Posts by Diane Clarkson from May 09, 2008

Diane Clarkson | May 09, 2008, 12:43 PM
Lamenting Air Canada's "new era"

It is a New Era in Travel, at least according to the subject line in an email I received yesterday from Air Canada. Air Canada has launched On My Way, which they advise is the “new name for peace of mind”.

This program gives access to 24/7 customer service to rebook on the first available flight and arrange complimentary hotel, car rental, ground transport or meals in the event of a flight delay.

As an added bonus, Air Canada offers “automatic flight information updates sent to you by SMS and email.”

The price of this “New Era” is not mentioned in the email, nor is it mentioned in first page of the website promotion. So three clicks in, I learn the “New Era” costs $25 for short haul (under 1000 miles) and $35 for long haul (over 1000 miles).

Air Canada, of course, understands travelers are frustrated by “unpredictable weather conditions, airport and air traffic delays”, a legitimate list for which they are blameless (though I find it somewhat incomplete since I’ve had flights delayed on the airline for reasons including needing to siphon off fuel when too much was mistakenly loaded, and waiting for a new flight crew due to union regulations)

I’ve been a big fan of Air Canada’s marketing, their well-branded flight classes and website features. I’ve defended their a’la carte pricing as one of the earlier carriers to introduce fees for second bags.

Entrepreneurial, perhaps. But this fee for service offends me on principle.

Flight delays top the list of travelers concerns, as is addressed in our recent report called “Airlines and Leisure Travelers: Understanding Issues and Opportunities”. Some airlines are trying strategies based on the premise that their customers deserve a level of customer service. According to the Boston Globe, American Airlines Inc. is testing out a gate-side customer service center and a phone bank at Logan intended to help passengers get rebooked on alternate flights faster while US Airways plans to have several agents dedicated to tracking flights that will arrive late and rebooking passengers who will miss their connections.

Regrettably, Air Canada now considers customer service to be an opt-in a’la carte revenue generator.

Yet I fear they are correct: this, sadly, could be a new era in travel.