~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |\^/| _| TCA |_ B E T W E E N O U R S E L V E S _|\| AIR |/|_ N E T L E T T E R > CANADA < >_./|\._< for Air Canada retirees | Our crew is: Chief Pilot - Vesta Stevenson Chief Navigator - Terry Baker number 154 date May 6th 1997 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . Welcome to Robert Holmgren now living at Ottawa, can be emailed at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. John Brennan also retired and living in Ottawa can be reached on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Irvine Christjanson retired Computer Analyst at C&SS Dorval, now resides at Burlington, Ontario with an email address of This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tom Cox who retired in 1983 is in Ottawa with Kay and has This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an email ~-=o0o=-~ . The following is from Bob Robbins, Ottawa District Executive - PIONAIRS' ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TO DISCUSS REDUCED RATE TRAVEL PROBLEMS WITH HEADQUARTERS HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM One of the most-frequent discussion topics raised at Pionairs' National Executives' and District Directors' meetings is "reduced rate travel". We find the same happens at our District Members' gatherings, and our Koffee Klatsches. While there are many reports of happy reduced rate travel experiences, there seems to be a growing dissatisfaction with many aspects of how the Company now sets up and manages this benefit. Retirees are experiencing many different kinds of problems. Some examples: complexities of regulations; lack of access to the regulations; patchwork and unclear communication of them; differing interpretation and application of them by Customer Service Agents; levy of heavy fines for errors in filling out travel forms; high charge for asking questions about charges; application of boarding policies; "ID" fare discounts, and their travel policies; very long waiting times on the Employee Travel 800 line; and many other problems. Pionairs are aware that most aspects of airline operations steadily become increasingly complex. Many of us would like to help the Company deal with this. In the past two years Pionairs' National Executive have made many contacts with Headquarters persons responsible for reduced rate travel; however there seems to have been little overall improvement in the problem situations. Our President Fraser Muir has invited Air Canada's Vice President Human Resources Paul Garratt and his Human Resources Management Team to participate in the Wednesday June 4th Business Meeting of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Montreal. His team consist of: > Doug Lovatt, Director, Pensions and Employee Benefits; Irene Vazalinskas, Manager, Employee and Industry Travel; Roger Clark, AC 60th Anniversary Coordinator. They have agreed to answer questions from the floor. Fraser has told us "This could be a most interesting and productive meeting; however it will depend upon the members in attendance and the questions and recommendations they put to this panel." Ottawa District Executive have a committee working to prepare for the "reduced rate travel" part of this session. We feel that it is important for us to be positive and constructive. To do so, we plan to have: a) concrete examples of commendable situations and problem situations, b) questions that we need answered, and c) recommendations to the Human Resources Team. The Pionair District Directors and National Executive will have their twice-yearly business meeting in Montreal the day before the AGM starts. I will strongly recommend that they take steps to similarly prepare for the meeting with Mr. Garratt and team. In the meantime, I'm taking this opportunity to urge retirees to contact your District Director, and give her/him examples of situations - commendable and problem ones, your questions, and recommended actions. I think we can help the Company to significantly improve what used to be called the "pass" benefits system and how it is operated. However, it's up to individuals to pool their experience and ideas, and get them to the presently-responsible Air Canada people. Bob Robbins, Pionairs District Director, Ottawa This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. FAX NO: 613 829 9262 PHONE: 613 829 3861 (Feel free to send us your comments on this subject for publishing in our Netletter - eds) ~-=o0o=-~ . News from the U.K. Pionairs Monthly Newsletter Glyn & Peggy Lovell, ex Sales, London, England have joined the Pionair group. Monthly luncheon for May has been moved to May 12th from the usual 1st Monday of the month as its a Bank Holiday. Venue is North of Heathrow, meeting at 12.00 noon at the William IV pub. This is on Sipson Lane, Sipson, midway between the Excelsior Hotel and the Crest Hotel. More info call Jack Morath at 01344-425440 Tony Coleman has recently been promoted to General Manager, British Columbia annd the Pacific Rim, based in Vancouver. Tony and his wife Jean have already transferred. ~-=o0o=-~ . Found on the Internet. AIRBUS - LOCKHEED MERGER NOT LIKELY Analysts and aviation industry sources are sceptical over rumours of a merger between US company Lockheed and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus Industrie. A report in a British newspaper said that Airbus and the US defence and aerospace giant were in merger talks, with a view to combining after 1999, when the four-member Airbus cooperative is due to become a single company. Analysts said national and European pride as well as size of the two companies made a merger unlikely. CURB SIDE CHECKING ? NO, ROOFTOP PARKING LOT CHECKING AT BA IN PARIS In a protest move, British Airlines has decided to move its sales and ticketing desks as well as its check-in operations at the Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport to the airport's... rooftop parking lot. The carrier says it is acting out of security concern for its passengers following the re-opening of flights to civil war torn Algeria by national airline Air Algerie. The airline's desks and check-in counters are located close to those of British Airlines which claims it is a potential terrorist target. Passengers on British Airways flights are directed to the parking lot where they are met with bare minimum facilities which don't include protection from rain. While some appreciate the airline's action in the name of safety, most passengers disapprove and vow never to fly the airline again. ~-=o0o=-~ . Interline stuff. CANADIAN INTERLINE TRAVEL =============================== Alaska Blow Out Interline Sale! >From US$399 pp dbl. =============================== Star Princess - 7 Nights May 12 - Vancouver to Anchorage May 19 - Anchorage to Vancouver May 26 - Vancouver to Anchorage June 2 - Anchorage to Vancouver Crown Princess - 7 Nights May 26 - Anchorage to Vancouver Sun Princess - 7 Nights May 10 - Vancouver to Anchorage May 17 - Anchorage to Vancouver May 24 - Vancouver to Anchorage Sky Princess - 11 Nights from US$699 pp dbl June 4 & July 29 - San Francisco Return Call 1-800-665-3100 for more info and booking, and mention PIONAIRS. Usual Terms and Conditions Apply. From the U.K. Pionairs monthly newsletter - Staff travel fares on other airlines - For Air Canada retirees wishing to travel on other airlines having an agreement (ZED) with Air Canada, here are some destinations from London Heathrow on a standby fare.Based on a mileage of up to 450 for a cost of UKP23 ( approx CA$50) return plus taxes - Amsterdam, Basle, Brussels, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Luxemburg and Paris. Heathrow Hotel Accommodation - Along the Bath Roadopposite Heathrow are a row of houses converted into Guest-house accommodation. It is called H.S.A., Heathrow Standby Accommodation. Phone 0181-0897-0510, Fax 0181-759-4600. There is ample parking space, Restaurant and Bar facilities. It is basic facilities with special airline rates - Single - UKL23, Double - UKL28, Single ensuite - UKL35, Double ensuite - UKL40. Rates include Continental breakfast and Courtesy Bus service. ~-=o0o=-~ . Smilies - Announcement heard on a recent Alaskan Airlines flight, made by the flight attendant - 'Ladies and gentlemen, if you notice you're sitting on an uncomfortably lumpy seat, it's your seatbelt, and it's meant to be buckled around your hips, not under you!' As the aircraft was rolling to the gate after landing, another announcement was made 'Did you ever wonder why, when the plane is hurtling through the air at 650 miles per hour and 30,000 feet up, the captain turns off the seatbelt light and lets you walk around, and yet when you're on the ground, at 10 miles per hour, he tells you to sit down and buckle up?' ~-=o0o=-~ . That's it for this time, please we need your input, send comments and email addresses of any others who may be interested to Vesta with a copy to Terry. -!- Landing on an Island in the Pacific. _____(~)_____ ! ! ! <<<>>> Air Canada Pionairs ~Between Ourselves-Netletter~ http://www.mortimer.com/acra mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ................................................... . GREETINGS FROM . . Vancouver Island . . BEAUTIFUL B.C. CANADA . ...................................................
