[CEOmike]

Bottom line it is all about money and being a monopoly. (or it is incomptence so deep to be on the border of the "twilight zone.")

I travel a lot, 100s of flights over the years, and take AC only if forced to - it is one of the worst airlines, if not the worst. Here's how they scr$%w their customers.

1. Buy a ticket well in advance at a cheap price and don't bother to pay extra for a seat selection and you really are flying standby. Why, because they will also sell your seat at a higher price if the flight becomes full and then they tell you it is overbooked. Overbooked because they LIED when they sold you the ticket so you wouldn't use another airline at a slightly higher price. They count on some of the lower ticket people to show up after others - making it appear it is your fault for not being first. I always show up early as the first to arrive, and have to complain very loudly with threats or I will not get on the plane.

It gets worse, if you have a connecting flight and you have a cheaper ticket because you bought in advance and they can sell your seat at a higher price, they will actually board and fill the plane ASAP and leave you to re-route or wait for an empty seat on a later flight!

2. A flight delayed is often an excuse to cancel a flight not full or profitable especially near the end of the day. Air Canada will do everything to get the last flight delayed if it is not full - to the point of even having a plane take off and turn around because of "fog" or "weather." Why? because it is cheaper to even send a plane into the air to shorten the time between the last flight of the day and first of the next so they don't have to pay for hotels. They can cancel over weather with no consequence but not to maximize profit. The last flight of the day can not be delayed because of "mechanical problems" to shorten the time when they must provide hotel.

3.Another AC practice if they are flying not full planes is to cancel a flight or flights around 7 or 8PM because of "mechanical problems" and then consolidate the passengers into the remaining flights.

AC does these things to show cheaper fares and more flights in the space they compete in - other airlines who don't treat their passengers like cattle and are honest with fares and flights are at a disadvantage in your booking search - be aware AC does not compete fairly and is basically lying in any of their promises of flight scheduling, absolutely.

If at all possible fly another airline - any airline but AC (this is a recommendation that doesn't even address how AC at Pearson is the most corrupt baggage handling in the world! - no exaggeration as I have been in dozens of airports many times.)

I know all this because I fly a lot, am a CEO of a company and have had all of the above happen to me more than once, so I can see the pattern of their business. It is disgusting!