Incomplete deal with OTA, mixed messages plague Air Canada shuttle bus service

An incomplete deal with an OTA, an Aeroplan glitch and mixed messages have caused headaches and confusion for some Air Canada customers who have tried to book a seat on the airline's new land-air motorcoach service.

Air Canada, in February, announced a partnership with The Landline Company to connect airports in Hamilton and Waterloo Region with the airline's hub at Toronto Pearson airport (YYZ).

The bus transfer, which launched in May, has been promoted as a seamless travel option for passengers who don't want to drive their car (or pay a driver) to get to Pearson. Customers, instead, can book a single itinerary that includes a transfer aboard 36-seat “luxury motorcoach.”

But according to a report in the Waterloo Region Record, some customers using the new service haven’t had a seamless experience.

One disgruntled passenger the news outlet spoke to hasn’t been unable to secure a free seat on the bus for an upcoming September flight to Europe. Why? Because she booked her flight through Expedia.

Apparently, Air Canada is still in the process of finalizing an agreement with the OTA, which is blocking travellers from saving their seat on Air Canada's branded buses.

READ MORE: Air Canada expands service in Ontario with motorcoach land-air connections

As reported in The Record, this has resulted in a back-and-forth accountability game between Air Canada and Expedia, in addition to long telephone wait times.

It’s not the only bus-related issue Air Canada customers have faced. When the airline launched the shuttle service three months ago, passengers reportedly could not book seats by redeeming Aeroplan points.

The airline says it fixed this problem by mid-June.

In addition, others claim the airline has sought to charge  a fee for adding a bus seat to a trip that was previously booked out of Pearson (despite the bus being promoted as a free service).

Speaking to The Record, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick confirmed that it’s been the airline policy since starting the shuttle service to not charge a fee. Air Canada only charges a fee if a flight is changed, he said.

But the wording on Air Canada’s website tells a different story. In an FAQ posted about Landline, the airline says that “pricing for our bus segments is competitive and dynamic, varying depending on destination and passenger demand.”

Fitzpatrick told The Record that Air Canada will be amending the wording on its website so that it clearly states that there is no additional cost for using the Landline bus.

The wheels on the bus go round & round

Landline operates six, non-stop round trips daily to Toronto Pearson from each of the Hamilton and Region of Waterloo airports in southern Ontario.

Air Canada customers begin their journey at Hamilton or Waterloo airports by checking in as normal for their flight and obtaining boarding passes for all segments of their trip.

In the event of coach or flight delays, customers travelling on Landline buses are offered the same protections as customers travelling on air-only itineraries.

The motorcoaches are made in Canada by Prevost, a manufacturer of touring coaches based in Sainte-Claire, Quebec.

Each bus provides 36 leather seats in a two-by-one configuration. They come equipped with free Wi-Fi, power and a table tray available at each seat, overhead storage for carry-on baggage and an onboard lavatory.

Announcements on board are made in both English and French and the coaches are fully accessible, including a power lift for customers requiring mobility aids.

It appears the service has gotten off to a slow start. Fitzpatrick told The Record that the shuttle buses, since launching, have carried more than 11,000 passengers, which is only a fraction of the total number of available seats.

But traffic is increasing with each passing month, the airline said.

“We expected from the outset, based on the experiences of other airlines offering a similar service, that traffic would take time to build,” Fitzpatrick said. “Overall we are satisfied with the reception the Landline service has received.”

Fitzpatrick also noted that the buses run on time more than 98 per cent of the time and that none have been cancelled.

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