-hour at the gate because there was no personnel to wave us in. But I'm through customs and waiting for my luggage. Be right out."
  That should be no problem. After all, Air Canada's 180 Day Commitment promised me that "customers can now count on: ... streamlined baggage handling processes."
  And then there's a muffled announcement from inside the baggage pick-up area. Knowing that that can't be good, I call JODY CELL and find out that there's been a delay in getting the luggage off the plane because there wasn't enough personnel. Air Canada apologizes for the delay.
  Having the inside scoop makes me something of a celebrity among my comrades-in-waiting, and they gather round to hear the news.
  "Gee, that's surprising," one guy mutters. "Lay off 3500 people and wonder why there's no personnel."
  That's right. Air Canada did announce massive layoffs right before Christmas. I'm certain this includes the 2,100 new customer service reps, but the layoffs haven't actually taken effect yet. And they hadn't even been announced when my friend flew from New York to Ottawa last month. After phoning ahead several times to make sure that the plane was leaving on time, he got to the airport to discover a mob scene, no agents explaining the mess to the 300 or so travellers on line, and a cancelled flight - with no cabfare back into America's most expensive city.
  Is it possible that the 180 Day Commitment isn't all it's cracked up to be? Let's revisit two of the highlights of the commitment:

• Increase by 2000 the number of customer service employees, flight attendants and pilots, aircraft service attendants and mechanics by the end of this year.
• Upgrade passenger and customer facilities at Pearson Airport. Hire additional staff for check-in counters and baggage handling.

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