I suspect those present for the media event are those who are fully drowned in the koolaid, however tasty and revitilizing it might be. The problem is convincing the other 99% that weren't there to drink it too, or I suppose be like Trump and just fire them all. =P

Execution is all that matters... kinda why the high-ups are called Executives.

Edit: By koolaid drinkers, I'm referring to the AC reps...

 

I have booked away from AC because of the horrendous website in the past year. I was unable to complete my purchase!

The reality is that Air Canada is losing Revenue due to horrible IT. I assume not every flight I couldn't book online was 100% full... even if it was 100% full they should then consider raising prices for more Revenue.

Now, I could have phoned in to book it, but I didn't want to wait that long when I can do it in 3 minutes online. Which also brings us up to the cost of call centres since so many things cannot be done online, yet other carriers are able to set their systems up to do it. ​​​

So what I am saying is that better management and proper IT could result in share prices higher than $13.

 

What's black and white and red all over, eh?

(New AC slogan or tag line?)

 

Interesting bit.

"Check out Air Canada�s Brand New Livery"

http://thepointsguy.com/2017/02/air-canada-new-livery/

(some amusing comments)

 

Share prices are over $13. =P

It's 14 they're hitting resistance on, whether psychological or related to valuation. I fee,l better pax willing to pay fair market value for services would result in sustainable, fair rent for the industry as a whole. Right now it feels like a big oil hedge waiting to crumble again.

I don't worry about the website functioning for my purchases. I just go to best schedule to price value, and I have in mind a threshold for each market that is significantly higher than what T-1day tends to price most of the time, so the airlines (AC included) are delivering sufficient enough value that I still fly them. Air Canada's flight pass alone is worth fighting the "IT" for. Many times I'm booking at least 2 days out, so trying again the next day is fine with me... By the time I book, all the seats I'd prefer are usually filled with cheapeners anyhow.

Does it matter if you book today or tomorrow? Is everyone here booking 1 day out or so close to one of the cutoffs like T-7,14,21 or whatever they are?

The livery... Meh, again, I'm inside the aircraft more than I'm at the gate staring at it. The uniforms, the plastic nametags, and the attitudes hiding behind the fake names on said tags... that's going to be in my face more than the skin of the plane. I'll note that black on the belly might reduce washing costs without having the plane look like Air France's dirty planes. (a bit dated, but a forum I used to follow years ago: http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=157923)

 

There was a period of over a week I could not book a flight, so I went with EVA instead.

As for flight passes, they do look like good value but they don't work for my travel itineraries.

 

Ugh, a week? I'm glad I missed that blackout. =)

That is unreasonable. For me it's usually just "down for maint" at noon on a business day, so I just try around dinner time. DL has had similar problems that I've encountered, and I'd suspect BR and all OALs. It's life with 1990's skins on 1960's transactional systems.

 

I could go through and select flights, but couldn't complete transactions.

Then there is the whole issue it doesn't let my wife login with Chrome browser on here laptop... which I believe is the most common browser in use. Thankfully FT has shown how to use incognito mode and it works, but I am sure a lot of people gave up and booked elsewhere.

 

I like the new livery, and it will be interesting to see how it looks in different natural lighting conditions vs the ultra-bright arc light sources at the launch. For example I saw fin 801 at YYZ late Friday night - the red roundel on the fin looked really cool in the fin light; the contrast between the red and black meant the red logo really glowed and it looked great compared to the old fin design in the same light conditions.

 

Having watched a few takeoff and landing videos now available on youtube I've noticed that the roundel on the lower front really pops and is the first thing you notice of a plane coming in to land. So I like it.

 

From FR24

"Air Canada�s New Livery and How to Track It"

Posted on: 2017-02-10

https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/a...w-to-track-it/

.

 

This thread demonstrates the disconnect between some people and the customer base. The majority of AC customers don't care about livery. They are price driven. Others customers pay attention to value and quality provided for their purchase. No one purchases an airplane ticket based upon livery or the FAs uniforms or the colour scheme of the cabin. If that was the case, few people would select Asiana and its hideous browns or EVA and its addiction to hospital green.

There was a time when AC was able to differentiate itself based upon Canadian cultural links, and some semblance of quality. AC management tossed that aside decades ago when it chose the to follow the US model of short term profits and pushing the lowering of quality as far as it could go.

Yes, it is nice to fly on a snazzy looking airplane. Yes, it makes for a nice event to unveil new livery. Yes, shiny baubles and paint schemes are cool. American Airlines has done that too, but the reality at American is that until it upgrades its fleet and upgrades its service, it will still be a crappy airline. AC needs to upgrade its service, especially F&B, not reduce quality and instead offer a new livery as a distraction from its corporate incontinence that has the company void itself on Canadian consumers.

I am reminded of the US automobile industry which for several decades manufactured some of the worst vehicles on the planet, but offered flashy paint schemes and a bit of chrome. It finally realized that during the years it had not listened to consumers and had ignored quality and value, consumers had gone elsewhere to manufacturers who understood the market.

AC has a new colour scheme and that's ok by me. However, I, like hundreds of thousands of other consumers, don't really care. I would fly AC with the old livery, or the livery from 1970 or from 1985 as long as the price was right and/or the quality delivered met my requirements. I can't eat the paint chips although I do wonder if AC recycles them into the "gourmet" cuisine.

 

I taxied by the A321 yesterday. I will say the bold red rondelle on the tail jumped out on a dreary February afternoon.

 

It still amazes me that some invited customers spent their own time and money flying to one of the three events. I can understand a side trip to the local airport if already in YVR, YYZ or YUL, but to make a special journey to see the curtain drop five minutes before it was available for viewing online? Perhaps the incentive was the possibility of engaging in cocktail chatter with a company executive for 5 minutes.

Help me understand, those of you who traveled from afar, your reason(s) for attending.

 

I chatted with many people for many minutes. I saw a very good friend of mine.