Pity Air Canada. It appears they can't buy the kind of goodwill that the consuming public holds out for Canadian Tire.On Wednesday, Air Canada put out a press release heralding the fact that readers of an international travel magazine, Global Traveler, voted Air Canada the Best Airline in North America and Canada. Say what you will about Air Canada, but readers could have voted for other airlines. Presumably, nobody forced them to vote for Air Canada.
But a quick read of the comments found it's practically sport to take on Canada's national airline.
Without going into detail, let's just say few commenters were congratulating Air Canada on the win.
Indeed, poster Edmontonflyer summed it best: "I always get a kick out of comments to Air Canada stories; knocking this airline is a national pastime. I've never understood the public's contempt for AC."
Compare those comments to ones made in reference to another iconic Canadian business, Canadian Tire, which also made the news this week with the announcement that it would launch a $1 coin for the first weekend in December.
Commenters wrote of their pride that Canadian Tire, how it had taken on Walmart and was still standing. They positively waxed poetic.
"I love Canadian Tire," wrote Surrey, B.C., poster Banjaboy. "As an immigrant I just think it stands for Canada retail. I walk in the store, see the snow shovels, bags of salt etc. So Canadian. My comment is completely off topic but just had to say that."
Why is that Canada?
When Cdn Tire was giving back 5%. I would make it a point to pay by cash, ever since they reduced it I have refused to pay in cash. There is no more value for the customer but only more profit for them. The customer loyalty is gone.
My experience with Air Canada on board service is a lot better than the ground crew. The terminal desk attendant crew has no clue or job coordination at all. They direct you to the wrong line or has no idea the differences between regular vs advance internet check in nor do they even care at all. Complaining to their website is a waste of time as it same happens again and again. A bunch of dodo. The biggest beef is the wait for check luggage.
I recently started calling Canadian Tire, Chinadian Tire. Hardly anything in it is Canadian. Canadian Tire money use to be 5% then they dropped it to 3%. It was used to offset Visa's practice of charging for the use of the card. It recently dropped again relegating it to the Peso. If it's 1%, I'd be surprised. I feel like I'm getting burned shopping there now, I hate going into the place.
Now Air Canada, when it takes 36 hrs to fly a dog on what was supposed to be a 14 hr flight....there's no forgiveness, ever.
Crappy tire anyone? The nickname came from somewhere....
I wonder why everyone has a dislike for Air Canada ? Could it be that before Westjet came along Air Canada had their way with Canadian cusumers ? Flights then were never as cheap as they are today . I can remember flying to toronto many times and the tickets were $1200.00 each . Air Canada was complaining then and they are still complaining . The dissappearance of Wardair to me was a sad day because it only added to the monopoly Air Canada enjoyed . Now look with westjet serving Canadians how the fares have dropped . Coincidence ? Not ! Air Canada has a long way to go before this Canadian will trust their service .
Canadian Tire earned the respect it has from consumers although the 'buyer beware' phrase is more important now than ever . On the other hand Air Canada has earned a reputation of being greedy and that won't go away by itself.
People rag on AC because they cannot seperate the government days of Mulroney... from the current private state of the airline.
WestJet cancelled the Regina Winnipeg direct route recently and actually received praise, AC does similar and the (laughable to see) mayor of Regina wages war on them.
People who fly lots use AC, the others use Westjet. Two different niches completely. If you fly a US airline you know that AC is in a different league to what goes on down there. Mostly, the AC raggers are not qualified to comment.
As for Canadian Tire they have re-engineered themselves into Linens and Things or Home Outifitters, the legacy hardware stuff is disappearing and they are more and more a box shop for home decor and knick knacks. They have removed themselves from a lot of what Home Depot and Lowes sell, it's slow, subtle, but it is changing. Not sure if I like the idea of a snow shovel and salt representing Canadian retail, but everyone to their own.
In essence, they are both victims of their own history. The changes within Canadian Tire however have been nowhere near as noticeable as with AC. Tire can use that warm fuzzy history to get more people to look inside, unfortunately the gov't days of AC and the Mulroney stories just reinforce an old image that is long since gone. all the lingering bad taste though is no reflection on what they do today. Having said that what Canadian Tire does to peoples cars... all I hear is bad stories, but they're still in that business. (Weird, eh?)
AC can probably only get rid of that baggage by changing their name. And sadly with oil and airlines in trouble everywhere, all the time, I guess it's only a matter of time until AC is Delta.
Wait for the complaints then!
ps: I had a colleague who took a Westjet flight, the pilot came on and said "You've heard the song there's 50 ways to leave your lover, well there's only 2 ways off this plane." That was his intro.
I can do without jokes from the pilot, I'd rather they focus on keeping the plane safe. One reason I don't choose Westjet unless I am forced to. I also know an air controller who told me why he won't fly Westjet, and when i heard the same thing from a similar worker in YVR, I quit flying them altogether.
A guy sitting at an airport bar noticed a beautiful woman sitting next to him. He thought to himself, "Wow, she's so gorgeous she must be a flight attendant; but which airline does she work for?"
Hoping to pick her up, he leaned towards her and said, "Love to fly and it shows?"
She gave him a blank, confused stare and he immediately thought to himself, she doesn't work for Delta.
A few seconds later, another slogan popped into his head. He leaned towards her again, "Something special in the air?"
She gave him the same confused look. He mentally kicked himself and scratched American Airlines off of the list.
Next he tried "I would really love to fly your friendly skies?"
This time the woman barked back at him "Man, what the fu*k do you want?"
The man smiled, then slumped back in his chair, "Ahhh, Air Canada".
I find it hard to congratulate *any* airline, these days, no matter how deserving it may or may not be. Might be something to do with being made to feel like a sardine stuffed into a tin can no matter who I fly with.
And while I'm glad Canadian Tire appears to compete well versus Walmart, I've never remotely considered Canadian Tire to be any way quintessentially Canadian.
Well....Jeb. Are you in the room? I was responding to the article mentioned here....above.
We must have been reading different articles because the CBC article I saw showed mostly positive comments about AC.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/2009/12/air-canada-voted-number-one-do-you-agree.html
I disagree.
We have a little joke in our house that goes if you buy something from Canadian Tire anymore, you may as well just come home and throw it right in the garbage....too many cheap lousy products from China.
Air Canada on the other hand, not once have I ever had a problem or disappointment. Never been bumped, never been stranded, never had a nasty flight attendant.
Oh I know I know, I must be making this up.....everyone loves to hate Air Canada.