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( For retirees of the new Air Canada family)
Number 612 Aug 11th, 2001, We first Published in October 1995
Chief Pilot - Vesta Stevenson - Co-pilot - Terry
Baker
To get in touch with either editor/pilot our email
address is
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. Need to know.
From Employee Communications -
C1/J10 boarding priority privilegewhy isn't it available to everyone across
the Air Canada network?
A number of people have asked why the C1/J10 boarding priority is only
available to active
Air Canada employees. This once a year, higher boarding priority privilege will
be available on a trial basis from September 1-January 11, 2002. We opted to do
this on a trial basis to allow the Employee Travel and Call Centre teams to
evaluate its use and acceptance by employees and impact on the operation. Put
simply, offering it to active Air Canada employees, spouses, and eligible
dependants provides a reasonable sample of potential users to determine future
policy decisions. Due to capacity issues and limited number of business class
seats in the Air Canada Regional network, the Regionals have elected not to
participate in the program and will review the results of the trial.
From RAPCAN, Duane Frerichs who issues the eMailNews.
I would also like to advise you that RAPCAN members are heartened by, and
fully support,
Fraser O'Shaughnessy Communique which was included in NetLetter nr 611. It
stated in part:
A Communiqué from your (the) District Director, Central Ontario Pionairs
"I am attaching to this email information that may interest and concern you,
as it has the National Executive of Air Canada Pionairs.
Anyone having a concern may wish to address their feelings on this matter
to Air Canada's VP People, Susan Welscheid and/or Director People Services,
Robert Petryk. Their respective email addresses are
Robert Petryk, Director People Services, at email
VP People Susan Welscheid at
giving them your thoughts.
Fraser O'Shaughnessy
I would suggest that members address their e-mails:
TO: Susan Welscheid <
CC: "ROBERT MILTON" <
Robert Petryk <
BCC Fraser O'Shaughnessy <
As you are aware this C1/J10 trial represents a major and drastic change in
Air Canada's Travel Pass Policy, which if implemented, will have long
lasting and a very detrimental effect on retirees.
Air Canada has stated that it will review all aspects, including the
feedback - both positive and negative - from employees before implementing
this policy. The following is a copy of an e-mail I sent August 8. Whether
you agree or disagree with my comments, I strongly suggest that each of
you, in your own words and in your own way, advise the Company your
thoughts on this issue, before it becomes policy.
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2001 05:44:05 -0400
To:
From: Duane Frerichs <
Subject: C1/J10 Pass Trial for Active Employees
Cc:
Dear Mr. Petryk and Ms. Welscheid:
I am advising you of my strong objections, not only to the possible
implementation of C1/J10 passes for active employees only, but for even
considering a trial period.
I'm told that this new, enhanced privilege was not requested by any
individual but was a decision as part of Air Canada's ongoing review of the
privileges enjoyed by our employees and retirees; that some carriers do not
always offer exactly the same programs to active and retired employees; and
that Air Canada will review all aspects, including the feedback - both
positive and negative - from employees before implementing this policy.
It is my opinion that Air Canada's policy of treating all of it's employees
fairly and equitably regarding travel pass privileges, is a perfect example
of what made Air Canada stand out, and set an example to other carriers
that discriminate and do not always offer exactly the same travel pass
privileges to active and retired employees
Yes, I understand that it has always been and continues to be the
prerogative of the
corporation to make changes to the pass policy, but I ask you, WHAT IS
WRONG WITH OUR PRESENT PASS SYSTEM?
Up until now, it has always been Air Canada's policy to treat all of it's
employees, active and retired, fairly and equitably, recognizing the fact
that each and every employee made a contribution to the success of Air
Canada, no matter what his job or pay scale. I believe that everyone
considers this fair and that it has worked extremely well. Why would you
want to change this policy now, when Air Canada is in turmoil and employee
morale is in a nose dive and at an all time low?
Introduction of your proposed C1/J10 pass entitlement for active employees
only, not only discriminates against the retired employee, (even though you
insist this is not so) it initiates a policy where the less skilled and
financially disadvantaged employee ( both active and retired) is placed at
a great disadvantage in exercising his travel privileges.
Therefore I am requesting
1. The our present, fair, equitable and well functioning pass system remain
unchanged, or
2. That if Air Canada policy makers feel it is absolutely essential that
C1/J10 passes must be introduced on a limited basis, that it apply to
all Air Canada employees, both active and retired.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Duane Frerichs - 30292
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In NetLetter nr 611 we advised you that effective Sept 1st, standby staff
and retirees must use the kiosks to check in.
Diane Carignan - editor of Horizons, advises that the stations equipped with
kiosks at this time are Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto,
Ottawa, and Montreal.
To encourage pass-eligible travellers who don't have an employee ID/travel card
(i.e. travel partners, eligible family members), a credit card with magnetic
stripe also does the trick.
Those with luggage to check will still have to check in with an agent.
In NetLetter nr 611 we gave information re Service Charges. Now we list the
zones for
you -
DESCRIPTION OF ZONES
DOMESTIC - no changes
TRANSBORDER
NW NORTHWEST USA
GEG, PDX, SEA
SW SOUTHWEST U.S.A
DEN, LAS, LAX, ONT, PHX, SAN, SFO, SJC
N MW NORTH MIDWEST U.S.A
MCI, MKE, MSP, ORD, STL
S MW SOUTH MIDWEST U.S.A.
AUS, DFW, IAH, MSY
NE NORTHEAST U.S.A.
ABE, ALB, AZO, BDL, BOS, BWI, (change)
CAK, CLE, CMH, DAY, DCA, DTW, EWR,
IAD, IND, GRR, FWA, LGA, MDT, ORF, (change)
PIT, PHL, PVD, PWM, RIC, ROC, SDF, SYR
SE SOUTHEAST U.S.A.
ATL, BNA, CHS, CLT, GSO, GSP, RDU, FLORIDA (change)
INTERNATIONAL
MEX MEXICO
CARIB CARIBBEAN
S.AMER SOUTH AMERICA
S.PAC SOUTH PACIFIC
ASIA ASIA
EUR/UK EUROPE/UNITED KINGDOM
MIDEAST MIDDLE EAST
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. We recently welcomed -
John Renton retired CAIL Air Engineer living in Airdrie, Alberta.
Len Leischner retired Air Canada Customer Service Agent
lives in Calgary, Alberta.
Pierre Bourgault retired Air Canada captain lives in Tampa, Florida
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. George Brien sends us this message -
Ezine 609 re North Shore startup in 1955 brought back some memories for me as
related below-
In Dec. 1955 , I was based in YFC with a title called "Regional Spare
Operations Agent", and when Station Manager
Wils Himmelman called me into the office and slowly took his pipe out of his
mouth, I knew it was time to get my bags packed .
Regional Spare was another way of saying "where we need you, we'll send you"
TCA had just traded off Canada- Mexico City routes with CPA in return for DC3
routes in Quebec YUL/YQB/YBG/YZV and also
YUL/YVO/YUY/YYB/YXR/YYZ and I believe they threw in YQA(Muskoka) as a
bonus.!!!!
My assignment was to YBG,(Bagotville) , a RCAF base in the Kingdom of Saguenay
and the job description was a bit vague but to assist in training and setup of
the new station. One of the CPA agents remained and transferred to TCA and we
were joined
by new recuits Dennis Kerwin and Jock Vernier from YUL who would be trained as
Operations Agents.
The new station Manager was Gus Vanesse, an ex Bush Pilot and then Assistant
Flight Dispatcher with TCA/YUL
The Terminal building looked more like a large two story house than an Airport
Terminal, even more so because the ex CPA agent along with his wife and
children lived on the second floor which made it convienent for us as she
provided lunch for us at noon.
We all stayed at the Chicoutimi Hotel and since Gus had the only car, he
provided the ground transportation for us all.
I was joined by Operations Agent Earl Young from Stephenville and we worked the
8hr x 7day shift for the length of the tour.
( Our union was not quite as rigid in those days but we did enjoy a great per
diem).
Most of our duties consisted in training the new recuits on procedures etc
working on the joband since Earl and I were limited in our knowledge of the
French language, we had to leave the check in procedures to the ex CPA chap and
handle the radio/tely comms along with weight and balance.
At the time we were running North Stars on the route YUL/YQB/YZV and Stn Mgr
Gus, as an ex dispatcher, was always trying to make up time on the station
stop. One day we went all out and had the passengers/bgge off . reloaded and
flight dispatched in 6 mins and that was the highlight of the month for Gus and
he got it out of his system , and we went back to normal work pace.<g>
As Xmas got nearer, I was beginning to worry about getting home. Working 7 day
weeks built up some time off so on Dec 23 I got the OK to leave and caught the
last seat on the flt deck and made it home for Xmas.
I thought that was the end of the YBG experience but I ended up going back in
Jan/56 for another 6 weeks. The people and the team spirit in those days was a
great motivator to get things done and altho it was about 45 years ago, I can
still recall the great guys we had to work with up there.
George Brien
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. Found on the internet.
Last of the Spitfires grounded in style
The last Spitfire ever built is to go on display
in a giant museum hall at Duxford, the Cambridgeshire base where
one of the most famous planes in British aviation history came
into service in 1938. A heritage lottery grant of £9m and a £5m
grant from BAE Systems, towards the £19.3m project, will be
announced today. The grant comes as part of a raft of awards
being given to projects around the country, with the National
History Museum emerging as one of the major beneficiaries.
Further Concorde test flight
Concorde has taken to the skies again in the latest of a
series of test flights. A British Airways Concorde took off from
London's Heathrow airport on Tuesday morning for a 90-minute crew
refresher flight to Shannon airport in western Ireland. The trip
which involved a 30-minute section at twice the speed of sound, is
part of numerous tests which are being carried out in preparation
for Concorde's return to passenger services in September. Since the
accident BA's seven Concorde and Air France's remaining five have
been fitted with new tougher tyres and special bullet-proof fuel
tank linings at a cost of £17m. Tuesday's supersonic test flight
under the command of BA's chief Concorde pilot, Captain Mike
Bannister, follows two successful verification flights by the same
plane into the Atlantic last month.
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. From Employee communications -
How deep are your "winged" family roots? The Employee Travel and
Recognition
team would like to feature an employee profile in an upcoming issue of enRoute
magazine. We're looking for families of active and retired employees with the
deepest, widest roots at Air Canada that span at least two generations that
includes grandparents, parents, siblings, and their spouses. Send your name,
family members' names, your relationship to each other, years worked and
location(s) by August 24 to Employee Travel and Recognition by tely YULIMAC,
internal mail ACC1261, or e-mail
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. From Chief pilot - Vesta on the flight deck -
Air Canada at Vancouver put an 8-year old girl on a flight to Whitehorse
(YXY)in the Yukon last week. The only problem was her father was waiting for
her at the airport in Fort St. John BC(YXJ)! The girl had to be put back on the
same plane and flown from Whitehorse back to Vancouver, then flown on another
aircraft to Fort St. John. The girl flew approximately 6500km,s about the same
as Vancouver to Cartegena Columbia in South America!
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. Terry's travel tips.
Dargal is pleased to offer you the opportunity to cruise in luxury.....
Book a balcony stateroom or suite, at great Interline Rates.
Sept 28 - Celebrity Mercury - 12 Nights
Vancouver, At Sea, Kailua Kona;Hawaii, Hilo;Hawaii, Lahaina;Maui, Honolulu
Inside $799 Oceanview $849
Sky Suite $1299 (includes butler service, walk-in closet, fridge, cabin size
246 sq. ft., balcony 179 sq.ft)
Sept 30 - Celebrity Infinity - 13 Nights
San Diego, At Sea, Cabo San Lucas, At Sea, Acapulco, At Sea, Puerto Caldera,
Transit Panama Canal, Cartagena, Oranjestad;Aruba, At Sea, San Juan
Balcony Stateroom $1299
Oct 3 - Royal Caribbean - Rhapsody of the Seas - 11 Nights
Honolulu, Nawiliwili;kauai, Lahaina;Maui, Hilo;Hawaii, Kailua Kona;Hawaii,
At Sea, Ensenada
Inside $749 Oceanview $799
Balcony Stateroom $999 Suite$1319
Oct 14 - Royal Caribbean - Radiance of the Seas - 12 Nights
Vancouver, At Sea, Hilo;Hawaii, Lahaina;Maui, Nawiliwili;Kauai, Kailua
Kona;Hawaii, Honolulu
Inside $799 Oceanview $849
Balcony Stateroom $999 Suite $1399
Oct 26 - Royal Caribbean - Radiance of the Seas - 10 Nights
Honolulu, Nawiliwili;Kauai, Lahaina;Maui, Kailua Kona;Hawaii, Hilo;Hawaii,
At Sea, Ensenada
Inside $699 Oceanview $749
Balcony Stateroom $899 Suite $1299
Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars per person (based on
double occupancy) and are subject to change, availability
and eligibility. PORT CHARGES ARE INCLUDED. Government taxes/fees
are additional. Offers apply to new bookings only, are capacity
controlled and may be withdrawn without notice.
For more information on these and other specials, contact us at:
DARGAL Interline 1-800-690-3223 (North America)
International 01-250-861-3223 Fax (250) 861-3283
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. Smilie.
More from Murielle St-Germain
The following are actual stories provided by travel agents:
I had someone ask for an aisle seat on the plane so that their hair
wouldn't get messed up by being near the window.
A client called in inquiring about a package to Hawaii. After going
over all the cost info, she asked "Would it be cheaper to fly to
California and then take the train to Hawaii?"
I got a call from a woman who wanted to go to Capetown. I started to
explain the length of the flight and the passport information when she
interrupted me with "I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but
Capetown is in Massachusetts." Without trying to make her look stupid, I
calmly explained, "Capecod is in Massachusetts, Capetown is in Africa."
Her response...click.
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. DID YOU KNOW?
That you can read or retrieve back issues of "theNetLetter" ?
Just visit our web site at:
http://www.acfamily.org/netletter
and click on the "Archives" button.
This area is only open to "the NetLetter" subscribers and you will
need the following password to enter -
User Name: netletter Password: vesta
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