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Since October 1995, Vesta Stevenson and Terry Baker have been issuing an email newsletter for those ex Air Canada types who have provided us with their email addresses. The Newsletter was created by Vesta, who gave the name 'NetLetter' and added 'Between Ourselves' - a TCA periodical with which you are probably familiar with from the 50's and 60's. It was then changed to "Between Yourselves" to avoid confusion when "Horizons" resurrected the name. Then finally simplified to just "The NetLetter".

We believe that our NetLetter, which originates from Vancouver Island, was the FIRST to use this medium to disperse information for retirees of Air Canada.

The NetLetter contains airline related information such as anecdotes or stories supplied by some of the recipients, Internet tips, travel news, cheap... excuse me, "inexpensive" accommodations, tours, interline travel, and, in some small way, we help keep our Air Canada family together and in touch.

Our 'NetLetter' is NOT sponsored by any Pionair group, nor are we seeking any financial support, only the Internet email addresses of those who would like to receive our 'NetLetter'. Please forward this to other retirees who can then subscribe right from the forwarded link at the bottom of this email.

Welcome to the 941st issue of "NetLetter". We now estimate that the NetLetter is read by over 2730 retirees when counting our email distribution and those that print the NetLetter and give them out to their friends.

The "NetLetter" is written by Vesta Stevenson and Terry Baker from Vancouver Island (see sidebar) and published courtesy of the ACFamily Network at www.acfamily.net

Runway repairs in YYC - employee travel affected. Started Sept. 21, and until Oct. 4, there will be some runway repairs done at Calgary International Airport. As a result, the following international flights will be required to make a technical stop in Edmonton (YEG) to board passengers and fuel:
AC 844 - YYC-FRA
AC 850 - YYC-LHR; and
AC 852 - YYC-LHR.
For example, flight AC 844 will now operate Calgary- Edmonton-Frankfurt. Please be advised that if you are planning to travel standby from Calgary to Frankfurt or London Heathrow, you will have to travel to Edmonton on an earlier flight, then standby for the international portion of the flight.

Note: Call Centres have contacted our passengers in advance to advise them of the stop in Edmonton.

Air Canada seals the deal with ITA Software for internal passenger reservations system

Tuesday September 19, 2006
News from Travel Technology Update: Air Canada and ITA Software put the finishing touches on a contract under which ITA will build a new reservations management system for the carrier, replacing its old RES III system.

Lise Fournel, the airline's senior vice president of e- commerce and chief information officer, said the new system will take a modular approach and include all reservations, inventory control, seat availability, check-in and airport operations systems.

The transition to the new reservations system is slated for next year.

Airport modules will probably be rolled out in 2008. ITA already has some modules in place, she said, such as domestic and international faring, but the airport systems will be entirely new.
"We wanted to change, and we needed a partner that was ready to work with us," she said. "We needed some people who were highly creative. They have creativity."

The deal was signed as Air Canada wrapped up a program "to simplify all our processes and our offerings to our customers" in preparation for the development of the new system, Fournel said. That project entailed reducing the number of fares, automating vouchers and MCOs and streamlining procedures for handling groups. In all 1,500 items came under the simplification process, Fournel said. Air Canada wanted a completely new system that could accommodate its new approach to selling air travel.
"We're talking about products with attributes, not just transactions,"
Fournel said. The carrier's Tango fares, which offer both upsell and downsell opportunities, and its multi- city passes are examples, but the carrier wants to do much more.

Air Canada also envisions a sort of "e-bank" system, in which each passenger would have a personal account and "interact with us in a fully automated mode," Fournel said. For example, if a customer canceled a flight, the credit would automatically go back into his e-bank.

The system will enable the carrier to capture more customer information and, in turn, provide a more personal experience. "The same information will be available at all points of contact," Fournel said, so if the customer has a current or past problem, any airline agent will have the details at hand.

Air Canada had weighed participating in the new reservations system that Amadeus is developing for the Star Alliance, based on its Alt a platform. But the carrier was concerned that the Star system would not address its particular needs and nontraditional style of merchandising. "It would have required so much home-grown development," Fournel said.

Air Canada has been meeting with its Star partners and with Amadeus to ensure that the two systems have "connectivity right up front," she said.

I was delighted to see the note from Gord Girvan (see NetLetter nr 940).
I worked with AC alongside him when he was at YQX, back in the Maritime Central Airways days (they had a rear facing seat Viscount) and later Eastern Provincial Airways.

Bob Kieley This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Following on the article in NetLetter nr 940, here are a couple more airports TCA operated to and from. Information supplied by Geoge Brien -

Blissville YYS
Located 30 miles SW of Fredericton, the airport was built in the late 30's as part of the Trans Canada Airways system.

The first TCA to land there was on May 10th 1941, an enroute stop on the YUL/YHZ route but this trial only lasted for 6 weeks . However, on July 1 1944, the flight was reinstated into Blissville and it served as a regional airport for YSJ and YFC until Apr 1 1947.

Memories of Jack Newart and others about Blissville can be found by following this link. and also here

The airport was decommissioned in the early 60's with most of the equipment including the Wooden terminal building being moved to the new YFC Airport.

The airport is now just inside the CFB Gagetown boundary and used by the military. Still showing 4000 feet of paved runway.

Pennfield Ridge YPN
This airport was constructed in the early 40's as part of the BCATP program and used as a training airport by the Air Force. It is located 30 miles sw of YSJ, on the highway to the US Border See: www.geocities.com/blacksharbour/pennfield.html

On April 1st 1947 it was taken over the Ministry of Transport and TCA moved its operation from Blissville to this location to serve YSJ. At this time the new Trans border service began on the route YHZ/YQI/YPN/BOS.

The Station Manager was Bill Hegan and Customer Service Supervisor was Freddie Robinson. Ziggy Ziggerchuk and Bill Scott were two of the Radio Operators. Bob Anderson was one of the Ramp crew.

TCA ended its operations into YPN when the new YSJ airport was opened in 1951.

There is still one runway operational and used by JD Irving Ltd

On December 2nd., 1946, a TCA Lancaster lifted its wheels from a runway at Dorval Airport and pushed eastwards through the lightly falling snow enroute to London, England via Prestwick. . This flight marked the 1,000th Atlantic crossing for the airline since the inauguration of the TCA operated Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic service. The passengers on this flight were presented with souvenirs before boarding at Dorval. The ladies received silver vanity trays and the men silver ash trays neatly engraved and bearing a silver and gold wings similar to those worn bu the flight crew.

Upon arrival at Prestwick and London, the ladies received abouquet of flowers.

The crew, under Capt. J.G.Hames included Purser/steward J. Champagne, Navigator G.Stringer, Radio Officer Frank Brusafore and First Officer M.McInnis.

Later in the following year, the C.G.T.A.S. was dissolved to make way for a new subsidiary of T.C.A. named Trans-Canada Atlantic Limited.

TCA Lancaster image courtesy of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society. See: www.cahs.ca

A380 MSN2 took off from Toulouse-Blagnac, for the fourth and last of the planned Early Long Flights this morning at 7 a.m. for a 15-hour flight. Once completed, the total distance flown by the A380 during these four flights will be equivalent to a little more than one trip around the world.

Ceasar Hotel Interline deals offered -

HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!
- 4 Days/ 3 Nights Honolulu with confirmed air from $335*
- Depart from LAX Oct. 2 through Dec. 4, 2006
- Enjoy a FREE car if booked by Oct. 31, 2006
5 Days/ 4 Nights from $369*

Airline taxes are additional Ask about other departure cities. Additional islands, tours and more! We can now tell you the best days to travel to Hawaii with confirmed air from Los Angeles. Call for our air and land specials!

LAX to Honolulu September 26, 29, 30 October 3,4,10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21
LAX to Maui September 27 October 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20
LAX to Kona September 26, 27, 29, 30
Three night minimum hotel stay is required. Car rentals available.

Prague Classic Package from $479*
Perfect for the fall and winter escape!

Prague's wonderful restaurants, sightseeing, opera & nightlife make it the most exciting city in Central Europe. It's an ideal destination especially at this time of year. A compact city centre makes walking between the tourist attractions easy. The sightseeing is unforgettably romantic and the food & drink is high quality and a good buy compared to other European capitals.

Our package to this fairy tale city includes:
- 3 nights accommodations with breakfast daily
- Half day City tour of Prague Full Day Excursion out of Prague including lunch
- Ticket for cultural performance or dinner at local restaurant
- Arrival Transfer
- Taxes and service charges.

Hotel Options: through 3/01/07
Ibis Prague Karlin from $479*
City Centre from $564*
Hotel Elysee from $684*
Cerna Liska from $740*

Ireland and Britain Go As You Please!
Ireland and Great Britain 6 & 7 Day Go As You Please at GottaGo prices!
Ireland 6 Days/ 6 Nights from $294*
Great Britain 7 Days/ 7 Nights from $441*

Land Only pricing, Ask about confirmed air options!

Our popular Ireland Go As You Please package includes:
- 6 day self drive car with unlimited mileage
- pick up and drop off in Shannon or Dublin
- 6 open vouchers for stays at bed & breakfast properties (hotel option also available)
- Full Irish breakfast daily
- rooms with private bath/shower
- Guide to Ireland
- discounts on visitor attractions
- hotel service charges and all local taxes.

Rates & Dates Oct. 1 - March 31 August 22 - Sept. 30
6 Day/ 6 Night B&B Package $294 US $330 US

Our popular Great Britian Go As You Please package includes:
- 7 day self drive car with unlimited mileage
- Pick and drop off in London, Glascow, Edinburgh
- 7 Night E vouchers for bed & breakfast properties (first class hotel option available)
- Full breakfast daily
- Automobile Association 24 hour emergency service B&B listing of 800 homes (Hotelpass listings of 500 hotels)
- Touring map of Britain
- Hotel service charges and all local taxes

Rates & Dates Nov. 1 - Dec. 14 & Jan. 12 - March 31 April 1 - Oct. 31
7 Day/ 7 Night B&B Package $441 $462

All Go As You Please prices are based on double occupancy. Single and triple rates are available. Don't forget to ask about our confirmed air options.

1 800 422 3727

Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm CST
Saturday Hours 9:30am to 1pm CST

Recently, a 21 year old B767-200 of American Airlines under going a maintenance check, was found to have dead mice in some of the oxygen masks. In the event of an emergency and mask deployment, some passengers might have received mouse-to-mouth resuscitation.

The hosting, and mailing of the NetLetter as well as the conversion to HTML format is provided compliments of the ACFamily Network and Nerds On Site. Content is researched and submitted by Vesta Stevenson and Terry Baker. Thank you for letting us into your homes!

Important reminder, for all new articles, submissions and or comments for the "The Netletter" please send to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Please add to your Address Books).

This e-mail address has been set up so that both of us Terry & Vesta (exclusively) will get an automatic copy and so we can keep up with the continuity of news for the NetLetter.

To make changes to your e-mail address or to unsubscribe, please see the links at the bottom of the page for "Update Profile/Email address" and SafeUnsubscribe. This is now automated so that you can remove yourself from the list or change your email address (or name) without our assistance. We will still do this manually if you have any difficulties.

Many of our members are having difficulty finding these links. You will need to scroll to the bottom of the page, the link is similar to the following image. (The image below doesn't work but your links at the bottom will).


Vesta, Terry and Alan thank you for your co- operation.

The archives of the NetLetter are kept on the ACFamily Network Forums area. They are in plain text format so you can print them from there if desired. If you are not a member of the ACFamily Network yet, we encourage you to join us there. Non members can Register here. (It's Free!)