Air Canada's direct flight to London has been slow, warned Air Canada president and CEO Calin Rovinescu today.
"It's been slower than we want it to be," he told The Telegram following his speech to the St. John's Board of Trade.
"Given this service right now has been announced on a seasonal basis only, we need it to ramp up quickly. So, this is something I wanted to pass as a strong message … it's not an ultimatum or anything like that."
The direct flight service was reinstated this year as a trial during the summer season.
Air Canada direct flight to London slow to start: Air Canada
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Published on
June 2, 2010
- Published on June 30, 2010
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Staff ~ The Telegram
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Comments
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- Rhys
- - July 2, 2010 at 15:04:31
When I booked there where six seats left, when my aunt an uncle tried to book they could not, so they are not coming. From London I can fly to Bangkok or Orlando for half the price. But no help because they leave me further from Newfoundland
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- Mark
- - July 2, 2010 at 15:03:52
I've been working in the UK and flying with British Airways from Toronto or Montreal, I'm very happy with the sevice and will be sticking with BA.
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- Slow
- - July 2, 2010 at 15:02:23
Slow? Probably because your company services the market only enough to kill at any real service to the province. Why should I give you my money when you will only enter the YYT market if there is a viable competitor here? I'd rather walk. Continental works just fine for me for my European needs, thank you.
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- Gordon
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:59:43
It looks like Air Canada is digging into its fiction generator. You can almost see it coming, folks. We only got the flight back because Go Travel decided to try the route. St. John's will be well served when Air Canada goes the way of Canadian Airlines International, or better yet, Interflug.
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- ButofCOURSE
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:56:25
Mr. Rovinescu, with all due respect, you HAVE to expect it to be slow at first. Air Canada has yanked away this service so many times you HAVE to understand that people are hesitant to book in advance!! Give people time to gain confidence and things will all work out they way you want them to. (Well, that and stop charging astronomical fees to bring an extra piece of luggage... that might help as well..)
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- Don
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:55:03
Thats what happens Mr.Rovinescu when you and your company treat people like dirt, You will be lucky to have any passengers.
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- Jacqueline
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:54:20
Let's start lobbying West Jet to fly this route.
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- Dennis
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:50:51
How many times can we be fooled by this company? The last time I flew with them, they cancelled the route entirely a few days before we were scheduled to fly. In order to talk to a real person on the phone they wanted to charge $50 per passenger to find out what we were to do. We went to the airport in Gander and they told us nothing. We went to St. John's and were told to show up for the flight and they would tell us then what we were to do!!! In other words, show up at the airport of a midnight flight that you knew was cancelled and they would tell us what plans they had for us. Make no wonder business is slow. Although, I am sure that Wayne is right, if you check on their web page you will find very few seat available. This summer AC has started a direct flight from Barcelona to Montreal, which I will take, and then on to St. John's. Let's see how that works.
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- Duke
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:50:14
Air Canada only put this service on to compete with another airline that was supposed to fly from st johns, but they went bust, I bet they won't fly from st johns to london next year.
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- Wayne
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:43:09
I have to make a couple of trips to the UK this year. I booked my first one about a month ago and will be flying in about 2 weeks. There were only 8 or 10 seats open on that flight a month ago. Any reader can log onto the Air Canada site and go through the reservation process without actually buying a ticket. I suggest that you will see that most flights are full....just like they used to be when AC yanked the service before. br br I would like somebody to tell me why it's cheaper to fly from Toronto to London than it is from St. John's to London. St. John's is a lot closer. I was in Edmonton a while ago and saw a price for an AC flight to England and it was cheaper than it was from here...even though it's a a couple of thousand miles farther away
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- crackie
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:42:49
Even with the seat sale price of $568.00 RT there's a total of $411.00 extra in surcharges -mostly fuel surcharge added to your fare. AC can't do much about that as it is charged on all European overseas flights. So I can't afford to go until that drops, you can get to California cheaper.
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- sylvia
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:41:32
The advertised $568 is hoax. I tried to book my flight following all eligible conditions. There is not a single flight to London for that amount. All flights in June, July and August are for 1,600$! That's crazy!
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- Watcher
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:38:32
I'm surprised there's any business at all. People still remember what Air Canada did last time, Mr. Rovinescu.
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- Rhys
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:53:48
When I booked there where six seats left, when my aunt an uncle tried to book they could not, so they are not coming. From London I can fly to Bangkok or Orlando for half the price. But no help because they leave me further from Newfoundland
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- Mark
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:52:45
I've been working in the UK and flying with British Airways from Toronto or Montreal, I'm very happy with the sevice and will be sticking with BA.
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- Slow
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:51:18
Slow? Probably because your company services the market only enough to kill at any real service to the province. Why should I give you my money when you will only enter the YYT market if there is a viable competitor here? I'd rather walk. Continental works just fine for me for my European needs, thank you.
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- Gordon
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:47:16
It looks like Air Canada is digging into its fiction generator. You can almost see it coming, folks. We only got the flight back because Go Travel decided to try the route. St. John's will be well served when Air Canada goes the way of Canadian Airlines International, or better yet, Interflug.
-
- ButofCOURSE
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:43:20
Mr. Rovinescu, with all due respect, you HAVE to expect it to be slow at first. Air Canada has yanked away this service so many times you HAVE to understand that people are hesitant to book in advance!! Give people time to gain confidence and things will all work out they way you want them to. (Well, that and stop charging astronomical fees to bring an extra piece of luggage... that might help as well..)
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- Don
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:41:03
Thats what happens Mr.Rovinescu when you and your company treat people like dirt, You will be lucky to have any passengers.
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- Jacqueline
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:39:55
Let's start lobbying West Jet to fly this route.
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- Dennis
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:33:53
How many times can we be fooled by this company? The last time I flew with them, they cancelled the route entirely a few days before we were scheduled to fly. In order to talk to a real person on the phone they wanted to charge $50 per passenger to find out what we were to do. We went to the airport in Gander and they told us nothing. We went to St. John's and were told to show up for the flight and they would tell us then what we were to do!!! In other words, show up at the airport of a midnight flight that you knew was cancelled and they would tell us what plans they had for us. Make no wonder business is slow. Although, I am sure that Wayne is right, if you check on their web page you will find very few seat available. This summer AC has started a direct flight from Barcelona to Montreal, which I will take, and then on to St. John's. Let's see how that works.
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- Duke
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:32:49
Air Canada only put this service on to compete with another airline that was supposed to fly from st johns, but they went bust, I bet they won't fly from st johns to london next year.
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- Wayne
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:20:56
I have to make a couple of trips to the UK this year. I booked my first one about a month ago and will be flying in about 2 weeks. There were only 8 or 10 seats open on that flight a month ago. Any reader can log onto the Air Canada site and go through the reservation process without actually buying a ticket. I suggest that you will see that most flights are full....just like they used to be when AC yanked the service before. br br I would like somebody to tell me why it's cheaper to fly from Toronto to London than it is from St. John's to London. St. John's is a lot closer. I was in Edmonton a while ago and saw a price for an AC flight to England and it was cheaper than it was from here...even though it's a a couple of thousand miles farther away
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- crackie
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:20:20
Even with the seat sale price of $568.00 RT there's a total of $411.00 extra in surcharges -mostly fuel surcharge added to your fare. AC can't do much about that as it is charged on all European overseas flights. So I can't afford to go until that drops, you can get to California cheaper.
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- sylvia
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:18:06
The advertised $568 is hoax. I tried to book my flight following all eligible conditions. There is not a single flight to London for that amount. All flights in June, July and August are for 1,600$! That's crazy!
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- Watcher
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:13:22
I'm surprised there's any business at all. People still remember what Air Canada did last time, Mr. Rovinescu.
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