[chad]

This week I checked into an Air Canada flight with web check-in…but in place of my seat number were the letters GTE.

I arrived for my flight well before boarding time and made my way to the boarding desk to ask what my seat number was. I was told that the flight was ‘oversold’ and that unless someone volunteered to give up their seat (for a lousy $100 or $200 flight credit) that I would be bumped. No volunteers came forward so I was bumped.

I was bumped and my trip ruined because Air Canada decided it would be a good policy to intentionally sell more product than they could fulfill.

After I bought the ticket weeks earlier, we had a deal but Air Canada waited until 30 minutes before my flight to tell me that they were reneging on the deal. Then they offer me $100 cash or a $200 travel voucher (on the same damn airline that just screwed me over). Maybe a flight credit on WestJet would be more appealing?

What other businesses would ever think of doing this?

- A restaurant won’t fill 100% of their tables but only make enough food for 98% of the customers and then tell the 2%…”come back tomorrow and we’ll give you a free dessert”.

- A dentist won’t book 20 people for a day when he can only perform 18 procedures and say…”come back tomorrow and by the way here’s a free toothbrush for your trouble”.

Air Canada has let the 'Bean Counters' put the pursuit of maximum profits ahead of customer care. It is just a matter of time before another company that cares about customers puts this dinosaur out of business.