- Airline bringing festive cheer to customers on more than
18,000 flights to 160 destinations over the holiday season
- Customer service agents are ready to go above and beyond,
delivering exceptional service for customers in airport terminals
and onboard
- Complimentary beer and wine now a permanent offering on all
domestic and U.S. flights
MONTREAL, Dec. 20,
2024 /CNW/ - Heading into the peak holiday travel
season, Air Canada teams are mobilizing to welcome the high volume
of travellers embarking on journeys across North America and around the world. The
airline is providing extra in-person support from agents, and
through the Air Canada mobile app, making every step of the journey
easier and more enjoyable for the more than 2.2 million customers
that will travel with Air Canada this holiday season.
Recognizing that the holidays are one of the few times many
travellers visit the airport, Air Canada has increased the number
of customer service agents that will be on hand to greet customers
and help them navigate terminals with ease. The airline will
continue to prioritize those with accessibility needs and minors
flying unaccompanied.
A Warm Airport Welcome
"The holidays are a special time of year for all of us and we're
prepared for the challenges that busy terminals, extra festive
luggage and unpredictable weather may bring to holiday travel,"
said Tom Stevens, Vice President of
Canadian Airports and Customer Experience Strategy, Air Canada. "At
Air Canada, care and class are at the heart of everything we do,
and our teams are ready to go above and beyond in delivering
exceptional service to every customer."
To kick off the holiday season, during the week of December 9, our Air Canada team members surprised
some customers passing through its hubs with extra special travel
gifts, courtesy of Air Canada. You can see the comfort and joy that
this brought in a video.
Starting the week of December 16,
Air Canada colleagues across our busiest Canadian airports will
welcome customers with an extra helping hand and complimentary
festive snacks, featuring Biscoff Cookies and TWIGZ pretzels.
More Peace of Mind on the Journey
Most important to our customers during the holiday season is
peace of mind, knowing they have what they need at their fingertips
to travel. The Air Canada mobile app delivers convenient day of
travel updates on flight status, gate changes, bag tracking, and
more, so customers can navigate every step of the journey with ease
— from check-in to the terminal, through security to boarding and
arrival. Recent upgrades include new and improved digital boarding
passes, latest information on the progress of boarding for flights,
gate maps and estimated walk times from security at select airports
in Canada, the U.S. and
Europe, and more.
Air Canada is also one of the
first airlines to integrate Apple's Share Item Location feature
into its mobile app, adding more day of travel confidence and
greater peace of mind for customers on their journey. Travellers
can now use the new Share Item Location feature in the Find My app
to directly share the location of their AirTag or Find My network
accessory with Air Canada customer service agents in the unlikely
event of a delayed bag, so they can even more quickly reunite
customers with their bags.
Aeroplan Members can also take advantage of a special AirTag
promotion during the Aeroplan eStore Boxing Event, which runs until
December 26, 2024, with more
conditions and details available here.
Festive Cheer in the Air
Air Canada is spreading the
holiday spirit on board by making complimentary beer and wine a
permanent offering on all domestic and U.S. flights. Customers can
enjoy a carefully curated selection of craft beers, red and white
French wines, and complimentary premium snacks, as they toast their
holiday journeys.
These initiatives build on industry-leading upgrades delivered
for all customers in 2024, including new chef-inspired menus, hours
of complimentary in-flight entertainment and live TV adding to the
airline's award-winning selection of movies, games, music and
podcasts, as well as new mobile app self-serve features such as
real-time baggage tracking, expanded digital identification and
more.
"The complimentary beer and wine offering has been a
well-received addition to our in-flight service, and we're excited
to make this a permanent offering in Canada and the U.S. for every customer,
regardless of their chosen fare," said Scott O'Leary, Vice President, Loyalty &
Product at Air Canada. "We're inviting travellers to relax and
unwind with a drink and enjoy their favourite movie or TV show as
they look forward to the holidays, with plenty more in store over
the year to come, from on-ground and in-flight upgrades to new
features in our world-class Aeroplan loyalty program."
As Air Canada reunites more than 2.2 million Canadians with
loved ones this holiday season, it's bringing even more joy to
every journey. To make the flight experience extra cozy and
festive, the airline has added more than 35 new holiday-themed
titles for all the family to its in-flight entertainment library,
including The Family Stone, A Christmas Story and Love
Actually. Younger travellers can look forward to receiving
Lindt Teddy Bear chocolates on select flights, while Santa Claus
himself will make special appearances at Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto
Pearson, and Vancouver International airports.
From December 12 to 26, Air Canada
Signature Class customers on flights departing Canada will enjoy a specially crafted holiday
menu featuring festive food and beverage offerings.
Elevating the Air Canada Experience for all in
2025
Beyond the holiday season, Air Canada remains committed to
adding comfort features that make the travel experience better for
every customer, whichever fare type they choose. Exciting upgrades
from the airline will continue in 2025, with the rollout of fast,
free Wi-Fi, sponsored by Bell, for all Aeroplan Members on North
American flights, starting in May. The rollout extends to all Air
Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express flights, with completion for
the majority of aircraft expected by year-end.
Air Canada recently shared its
top travel tips to help customers travel with ease during the peak
holiday period, which runs from mid-December until January 6, 2025.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag
carrier and a founding member of Star
Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation
network. Air Canada provides
scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in
Canada, the United States and Internationally on six
continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air
Canada's Aeroplan program is
Canada's premier travel loyalty
program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world's
largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an
extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners.
Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than
any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations
worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day
tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo,
provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of
destinations across six continents using Air Canada's passenger and
freighter aircraft. Air Canada's climate ambition includes a
long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by
2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada's TCFD disclosure. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX
in Canada and the OTCQX in the
US.
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