Air Canada Implodes?

I went to book my tickets for PlazeCamp this morning, and the Air Canada computer system was down, so my travel agent couldn’t make the booking. Now I hear that their computers are down all over the world, and that they are checking everyone in by hand.

Here’s the understated Air Canada bulletin. Their operational status page has no information on this, but looking at the flight departure information for Pearson Airport it’s obvious that all hell has broken loose, with about half of Air Canada flights delayed, and with delays of 30 to 90 minutes common.

CBC is on the story, and has a somewhat less obtuse assessment than Air Canada’s:

“It’s totally chaos out here. There are hundreds and hundreds of people in lineups that are absolutely going nowhere,” said Catherine Clark, a CBC producer with Marketplace who was waiting for a flight.

Comments

Ann's picture
Ann on November 16, 2007 - 17:32 Permalink

Funny further report on CBC at noon:
Apparently, the computers are up again.
CBC: Can I make a reservation?
AC: Yes
CBC: Can I buy a ticket?
AC: Yes
CBC: Can I get a boarding pass?
AC: Yes. But when you get to the gate, your plane might not be there.

oliver's picture
oliver on November 17, 2007 - 00:09 Permalink

About half of all flights delayed? I suppose that means that the half that were already in the air when the computers crashed will land more or less as scheduled, whereas nothing that had yet to take off will do so on time through the end of today.

Steven Garrity's picture
Steven Garrity on November 17, 2007 - 22:15 Permalink

Unrelated, but noteworthy — Air Canada just lost my luggage, and it was CARRY ON!

Peter Rukavina's picture
Peter Rukavina on November 18, 2007 - 03:20 Permalink

This demands more explanation…

oliver's picture
oliver on November 18, 2007 - 07:41 Permalink

I’ll guess: They told you to “deplane” and that you could leave your stuff, since you would be reboarding shortly, say, but then actually you weren’t reboarding and they only announced it in the waiting area, where they had led you to believe there was no point to be waiting, and so you weren’t there to hear that you had to reclaim your belongings right now or else.

Steven Garrity's picture
Steven Garrity on November 19, 2007 - 02:00 Permalink

Oliver: not quite. I was just about to get on the plane, and they told me (and two others) that there wasn’t any more room for some carry-on items. They told us they’d take our bags there, and that they’d be waiting for us with the other people’s checked luggage when we arrived. That was the last all three of us saw of those bags.

Peter Rukavina's picture
Peter Rukavina on November 19, 2007 - 02:18 Permalink

Did you have your laptop in your carry-on?

We All LUV CARBON's picture
We All LUV CARBON on November 26, 2007 - 22:03 Permalink

My, my it is all about conspicuous consumption of that lovely non-renewable energy source we can taste on our tongues and breathe deeply into our lungs…everthing keeps coming up ‘CARBON’ on this blog from the Gentle Island.

Now that’s a legacy. Let RUK.ca lead us in the charge to munch, munch, munch on the succulent morsels of our own ruination.

Misguided I may be in the eyes of the Almighty Blog Master (as he’s itchy for my linage), but hopefully on morally high ground I shall ever be in the eyes of successive generations.

Come on people, commute to Germany via the internet, NOT an airplane! Buy your music on-line, not hand delivered across the largest (2nd?) largest country in the world! Does the 100 mile diet resonate with anyone?

Can we try to be procative, not regressive 1970 types who are selfish to the point of not even ‘thinking’ about doing it (living) in a less intrusive manner i.e.lower carbon snacks, curb carbon buffets and eliminate carbon drunks ?

Everything to gain, very, very little to lose.