Avoid Air Canada for Photographers...

[pea_soup]

Heads up. Highly suggest not using Air Canada for fellow photographers out there unless you want a huge fight. Just sitting at YYC right now having breakfast. Absolutely pissed right now.

Go through check in procedure. I have a small carry on suit case that is made just for airport check in. I knew the weight was already an issue so I transferred some items from my camera bag to my wife's carry on to make the weight work.

The Air Canada customer rep made an a huge stink over the weight at first. Of course you MUST check this.

So now that we get the weight in check she tells me. The bag is too large!

I told her I've seen people carry on bags that are at least 50% larger that are the size of a small fridge. She tells me she doesn't care.

I manage to finally get the bag to barely fit.

So the best part of this?

I continue to watch as people with larger bags than mine walk through with no problem, not getting checked at all.

Walking through security, again many people with larger bags than mine.


Either way, suggest avoiding Air Canada to everyone in the future to avoid the potential hassle. Great way to start off my 1st anniversary with the wife.

[Kijho]

Fuck flying with any of these Air Canada / Westjet pussy airlines.

[spikerS]

I wish I could say that was the only issues I have had recently with Air Canada.

I went to the Philippines last December with a group of people for a wedding, 8 of us in total. On the way out, at YYC, they told us that our first flight to YVR was delayed. Sigh, ok fine, this shit happens. They then tell us that they have managed to fit 2 of us on another flight. We tell them that we are travelling as a group, and want to stay together. Nope, they tell us 2 people are getting on that plane, or we forefeit 2 of our airfares. So we think, ok, 2 go on ahead and we can all meet up in YVR ahead of the connector to beijing.

Nope, the next flight they had the 6 of us on got delayed too. We all landed in YVR 6 mins after our connector to Beijing had already left. But because the grooms parents flew on ahead, THEY were on the connector flight, with no clue what is going on.

We end up stranded in YVR for 16 hours. Air Canada decided to book us on a direct flight from YVR to Manila. yeah, we were ticked off.

on the way back, we land in YVR no problem. but to no surprise, leaving YVR we get delayed again for 2.5 hours, and when we land in YYC, 4 people are missing luggage, which we all had in YVR as we had to clear customs.

I also recently went to saint john's NL on AC. Flight delays all over the place, and flight attendants spilled coffee and beer on me twice.

I really am starting to think Air Canada sucks balls.

[project240]

Seems like Air Canada is rigged... waiting for a larger sample size before passing judgement though

[Mitsu3000gt]

That's not good news. I've never had an issue with air canada and my 35-40lb carry on of camera gear - it's a backpack though, so maybe it goes unnoticed

The only airline to ever even weigh my carryon was Ryanair in Europe.

Good to know that AC may have got more picky though...if the ever do weigh mine, I'm going to be paying some obscene amount of money to keep it on haha.

[bart]

sometimes they weigh, sometimes they don't, but the max carry on is 10kg if they do check you

[blitz]

It's going to come down to how much of a bitch the check in person is, regardless of carrier.

But I think Air Canada has a much higher percentage than Westjet.

[davidI]

They set their carry-on-baggage rules up front and you didn't abide by them. Not sure how that is their fault

Just because other people sometimes get away with something, doesn't make it ok for you to do it as well.

Planes have different layouts for in-cabin stowage - so certain flights are more accepting of baggage than others. If you have an over-size bag it may mean someone with a correctly sized bag has to put their carry-on in the hold. Not sure how that would be fair to them?

Out of several hundred flights and many years as an AC Elite member, I've only had one complaint about AC. Sometimes you have to recognize what is in their control and what is not. Flight delays often are not.

[pizdets17]

Im going to jamaica via AC in a month. Planning to bring a 37lb backpack...Am I gonna get screwed? I was thinking of bringing my Lowepro Stealth reporter bag as the "personal item" as I can fit my camera and the 70-200 IS II in it which would save almost 10 lbs..

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by bart
sometimes they weigh, sometimes they don't, but the max carry on is 10kg if they do check you

Yeah I'm just waiting for the day I need to pay $20/kg for a 10kg overage haha.

Originally posted by pizdets17
Im going to jamaica via AC in a month. Planning to bring a 37lb backpack...Am I gonna get screwed? I was thinking of bringing my Lowepro Stealth reporter bag as the "personal item" as I can fit my camera and the 70-200 IS II in it which would save almost 10 lbs..

I use a super heavy backpack too, and it's never been checked, measured, or weighed by any airline in Calgary but it's always a possibility. As long as it's the right size, you can still bring it, it'll just cost you like $200 if you get caught.

[blitz]

You're allowed to carry your camera and a lens on "your person" so you can always pull that out and it doesn't count for the weight restrictions.

I've gone to 2 bags just to keep the weight reasonable.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by blitz
You're allowed to carry your camera and a lens on "your person" so you can always pull that out and it doesn't count for the weight restrictions.

I've gone to 2 bags just to keep the weight reasonable.

That's good to know, as long as they don't care which combo I choose

[pizdets17]

I can fit my camera, 70-200, 24-105, and 100l in the small bag and my laptop and rest in the backpack which would then make it about 20lbs..

[sl888]

Wow you guys travel with a lot of gear. What's in the bag?

[Stealth22]

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[zarge]

Air Canada blows, worst service ever though I do feel safe flying with them

[clem24]

First, they set rules and if you break them, you just cannot blame them for making you abide by them. There are several ways around this as pointed out in another thread. Tell them it's $4k of camera gear (if they call you out on it) you'll need to them ensure that they'll replace for the full amount.

Otherwise, if you have NOT already walked up to the counter, leave the bag behind with someone else and make sure they don't see it. Don't tell them you have the bag. Then retrieve your bag and go through security. Done.

To be honest, this is NOT Air Canada's fault. ANY airline and ANY ticket agent can call you out on this. First, you broke the rules. Then you just got a bitch/unlucky.

[clem24]

Originally posted by Stealth22

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I can see how it can be funny but if you think about it, the system works.

[Stealth22]

Originally posted by clem24
I can see how it can be funny but if you think about it, the system works.

Oh, I have no doubt that the system works. But you have to admit, it is pretty funny to see a smiley WestJet ad in a thread bashing Air Canada.

Originally posted by clem24
To be honest, this is NOT Air Canada's fault. ANY airline and ANY ticket agent can call you out on this. First, you broke the rules. Then you just got a bitch/unlucky.

Maybe I'm missing something, but didn't the OP say he had a bag that was specifically designed for air travel?

You're right about getting an agent with a power trip though. I was flying through Heathrow a few years ago, and we were asked (the airline was not ACA) to put each one of our carry-ons through the metal frame they had set up, because she wanted to see that each one fit.

We had one bag that was noticably bigger and heavier than the rest, so I put that one in first, and she was satisfied that it fit. Keep in mind that these were ALL standard carry-on bags that every passenger has with them, and even then, they are a bit on the small side. I asked if I had to measure the carry-ons of 6 people, even though the rest were all smaller than the one that had just fit. She was being bitchy in general for everything, and we eventually asked that she cancel the check-in process and let another agent check us in. After that, it was smooth as silk.

As our check-in was going through, I looked back at the other agent, and saw her putting another couple (who were not travelling light) through the same, grueling process.

So yeah, it doesn't matter what airline you're flying, if you get an agent who hates their job, you're going to have a bad day. Although I only ever seem to have problems with Air Canada. I've flown American, Delta, United, and WestJet a few times...never had any problems. Most of the time, Air Canada is meh, and I don't have a reason to complain. But whenever something happens, it usually happens with Air Canada.

[CanmoreOrLess]

A union with no cut of the pie (pie has evaporated) will do that to a workforce. Blame the union and all that goes with it for a bitchy and who gives a fuck worker mentality. With a strike looming (oh right twice a decade is the law), this airline is doomed to fail again and again.

I avoid AC if possible, WJ (profit sharing) gets my money if I have a choice.