Dear Friends,
I have been a loyal Air Canada traveller for years. In fact, our family of four recently completed a trip to Europe with Air Canada in August.
On October 10th, 2007 I called Aeroplan to redeem some air miles for a business trip to Phoenix and was greeted with a recording of an estimated wait time of 25 minutes (No problem really).
I had approximately 79,000 air miles. Enough for three flights anywhere in North America. So I thought it would be easy to book my flight...
When an attendant came on the line I was informed that I now had ZERO air miles in my Aeroplan account? I was advised that Air Canada arbitrarily changed their policy and they removed all of my points in early July 2007 because of inactivity on my account over the last year (We flew to Europe with Air Canada at the end of July and our points were removed in the beginning of July)?
Unfortunately, I was not informed of this change, however they claim an email was sent to me sometime in May and that was enough to remove our air miles? Previously points were only removed from Aeroplan members following inactivity over a three year period.
Anyways, like thousands of others I did not see any email, nor was there a letter mailed to my home, and I did not receive a telephone call? Had I known, all I had to do was drive 1/2 block to an Esso station and buy $5 worth of gas to earn 1 point. Wouldn't any reasonable person have done that had they actually read an email telling them that their points were being terminated? The answer is yes!
So we lost it all, including my wife's 17,000 points. But there is good news... I was told by a Supervisor that they would reinstate my points if I would pay Air Canada $792.37, not including my wife's lost air miles. I honestly could not believe it? Not my beloved Air Canada I cried!!
I can accept some cost-cutting measures such as no meal service on domestic flights (We brought food) and tap water being served (We bought bottled water for Air Canada flights from Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Paris). I can understand planes jam packed with seats and unhappy flight attendants with attitudes (Some who tell you not to disturb them at the rear of the plane as they need to relax), but please DON'T STEAL OUR AIR MILES!!!!!!!!!
I would like to publicly apologize to the first Aeroplan employee that I spoke with for I reacted to your smug demeanor, insensitivity and how you told me there was nothing I could do and my points were gone forever... You just couldn't care less, it was painfully obvious and when I asked how you could be happy doing this to people you told me that you loved your job accept for talking to people like me? Should I act surprised for you clearly have the upper hand and I guess it is fun to watch people be hurt by your company. You are the right person for the job!
When I spoke to the Supervisor I told him that my problem is not with him personally or any other employee and he acknowledged that they are getting lots of calls like mine. But remember folks they are just doing their jobs as instructed. They didn't make the rules. We have lots of good friends who work for Air Canada, including pilots, flight attendants and ticketing agents.
Many are unfortunately disgruntled with the airline they work for. Times are changing... The company just doesn't care anymore. We have another friend who was a manager of an aircraft maintenance crew, the airline gave him the heart wrenching task of laying off all of his crew and that hurt him as they had families, kids and mortgages. I think it took a few years and when it was all over they recently let him go from the company along with 700 employees.
Today the airline is run by cost-cutting upper level executives who just don't care and I would presume that many are not even Canadians by their biographies on the corporate web site. As reported in the media Air Canada has a history of mistreating long-term employees who are just numbers and surprisingly Air Canada doesn't care about their customers? Did you know that aircraft are now getting maintained out of the country? I just read on one of my links that they are now sending aircraft to Hong Kong and the United States.
Please view some of the links on this blog and I am sure it will surprise you like it did me. Whether you are a Air Canada employee, Aeroplan member, pet owner or lover, Orthodox Jew, frequent flyer, senior, single or you have a family; Air Canada has consistently proven that they just don't care.
Today I was clearly told by that smug employee that there was nothing I could do and I was just one of over 7 million Aeroplan members. Well my dear lady this simple little blog is dedicated to you and the power of one, mulitplied by all the others out there whom your company has disappointed and taken advantage of.
I have been a loyal Air Canada traveller for years. In fact, our family of four recently completed a trip to Europe with Air Canada in August.
On October 10th, 2007 I called Aeroplan to redeem some air miles for a business trip to Phoenix and was greeted with a recording of an estimated wait time of 25 minutes (No problem really).
I had approximately 79,000 air miles. Enough for three flights anywhere in North America. So I thought it would be easy to book my flight...
When an attendant came on the line I was informed that I now had ZERO air miles in my Aeroplan account? I was advised that Air Canada arbitrarily changed their policy and they removed all of my points in early July 2007 because of inactivity on my account over the last year (We flew to Europe with Air Canada at the end of July and our points were removed in the beginning of July)?
Unfortunately, I was not informed of this change, however they claim an email was sent to me sometime in May and that was enough to remove our air miles? Previously points were only removed from Aeroplan members following inactivity over a three year period.
Anyways, like thousands of others I did not see any email, nor was there a letter mailed to my home, and I did not receive a telephone call? Had I known, all I had to do was drive 1/2 block to an Esso station and buy $5 worth of gas to earn 1 point. Wouldn't any reasonable person have done that had they actually read an email telling them that their points were being terminated? The answer is yes!
So we lost it all, including my wife's 17,000 points. But there is good news... I was told by a Supervisor that they would reinstate my points if I would pay Air Canada $792.37, not including my wife's lost air miles. I honestly could not believe it? Not my beloved Air Canada I cried!!
I can accept some cost-cutting measures such as no meal service on domestic flights (We brought food) and tap water being served (We bought bottled water for Air Canada flights from Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Paris). I can understand planes jam packed with seats and unhappy flight attendants with attitudes (Some who tell you not to disturb them at the rear of the plane as they need to relax), but please DON'T STEAL OUR AIR MILES!!!!!!!!!
I would like to publicly apologize to the first Aeroplan employee that I spoke with for I reacted to your smug demeanor, insensitivity and how you told me there was nothing I could do and my points were gone forever... You just couldn't care less, it was painfully obvious and when I asked how you could be happy doing this to people you told me that you loved your job accept for talking to people like me? Should I act surprised for you clearly have the upper hand and I guess it is fun to watch people be hurt by your company. You are the right person for the job!
When I spoke to the Supervisor I told him that my problem is not with him personally or any other employee and he acknowledged that they are getting lots of calls like mine. But remember folks they are just doing their jobs as instructed. They didn't make the rules. We have lots of good friends who work for Air Canada, including pilots, flight attendants and ticketing agents.
Many are unfortunately disgruntled with the airline they work for. Times are changing... The company just doesn't care anymore. We have another friend who was a manager of an aircraft maintenance crew, the airline gave him the heart wrenching task of laying off all of his crew and that hurt him as they had families, kids and mortgages. I think it took a few years and when it was all over they recently let him go from the company along with 700 employees.
Today the airline is run by cost-cutting upper level executives who just don't care and I would presume that many are not even Canadians by their biographies on the corporate web site. As reported in the media Air Canada has a history of mistreating long-term employees who are just numbers and surprisingly Air Canada doesn't care about their customers? Did you know that aircraft are now getting maintained out of the country? I just read on one of my links that they are now sending aircraft to Hong Kong and the United States.
Please view some of the links on this blog and I am sure it will surprise you like it did me. Whether you are a Air Canada employee, Aeroplan member, pet owner or lover, Orthodox Jew, frequent flyer, senior, single or you have a family; Air Canada has consistently proven that they just don't care.
Today I was clearly told by that smug employee that there was nothing I could do and I was just one of over 7 million Aeroplan members. Well my dear lady this simple little blog is dedicated to you and the power of one, mulitplied by all the others out there whom your company has disappointed and taken advantage of.
Today is the start of a journey - together we can make a difference and influence your balance sheet. There is something we can all do when a company shows us that as people, as customers, as employees, that we simply don't matter to them.
Do we have to work with companies that truly don't care about us or value our business? Should we deal with companies that are unethical in their business practices? Should our government support companies such as Air Canada with our tax dollars and through protective legislation and allow them to maintain monopolies? Air Canada should we give you our business?
I encourage every person reading this blog to join the growing movement to stop flying with Air Canada. Hit them in their pocketbook, find another carrier, another flight option, write your Member of Parlaiment, tell your friends and family. Share the message of all the individuals out there who have been hurt by the company.
Together we can make a difference! Please drop me a private line to my link below and tell me your story, which is sent directly to my email address and will be kept strictly confidential. I assure you that your personal contact information will NOT be distributed to anyone and I may need to reach you if we can find a solution to our collective problems with Air Canada. Thank you!
Do we have to work with companies that truly don't care about us or value our business? Should we deal with companies that are unethical in their business practices? Should our government support companies such as Air Canada with our tax dollars and through protective legislation and allow them to maintain monopolies? Air Canada should we give you our business?
I encourage every person reading this blog to join the growing movement to stop flying with Air Canada. Hit them in their pocketbook, find another carrier, another flight option, write your Member of Parlaiment, tell your friends and family. Share the message of all the individuals out there who have been hurt by the company.
Together we can make a difference! Please drop me a private line to my link below and tell me your story, which is sent directly to my email address and will be kept strictly confidential. I assure you that your personal contact information will NOT be distributed to anyone and I may need to reach you if we can find a solution to our collective problems with Air Canada. Thank you!
