Just a few comments:
I am a Canadian air traffic controller, I have worked in Europe and the Middle East over the past 3 1/2 years. I will be returning to Canada before the end of the year and reading this thread about Air Canada makes me sick.. here are some comments/suggestions.
1. It is disgusting that a baggage handler can potentially make 70.000 to 90.000 when a starting air traffic controller in Toronto ACC starts just above 80.000. I am not demeaning anyones jobs but the responsibility on my back as a controller is a little more serious than that of a baggage handler. I have a friend that was murdered in Zurich a short time ago for being involved in an air disaster a few years ago..it was the husband of someone on the airplane that went down that is being charged for the murder.... that is a pretty heavy burden of responsibility.
2. Over the past 2 years, I have been on over 60 flights. Not one Air Canada. Previous I had flown Air Canada many many times. The service on board is disgraceful. I was always made to feel as if the FA was doing me a favor by pouring me a drink. That is not an attitude to keep people coming back. Take a flight on Virgin or Virgin Blue.. you'll see how happy and cheerful the FA's are... a huge difference. Because of these past experiences, I try to avoid flying Air Canada. Maybe I am a small fish but there are many like me.
3. This company is too heavy at the top, too many people making too much money. How do you even begin fixing this? This is a similar problem as Swissair. Relatively small market, recent unsucessful takeovers and investments into other airlines and huge operating costs.. What is neeeded??? A WHITE PAPER STRATEGY. Start from scratch. This is the only way to save it, re-evaluate everything. It's not by scheduling less ground staff that you save money. It's by making sure a baggage handler doesn't make 70.000 and that a reservation agent doesn't make 60.000.. Adjust your salaries to the industry norm.
4. There is talk about an election and Martin not letting AC go under because he doesn't wanna lose votes. Well let me tell you this and I do not stand alone. Martin and Co. will NOT get my vote if they bail out AC once again. My tax dollars are certainly not going to subsidise an inefficient company with an overpaid workforce (referring to baggagehandlers and reservation agents.. there might be more?)
5, I read that AC signed deals with Bombardier and Embraer to purchase aircrafts. Now why purchase 2 types that compete with each other? Did they get such a good deal? It's proven that operating the fewest amount of aircraft types is more profitable so why add a whole new type to the airline? This upsets me for a different reason. Bombardier is Canadian, a great company and a great airplane... an airplane which was hugely responsible for Air Canada's sucess in the early to mid 90's. Let's keep the money in Canada.... order only Bombardier! Why send Canadian dollars to Brazil?... actually Canadian TAX DOLLARS!.. I want my TAX DOLLARS supporting Canadians.. not supporting jobs in Brazil.
I do not want AC to go under, I want them to fix their problems and become a profitable airline. The industry has drastically changed and companies now have to become fiscally responsible. Good luck AC