AIR CANADA SEATING CHANGE ?

[Ashland]

 

I purchased Business Seats on Air Canada (first time with this carrier) for October (LAX-YQB) and selected my seats. I just checked and my connecting flight in Toronto to Quebec seats were now in row 45 the last row on the plane, I had booked row 2.

 

I called and they tried to tell me I was still in business regardless of where my seats were ????

 

Told me the plane I'm now on has no business class...row starts at 12. in a 3 configuration. and that I should have received an email (no I didn't). Offered to give me an aisle and window in 12...no choice so I took it. Very unhappy with how this is turning out. How can they say a seat is business when it's apparently not. I paid quite a bit for this flight....no compensation offered as they said the seat I'm now sitting in is considered premium.....In my opinion nothing premium about it at all !!!

 

Why if I had to be moved due to a change in planes didn't they put me in a premium seat in front of plane automatically...instead of the last row in economy ?????

[Fairgarth]

I just had a look at AC flights from Toronto Quebec in October.  They are all Air Canada Rouge.  That may not have been true when you booked.  Now, half of them have Business Class and the other half are all economy so it obviously depends on which is your connection.  Rouge is Air Canada's attempt to compete with lo-cost carriers.  Frankly, I'm surprised to see that on YYZ - YQB.

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

I just had a look at AC flights from Toronto Quebec in October.  They are all Air Canada Rouge.  That may not have been true when you booked.  Now, half of them have Business Class and the other half are all economy so it obviously depends on which is your connection.  Rouge is Air Canada's attempt to compete with lo-cost carriers.  Frankly, I'm surprised to see that on YYZ - YQB.

Yes...it was Air Canada Rouge when I booked however at that time  it was showing that the A321 (200) did indeed have business class as I was able to choose seats 2F & 2D. Now it's still showing the same A321 (200) no business class. 

 

I'm on the first flight out at 6:00am Oct 4th with a 2+hour connect...There is also showing a A319 (100) with a 4 hour + connect time that shows business class but I wanted to arrive into YQB on that earlier flight. I'm hesitant to change to the longer layover considering that could change to mixed class now too.

 

Getting from LAX-YQB with same day (kinda early) arrival...was a challenge I wasn't anticipating and other than my preferred Delta I thought Air Canada was a much better option for flight times and not wanting to fly West Jet with the DL connect and times were terrible.

 

Just Darn Air Canada....this is my first time flying them and just not happy with the changes....I know it happens but geeeze !!

[Donray]

I don't think you paid for business class.  Was your fare about $500 plus dollars over economy fair?  

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Donray said:

I don't think you paid for business class.  Was your fare about $500 plus dollars over economy fair?  

Yes I did pay for Business Class ... for the two of us it was over $2200.00 "one way" LAX-YQB. We're on the Snowbird cruise and will end up in Fort Lauderdale. Why are you doubting this ?....I usually fly first class but that wasn't an option for this particular routing.

[Fairgarth]

Now I'm intrigued....the Air Canada website shows Layout 1 and Layout 2 for the Rouge A321.  Right enough, Layout 1 has Business seats 2 and 2, with Economy 3 and 3.  Layout 2 is all Economy.  I have to assume the airline has changed equipment since you booked.  Very unfortunate and most annoying.  Small consolation, I know: Toronto - Quebec is a short flight.

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

Now I'm intrigued....the Air Canada website shows Layout 1 and Layout 2 for the Rouge A321.  Right enough, Layout 1 has Business seats 2 and 2, with Economy 3 and 3.  Layout 2 is all Economy.  I have to assume the airline has changed equipment since you booked.  Very unfortunate and most annoying.  Small consolation, I know: Toronto - Quebec is a short flight.

Yes....the layout I was on was 1...now they've switched to layout 2....Not a happy camper about this at all. Luckily there's been no change on my longer flight from LAX...but I will surely keep even a closer eye on these flights than I normally do and that's pretty often. According to the CSR they had just recently made the change and didn't understand why I didn't receive an email.

 

I'm used to flying with DL and AA and all the changes they make but at least I quickly get notified by them and can respond quickly. Not a good first experience with Air Canada.

 

Thanks for your interest on this and response...very nice of you.

[Peg_S]

No advice - just condolences. What a crappy deal.

[CruiserBruce]

This is a little concerning. We are booked SFO-YUL-FCO next May in Business. Currently we have seat assignments in Business class for the SFO-YUL segment (not worried about the YUL-FCO portion) on a 737 Max. But if AC is that prone to converting a flight to Rouge...and  the Maxes are still out...

[Anubi]

Just my two cents worth, but you might not want to fly AC Rouge.  You could check into it further and Google AC Rouge reviews; they aren't good.  😞 

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

This is a little concerning. We are booked SFO-YUL-FCO next May in Business. Currently we have seat assignments in Business class for the SFO-YUL segment (not worried about the YUL-FCO portion) on a 737 Max. But if AC is that prone to converting a flight to Rouge...and  the Maxes are still out...

Good vibes to you.!!! I'm watching my flights daily now. What upset me the most was putting me in the last row of the plane in economy when they changed from layout 1 (which had business class seats) to layout 2 (that doesn't) and still telling me on the phone they still considered me business class...How is that possible !!!! 

Edited June 28, 2019 by Ashland

[1982CruzStart]

That change sucks. AC is scrambling to deal with the ongoing issue with the 737 MAX. I am having the same experience with my flights later this summer. Am booked in business class but am now stuck on a plane like yours that has no business class for one of my flights. Unfortunatley i can't make any real changes because of my connecting flights. My only consolation is that it is a relatively short flight at the beginning of my trip so it should only get better once i get to YYZ. 

I also didn't get notified of the change. The only reason i found out was because friends i am traveling with did get notified and their flights changed automatically. i was arriving in YYZ an hour after my connecting flight left. A good trick but not actually the first time that has happened to me though not on AC. 

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, 1982CruzStart said:

That change sucks. AC is scrambling to deal with the ongoing issue with the 737 MAX. I am having the same experience with my flights later this summer. Am booked in business class but am now stuck on a plane like yours that has no business class for one of my flights. Unfortunatley i can't make any real changes because of my connecting flights. My only consolation is that it is a relatively short flight at the beginning of my trip so it should only get better once i get to YYZ. 

I also didn't get notified of the change. The only reason i found out was because friends i am traveling with did get notified and their flights changed automatically. i was arriving in YYZ an hour after my connecting flight left. A good trick but not actually the first time that has happened to me though not on AC. 

Even though none of my flights were on the 737 MAX...I'm not so sure the change in layouts on my  (A321) really had anything to do with that...but AC had no answer when I asked as both flights are still on the A321's.

Luckily my long flight from LAX to YYZ hasn't been changed and it still has business class layout. But I'm certainly going to watch my flights daily now.

[waterbug123]

On 6/28/2019 at 4:47 PM, Ashland said:

What upset me the most was putting me in the last row of the plane in economy when they changed from layout 1 (which had business class seats) to layout 2 (that doesn't) and still telling me on the phone they still considered me business class...How is that possible !!!! 

 

What they are probably saying is that your ticket, in general, is still a business class ticket because your long flight leg IS business class.  I'm not familiar with the Air Canada booking site, but with other airlines, there is often a disclaimer when booking first or business that the booking may actually be in mixed classes of service....such as what you apparently have now.  Sucks that the particular flights you originally booked weren't in mixed classes, but that disclaimer may be why they are saying you still have a business class ticket.

[Ashland]

31 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

 

What they are probably saying is that your ticket, in general, is still a business class ticket because your long flight leg IS business class.  I'm not familiar with the Air Canada booking site, but with other airlines, there is often a disclaimer when booking first or business that the booking may actually be in mixed classes of service....such as what you apparently have now.  Sucks that the particular flights you originally booked weren't in mixed classes, but that disclaimer may be why they are saying you still have a business class ticket.

Actually when I booked some flights were noted as "mixed class" but mine definitely wasn't one of them..I took this into consideration when I booked...sadly that's not the case now. I understand how things change but that doesn't make it any easier to have what I consider a different product now. At least I have seats and will get to Quebec for my cruise.

[1982CruzStart]

20 hours ago, Ashland said:

Even though none of my flights were on the 737 MAX...I'm not so sure the change in layouts on my  (A321) really had anything to do with that...but AC had no answer when I asked as both flights are still on the A321's.

Luckily my long flight from LAX to YYZ hasn't been changed and it still has business class layout. But I'm certainly going to watch my flights daily now.

i knew you said you were on an A321 but what i meant was they are scrambling to change planes around to get the mixed class airplanes on the routes that are most likely to give them the most revenue and moving the single class planes to the least popular business routes. Still sucks no matter what the reasoning may be.  

I spent quite awhile yesterday investigating and changing my flights so that i was able to get back in business class. It means i get home an hour later and have an extra connection but i am okay with that. 

Have a great cruise and i hope your flight experience turns out overall to be positive. 

[Ashland]

9 hours ago, 1982CruzStart said:

i knew you said you were on an A321 but what i meant was they are scrambling to change planes around to get the mixed class airplanes on the routes that are most likely to give them the most revenue and moving the single class planes to the least popular business routes. Still sucks no matter what the reasoning may be.  

I spent quite awhile yesterday investigating and changing my flights so that i was able to get back in business class. It means i get home an hour later and have an extra connection but i am okay with that. 

Have a great cruise and i hope your flight experience turns out overall to be positive. 

Thank you so much...best of luck to you as well on keeping what you have.