How Air Canada Lost a Customer Who Was Trying to be Green

I wouldn't say 'Goodbye Air Canada', necessarily. I have a feeling that was more of an example of a problem with the individual employee that the company itself.

that's ridiculous. seems like some forms of transport have a real objection to bikes. on the London Underground you can take a parcel bigger than a full size, non-folding bike, but not a bike. A journalist even reported on this by wrapping his bike in brown paper to make it into a parcel, which was then allowed on.

People who enforce rules that they don't understand... the world would be such a better place without them.

How dumb is she!?

Obviously they charge because of the extra room and handling involved, not because of the fact that it is a bike.

Seriously she was taking things literal and not taking the time to analyze and actually think for herself, and that is just sad :(

I hate corporate whores...

a couple weeks ago I was at a bob dylan concert. I was on the floor but my seats were far back so I couldn't really see bob dylan at all. I was leaving early(bob dylan isnt what he used to be :S) But i wanted to see him up close. So i tried to talk to the front of the stage to look before I left. A security woman stops me and I tell her I'll be right back, she says no, I offered her to hold my cell phone and wallet and promised I'd be right back. She says no and then grabs my arms and starts pushing me back.

People don't think for themselves these days.

Trying to be green and flying. Good luck. It would be greener to rent a bike at your destination so the weight of the bike doesn't use extra fuel. Might even be greener to rent a small car than take a bike on a plane.

Unless the bike was in a suitcase the airline's policy doesn't seem like a big deal to me. It's probably going to be handled differently than your luggage. Considering how luggage is handled, this is a good thing.

You can't fix stupid, and I have no qualms in calling the airhead behind the counter stupid in this regard for failure to apply reasoning and common sense. I'm sure appeals to management would have gone in much the same vein.

I hope you forward this to Air Canada. That's just inane.

When I was living in Washington DC I took my Strida several time son the plane, in its bag, without any extra charge, and I'm pretty sure that many if not most of the flights were with Air Canada. There seems to be some inconsistency here...

\\\\ we live in a world of semantical jargon ////

I too have gone through a similar situation, though,
I knew ahead of time of the ridiculous policies
regarding the shipping of bikes; not only is biking
a great way recreate it is a tool for transportation
and a healthy alternative to gross gas-using hunks
of metal.

Delta and US airways both were telling me that they
just raised their rates from $80 to $175 to bring a bike
as checked luggage!! i talked to numerous customer
service people and they kept telling me that this
magical "bike" word made it go from $15 to $175;

the last customer service person I spoke with actually
thought about my concern and told me to box it in 2
separate luggages, basically disguising it as not
being a "bike";

in the end, i did this and, as i approached the check-in
desk they asked me what was in the box, and i replyed
ever so sly, "bike parts", the complete truth, as my bike
had been nearly fully disassembled into "parts"; now,
because the verbiage had changed from "bike" to
"bike parts" they were outright confused and couldn't
charge me the full $175;

short story long, i was out of there with 2 checked
luggages, at $15 for the first and $25 for the second;

\\\\ find ways within the system to beat the system ////

Well, you could always take your stuff and walk away from that ticket agent, go to another. And when they ask what it is, say "It's a firearm". Because they won't charge extra for that.

Uh, no, you get to say "I'd like to speak to your manager, because I know your interpretation of the policy is wrong". If her manager is adamant about it, *then* you can tell Air Canada to piss off.

Although you might just want to try Westjet anyway, since they claim not to spring such surprises upon their customers.

For what it's worth, this isn't a new problem. My father loves to tell the story of his argument with ViaRail in the seventies. "We charge for bikes." "It's not a bike. It's a box full of parts." "Right, a bike. Pay up."

Nice advice Ernie. My advice is to avoid Boston's greenwash show altogether.

Of course, you can also politely send a letter to Air Canada informing them that Mr/Ms So-and-So working at the Somewhere terminal on what-ever date was very helpful in making your choice for all your future air travel to not be with Air Canada. Then you can inform them what niche market you belong to, how large it is, and how you are going to politely inform all of your friends and colleagues about the type of service provided by Air Canada, and that you are happy to pass on any remarks (or lack thereof) that they have about your choice to not fly with them in the future.

Passive-aggressiveness bugs the crap out of me, but short of taking illegal activity, it is all that one can do to a company in which you are not a major shareholder.

Air Canada's baggage policy indeed singles bikes out specifically for the $50 charge without any mention of size or weight. Many other airlines just mention oversize luggage from which folding bikes would be exempt. I listed airline bicycle fees and link to the airline policy pages here.

Hey Dave,
I have seen people moving entire lounge suites on the London Underground. But I've never heard of anyone buying a lounge ticket. :-)

Why would you say hello to Air Canada in the first place, that's the important question! They are famous for poor service and unhappy workers, list goes on and on. Thank god for West Jet.

nice article... tho I, having never been to the US/ Canada or infact anywhere west of dubai, I'm surprised that people take bikes on a plane... dint know that was allowed, I thought if they ain't gonna let people take toileteries on a plane, they sure as hell ain't gonna let people take a bike on it as hand luggage... nothing dangerous about bike is there, it's just a lot of cogs, chains and steel tubes.. heh heh heh...

When booking your flight, indicate that you will be traveling with a wheelchair. Hide the seat if you have to and request to have someone assist you to the gate with one of the airport's wheelchairs. A little limp or maybe even a large brace will go a long way. They won't ask too many questions. Depending on the plane, they will probably let you carry it on board. If they make you check it, it doesn't count as a checked item.

If you're feeling extra naughty ask them to assemble it for you upon arrival. They are required to do so. They will be so shocked when it turns out to be a bike that you will have time to hop on and cruise away!

I'd rather rent a bike at my destination rather than take my own on the plane. It's a lot less hassle, and I support local businesses wherever I go by renting a bike.

Your first mistake was flying AirCanada. I used to think everyone should support our nations airline, but when you deal with the miserable individuals that are employed there time and again...it gets hard to be patriotic.

The last 4 flights with air Canada have left me luggage less for two days each way...not sure why, but for some reason, my small check in bag will make it to the airport, the larger bag shows up two to three days later.

I've given up on Air Canada, they give off this vibe like they have been mistreated, and because of it we're going to treat every customer like crap.

Brutal service...over and over and over again! Find a different carrier next time.

I also travel regularly with my Strida. It is often easier to say its golf gear as the bagged bike is almost same size as a bag of golf clubs.

FWIW Virgin have THE best attitude to bikes always free and always welcome KUDOS !!

I would have asked for a manager there straight-up. I sounds like she needed a lesson in customer service.

This is the same crap airlines have been pulling for years. I have flown with a full size bike for years. I go to my local bike shop and get an empty bike box, load my bike in by removing the tires, pedals and handle bar.

I would then clearly mark the outside of the box:
Fragile! Marketing Material.

And guess what? Not single bit of hassle or extra charge. But if I even mentioned the word "bike" they would want to charge me extra.

What's missing from this post and all the comments so far is this, Air Canada's official policy on bikes:

Bicycles are accepted on a space available basis only and should be pre-registered at time of booking. Each bicycle counts as one piece of baggage towards the maximum number of checked bags allowed by your fare type. Bicycles are subject to a $50 CAD/USD handling fee (plus applicable taxes) for carriage on all Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz flights. The fee is charged for one-way flights and for each way of travel on round-trip and multi-segment flights. If your baggage count (bicycle + number of bags to be checked) exceeds the maximum number of items allowed by your fare type, you will be charged excess baggage fees in addition to the fixed handling fee. Please note that a single handling fee is waived for Latitude and Executive fare customers for travel within Canada, and between Canada and the US. Excess baggage rules still apply.

The bicycle must be placed�with handlebars fixed sideways and pedals removed�in a rigid and/or hard shell container specifically designed for shipping or (when transporting collapsible bicycles) in a bicycle suitcase. If not packaged in a container, Air Canada will provide a plastic bicycle bag and will accept the item with a signed limited release.

LA: I still make the case that a Folding bike that has a weight and dimension less than the max for conventional baggage is not a bike in the sense of the word that they are talking about. It is a bag, not a bike.

That is so ridiculous! Sounds like an attendant on a power trip to me, I hate when that happens!

Next time don't tell them it's a bicycle. Since it's disassembled, technically the bag only contains "bicycle parts", or "sports equipment parts". Be creative, it's worth saving $50 to do so.