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| Air Canada complaint~! | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 31 2016, 04:42 AM (83 Views) | |
| swing | Mar 31 2016, 04:42 AM Post #1 |
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swing
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This was posted on my FB page this morning, abysmal treatment by a major airline! Joanne Hannah to Air Canada March 22 at 10:52pm · I am writing this complaint in relation to the experience I had with your company on March 21st re: Flight #7341. I was travelling with my 85 year old Grandmother who is very ill and was trying to get to PEI to say goodbye to her brother who was on his deathbed. Upon my arrival to Pearson International Airport I struggled with a luggage cart and my Grandmother that required, and was requested, wheelchair assistance but was impossible to find. I passed numerous empty AIR CANADA kiosks, asked directions from a security guard who directed me to a young gentlemen who worked for the airport but really didn't know what he was talking about since he'd never heard of Prince Edward Island, Canada before but he did manage to direct me to Row 3 Gate D which had numerous AIR CANADA kiosks that were once again empty. 15 minutes upon my arrival I did manage to find a lonesome wheelchair that I grabbed for my Grandmother to "push as a walker" so I could deal with the luggage cart. In row 2 I did find 2 occupied kiosks on the left, one was for Priority Check-in and the other was Baggage Check in. Across the row were two kiosks open with Ticket agents, since I already had tickets I approached the Baggage Check in and asked where a person would go to check in for their upcoming flight. The agent seemed a little annoyed that I had stopped to ask her but did check her computer for my flight information. I referred our flight number and told her it had been delayed to 11 pm. She found our flight then very rudely informed me that neither one of us would be flying tonight as we were 2 MINUTES late. I actually thought she was kidding. When her non-concerned expression didn't change I told her that it took over 15 minutes to find an agent at a kiosk and even longer to find a wheelchair. I also informed her that we were flying to be with a dying family member who wasn't expected to make it through the night. She then informed me that I should have been there 2 MINUTES ago and we would have made the flight!! I immediately asked to speak to a manager and the clerk very rudely informed me that I should have been more aware in a case like this and took her sweet time calling a manager for me. In the meantime, another clerk with a bit more compassion suggested that I go to the Ticketing kiosks across the way to re-book because they would be closing soon and she'd send the manager to see me over there. My Grandmother stood up and walked her wheelchair across to the other side while I pushed our luggage cart. I'd like to point out the fact that we walked right past the "Special Assisstance" booth while 3 agents looked on in concern but did nothing to help as my very distraught Grandmother cried about the whole situation. A helpful agent re-booked us for the 23rd at 10:30 a.m as the 22nd was completely booked. He did suggest to us to come the next day at 9:00 and we'd have a really good chance of getting on standby, and possibly a seat because of "Compassion" which I thought was ironic since we'd received none so far. As sympathetic as he was to us it didn't help our situation at all. I would also like to note the fact that the line up behind me became very large and full of angry customers who didn't know where to go to check their bags due to the lack of open kiosks. One clerk actually said to the other one "I can't believe it's empty over there again" and left his kiosk to open up on the other side! A Customer Service Manager finally arrived approximately 25 minutes after our request and she was very short and ignorant with me. I explained that there were no agents in the area at the time of our arrival nor were there any wheelchairs and that we needed to be on that flight to get to the bedside of a dying family member. She pointed in my face and raising her voice she told me that there were plenty of ticket agents available and no line ups so I had no excuses and that it was my tardiness that made me late for the flight. I once again explained that there were no wheelchairs or available staff to help me for at least the first 15 minutes that I was in the airport. I pleaded with her to at least let my Grandmother on the flight, I'd send her luggage the next day and take a different flight because she needed to be at her dying brother's bedside, time was running out. She told me "I don't care who is dying. You're late, you're late, too bad so sad you don't fly today" and walked away. Those words cut through me like a knife and left me standing there in disbelief that this was actually happening!! I had to tell my Grandmother that she wasn't allowed to fly that night and probably wasn't going to get to say goodbye. That was an extremely hard thing for me to do. I've never met such cold hearted and inhumane people in my entire life. She was constantly pointing her finger at me and only concerned with what she had to say. I felt like she was deliberately trying to provoke me, wanting me to look like a loose cannon. She also threatened to cancel our tickets and flag us both. I returned to the airport the next morning in hopes of getting us a standby flight at 10:30 a.m. I entered the airport and sat her down on a bench with our luggage cart and went to the first AIR CANADA agent I could see and told her that I required wheelchair assistance for my Grandmother who I left at the front of the airport and she said she couldn't help me until I had checked in!!! Oh my God I was in disbelief...here we go again!!! You honestly have to walk a country mile to get wheelchair assistance for an elderly person. I calmly explained my situation and she pointed me in the direction of the "Special Assistance" booth where I told the agent I required wheelchair assistance for my elderly Grandmother and he told me to go back to where I came from and check in first!!! I don't understand how you can make someone who requires assistance to walk half way across the airport to get it?!! Moral of my story, you denied us travel on our scheduled flight because of your lack of assistance and as I checked in this morning for your "GENEROUS" standby flight offer I received a phone call that our loved one had just passed away as I was sitting my suitcase on your scale so THANK YOU AIR CANADA for denying us the chance to say a final goodbye to our loved one. THANK YOU for your lack of compassion, THANK YOU for letting me break my 85 year old Grandmother's heart inmfront of hundreds of strangers and most of all THANK YOU AIR CANADA for your total disrespect for senior citizens. You really should be ashamed of yourselves. |
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| angora | Mar 31 2016, 05:28 AM Post #2 |
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WWS Book Club Coordinator
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It is hardly believable that so many Air Canada employees could have so little compassion and lack any customer service skills. Something must be radically wrong in management to produce such aggressive, unhappy employees. |
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| Trotsky | Mar 31 2016, 05:29 AM Post #3 |
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Big City Boy
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Some people should just stay home and avoid the hassles. |
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| Darcie | Mar 31 2016, 07:23 AM Post #4 |
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Skeptic
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If I can at all avoid Air Canada I do, they do not have the words "Customer Service" in their vocabulary. Each time I have flown with them they have lost my luggage, and they once actually put me on the wrong flight going to New York instead of Washington. This was when real people checked you in, but they tried real hard to blame me. Oh have to say that they got the baggage right though that time, it went to Washington. |
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