Air Canada

Not Verified | Check in queue at Montreal was long and taking a ridiculous amount of time, mainly due to the amount of luggage each person was checking in. When we got to speak with a checkin agent (the only remotely helpful person we met from Air Canada) he advised the flight was 20 minutes late but that he’d checked and we were fine for our connection and we headed to departures 20 Minutes turned into a 2 hour delay which would have meant us missing the flight to Manchester, though we had the pilot and cabin crew for that flight on our flight from Montreal, so the next flight would be delayed too & we had a chance of making connection. On landing in Toronto I received a text advising that my booking had been changed and I was now booked on the Toronto to Manchester flight the following evening - no other info. We made a dash to the gate our original flight was leaving from, with our original boarding cards to see if we could get on the flight - we were denied boarding as they had already given our seats to someone else (not acceptable) When we asked what our next steps were as we would now be in Toronto for at least 24 hours more we were told to find a customer service agent as theY were the only ones who could help, then ignored when asking where we would find one. We had to brave arrival border checks with the ridiculous machines they have in Toronto, then explain the story to the Border Guard to be let through to departures again, where the queue was to see the “customer service” agent. The queue was not moving very quickly and at around 23.15 one of the agents announced that they finished work at midnight and not everyone would be dealt with - as the issues are purely the fault of a disorganised & inept airline I find this attitude totally wrong, and feel there should be someone there to deal with issues at whatever time is needed, especially as they also do not answer the phone. We did manage to speak with an agent who printed new boarding cards for us (no apology) and told us that we were entitled to a hotel but they did not have any available so suggested we book and pay for one ourselves and try to claim it back. I refused to do this and stood my ground, advising I did not have the money to pay for a hotel/the taxis to and from it so they would need to find a hotel for me - amazingly enough a hotel became available after about 15 minutes, along with $20 each for food for the next 24 hours. Before leaving I checked where my luggage was as we had not seen it since checking in, I was told it was tagged to travel with us the following day. We headed to the hotel with nothing in the way of toiletries/change of clothes or anything as we do not carry hand luggage to ease the traumas at security We returned to the airport the following day, Toronto Airport was chaos, with too many flights leaving at similar times, all delayed, and not enough seats so many people just sat on the floor. Eventually we boarded the flight 25 hours later than we should have done, we’re met with miserable staff, the seat back entertainment didn’t work properly which is an issue on a 7 hour flight, the food on board was lousy, and I ended up just eating the bread roll. Arriving into Manchester we had to wait to disembark as the air bridge could not be attached immediately (airports fault not Air Canada) We then had to wait for 2&half hours before we were told that our luggage had not made it and to fill in a report, and hopefully it would be delivered to us

Not Verified | London to San Jose via Montreal. Absolutely the worst airline I've ever flown. 1. MOST of their staff literally don't care. 2. The gate agents (at YUL at least) are disorganized, badly trained, ill disciplined and poorly equipped. My experience: LHR to SJO via YUL - 100 minute layover - told by ticket clerk it was plenty. No chance. Flight 70 mins late leaving London "because COVID" so while in the air they deplaned me from my flight to SJO (because I had a bag checked) and put me on a plane to LAX (6hours) with a connection to SJO (another 6 hours) and another 90 minute connection. The connecting agent didn't know this though - and neither did I till I read my sms's two days later when I got home. Instead she tried to get me on standby on the flight I was going to get, I got on - but then they pulled me off the plane - I didn't notice but they'd given me someone else's boarding pass who arrived after me. He looked very pleased to be getting on the plane, they didn't explain to me that they'd messed up giving me his boarding pass and I hadn't noticed till someone pointed it out later. So the gate agent said "go to customer service" and there isn't any in YUL departures so I had to find a gate agent. Anyway, I was now stuck in departures like Tom Hanks in the terminal with no plane and no reason to be there so I can't exit - I then spent two hours begging AC people to help me and they kept sending me to other people, eventually I found a lady who was eventually sympathetic but initially thought I'd stolen someone's boarding pass. So now we spend another 30 mins roaming the gates trying to find one without a plane so they can let me through to arrivals and I can try again with the rebooking agent. "Oh hi! sorry you didn't make it - let me see what I can do". Well what they could do was - book me on a flight to YYV the following morning, then on to SJO that night, ok can I have a hotel? Yes sure. Wait two hours, checking every 15 mins - then, oh sorry we've run out of hotels, you can pay and claim it. Bye. Don't forget to get your bags for extra convenience. Welcome to Canada. I head down to arrivals, clear customs, absolute chaos, thousands of bags by the carousels and a 100 meter queue for the sole baggage clerk (who incidentally was awesome if utterly overworked). Got to the front of the queue "go to 8A, it'll be there in a minute", two more hours waiting. Book a hotel - for the wrong night in exhausted state - non refundable of course. Curses. Book another hotel and get a cab into the city, room next to a wedding party, three hours sleep, back to the airport. Get to departures, use kiosk - doesn't print a bag tag, automatic bag machines all broken. Head to the bus class check in, to meet a queue of 50 people with one person on the desk dealing with someone with 20 bags and a desire for a different massive, comfy seat to the one he's been assigned. Hail a few AC automatons "yeh we told them they need more people - sorry", "I can't do any more" (this is a favorite), "you'll get there eventually" etc. After thirty mins three other surly miserable people show up and start checking people in. Queue is now over 150. Get bag tag, get told off for removing old bag tag from non existent flight. Told to calm down etc. Go to security, absolute shambles. 90 mins through security to gate, flight to Toronto is an hour late of course, but that's fine I'd allowed 8 hours. Get to YYZ and flight to SJO is being pushed back slowly - I dearly hope it leaves this evening.

Not Verified | Boston to Athens via Montreal. My family and I flew with Air Canada from Boston to Montreal and we had a connecting flight to Athens. They delayed our first flight and they told us they would hold out connecting flight to Greece, once we got to Montreal we got on our plane, however they did not care to put our luggage onto the connecting flight after they told us they would. We have talked to them about it and they have not done anything about it. It has now been 2 days since we haven’t had our luggage.

Not Verified | Sydney to Toronto via Vancouver. Departures always delayed, causing missed connecting flights. No support calls being taken when I tried to call and get on the next available flight. Horrendous customer service overall.

✅ Trip Verified | We flew Air Canada from Houston to Montreal and then to Casablanca Morocco and return flight from Casablanca Morocco to Montreal and then to Houston TX. All four flights where delayed leaving, the reason for leaving late was there are waiting for more passengers, each time we waited 1 hour to a 1:30 minutes, but as we waited, no one else boarded the plane, and then they said we are ready to depart, even after they close the main door, we still just sit there for another 30 minutes. This happened on each flight. The crew is so rude, and they don't give any real reason for the delay. I told the one flight attendant that we are going to miss our connecting flight and she said hopefully your flight will be delayed, no help at all. We did miss our connecting flight, I called Air Canada the next day after we finally got home, and they said it’s not their fault for missing our flight and that we have to contact United for any help. I'm trying to get a refund from Air Canada, they say it can take up to 30 days.

Not Verified | No idea how this is the flagship airline of our country. It seems impossible for this airline to run on schedule, and to communicate properly with its passengers. Both my flights in and out of New York were delayed multiple hours, with updates drip-fed every so often which basically meant I wasted hours standing around by the gate rather than being able to rest or relax at an airport lounge or restaurant. This is nothing new, more than half of the flights I’ve had to take to and from Montreal have delays for one reason or another.

✅ Trip Verified | The airport in Toronto was complete anarchy with hundreds of people with cancelled/missed flights. I waited over an hour in customer service line and eventually found out they are unable to book me on a new flight or get me a hotel because everything is full because too many people have missed/cancelled flights to be able to accommodate everyone. The lady at the customer service desk I was talking to got into a fight with her boss in front of me complaining about how terrible management is. I was told to book my own hotel and I could get my checked bag downstairs. (Shortly after I left they just closed down that customer service desk leaving the hundreds of people behind me with missed flights not knowing what to do with themselves). When I went to get my bag, I waited in line another hour just to find out they're refusing to give anyone their bags, because there's no way they can go back into storage and find 500 different people's bags. I was told to take my baggage claim ticket and submit a claim to arrange for my bag to be delivered to my apartment in Dallas, my final destination. I did that, and they put in the claim my address and that Dallas is my final destination. I booked a separate flight home on American, then the following Thursday I get a voicemail saying my bag is at the Dallas airport and they need to know whether they should mail it to me or if I want to pick it up. The callback number in the voicemail wasn't working for me, so after work I drove to the airport to get my bag, then was told the sent it back to Toronto because they didn't hear from me. Apparently they didn't know Dallas was my final destination, even though it was clearly in the claim, so they have to send it back to where the claim originated, and they made that decision to send it back in less than half a day, giving me very little time to respond. I shouldn't have even had to respond to anything at all, when I submit the claim in Toronto I was told it would just be Fedex'ed to my apartment in Dallas and that was it. Now I need to wait for it to circle all the way back to Dallas again. I can't wait to get my bag back so this can all be over and I can never fly with Air Canada again.

Not Verified | First they claimed my flight was cancelled due to weather, then not the weather but staff shortages, then just cancelled. They offered me a flight that arrives 12 hours after my original flight arrival time (Flight time is 1.5 hours). I'm guessing the mystery was to avoid pay-outs for cancellation, and we did have to upgrade to business to get the same flight path. Recent comments from staff suggested shortages in work, no breaks and long hours. What we witnessed was untrained staff, staff on their cell phones, and a general "not my problem" approach. If you are going to have poor service, sloppy security and mediocre lounges, my request would be to remove the "Canada" from the name. Just call the company Air. We are all hoping things improve, but staff will need some assistance to get there. Positive side, everyone seemed pleasant enough.

Not Verified | Their delays are constant, if you want to move to a window seat they charge you over $300, their app is horrible and not user friendly. Worst airline I have ever used. Monitor in the seat ahead would not work and inflight wifi is always unavailable.

Not Verified | Air Canada was terrible to fly with. There’s not much I could compliment. I usually fly Qantas direct or Virgin Australia via the US to come to Vancouver, but this time decided to give Air Canada a go. I wouldn’t recommend this airline. Upon leaving Sydney the flight sat on the tarmac for 2 hours extra because of some baggage issues. Okay these things can happen, at least allow your passengers to sit at the airport so they can walk around or buy some food or drink and are not stuck in a small airline seat in a cramped environment where they can’t walk around and no drinks are served to them. At least make your passengers comfortable and relaxed by offering them a water or juice or something. Nope none of that. What further annoyed me was that they kept saying another 15 minutes and another 20 minutes again and again for 2 hours. Furthermore the air hostesses were unfriendly and cranky. The flight back was just the same. First my flight was delayed by one hour which was fine. Then once again we were put on the plane and made to sit on the tarmac for a further two hours before our flight took off. A flight that’s meant to be 15.5 hours has now become a 17.5 long and uncomfortable flight. Not impressed with Air Canada at all and won’t be using them again. Watching the news while in Canada it seems that it’s happening a lot. Be aware before you book.