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Subject: [The NetLetter] NetLetter nr 828 Jun 04/04 - The NetLetter
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 15:48:22 -0700
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T H E _| TCA |_
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N E T L E T T E R > CANADA <
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( For retirees of the new Air Canada family)
Number 828 June 4th., 2004. We first published in October 1995.
Circulation: 2700+
Chief Pilot - Vesta Stevenson - Co-pilot - Terry Baker
To get in touch with either editor/pilot our email address is
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. Must know.
The following informarion is from the Pionairs newsletter issued by Gord
Dalziel -
I. D. CARDS
The following is information covering I. D. Cards, which Pionairs have
recently been briefed on by Air Canada - People Services Staff.
Air Canada has put in place the reduced use of the Travel Card. Since the
inception of on-line booking, referred to as Electronic Travel Profile, the
Travel Card as we knew it is no longer required to the extent it once was
some years ago. Governmental Travel Requirements now require Photo I.D. for
all Air Travellers.
Travel Cards are no longer embossed, as we are advised Flight Coupons don't
require Imprinting any longer. When the New Travel documents are in place,
no space for Imprinting is provided. When an active Employee retires now he
or she will keep their travel card and continue to use it during retirement.
Replacement of Lost or Stolen, Damaged, De-magnetized or worn-out cards can
be replaced, but under different terms and scenarios.
We will see and experience a change in the use of our I. D. Cards. I will
attempt to cover the areas of change in the following :
Employee Travel Services will, in the near future, no longer issue I..D..
Cards. This will be done by the People Services Department, since they have
all of the employee records.
All Active Employees will retain their current I. D. Cards.
Air Canada will not be issuing any Spousal Cards. No other Airlines ( for
the most part ) issue Spousal I. D. Cards.
Because of the ability to book flights on line one does not need nor should
you be asked for your I..D..Card when at check-in or during boarding.
However, you will be asked to show Photo I..D..
( Please be aware it may take time for all staff to be aware that this past
practice is no longer required )
Any Credit Card made out in the traveller's name will allow access to the
Kiosk at time of travel, given that card is shown on the Kiosk screen. Also
your Employee I. D card will allow access. Current Spousal Cards for the
most part do not allow access to the kiosk.
Additional travel identification can take the form of a current Pension
Cheque stub or the printed page with your locator file number on it.
How Can I Request a Replacement I.D. Card
We all may lose our Card or have it stolen or Damaged and Air Canada
recognizes this can happen. Replacements can be obtained by adhering to the
following steps and conditions.
Stolen cards will be replaced Free-of-Charge, when the request is
accompanied by a Police Report or the Police Report Number.
Damaged Cards. due to use, may be replaced -- Free of Charge
De-Magnetized Cards may be replaced -- Free of Charge
Worn cards may be replaced with a New Photo -- Free of Charge
( use a passport type photo if replacement of photo is desired -Send with
Old Card as shown below )
Lost Card -- may be replaced, a charge of $ 25.00 Canadian will be imposed.
All old or replaced cards ( unless Stolen or Lost ) MUST be returned to the
following address:
Air Canada Centre
P.O Box 9000 Station Airport
Dorval, Q C. H4Y 1C2
Zip 1022.
HOW DOES ONE REQUEST THE NEW CARD
Replacement Cards are to be requested via Email to :
The Old Card must be returned, unless Stolen or Lost, before a replacement
will be issued.
SPEECH RECOGNITION AND NOT HAVING A PRINT OUT
It was pointed out that when using speech recognition your flight
information is contained within your profile and can be accessed by the
check-in agent. Again your Photo I. D. will verify your name.
Also discussed was the use of Zed Fares without the Travel Card. When you
request Air Canada to issue a Zed Fare, your name, along with all other
passengers names, are printed on the Zed Fare coupon.
Should an off-line station require proof of who you are, Your Photo I. D.
will meet this need. This will be the same for Spousal Travels as well. As
a back up and as mentioned earlier a Pension Stub again containing the
Employee Name and Employee number may be of additional assistance.
Spousal I. D. Cards are not being issued by Air Canada at this time.
Spousal Replacement Cards will not be issued at this time, as well.
Photo I. D. is a M U S T when Travelling by Air. A Driver's License or a
Passport are the two main types of Photo I..D..
-------------------- -------------------
Editors Note:
Please Print the above and save for future use. One day you may need this
information.
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. Need to know.
Incorporating the Vancouver AIF into employee travel. On June 1, the
Vancouver Airport Improvement Fee (AIF) was added directly to the price of
airline tickets and is no longer collected at the terminal. For employee
travel – which includes partner and parent travel – while you will be
charged the appropriate airport fee, at the moment the Employee Travel Site
(ETS) does not include the AIF price in your travel charge total. ETS will
be updated shortly to display the correct fees. They include: $5.35 from
Vancouver to other cities in British Columbia and the Yukon; $10.70 for
trips from Vancouver to all other Canadian cities or the U.S.; and $16.50
for travel to all international destinations.
Heavy bag restrictions in force at London. Effective June 1st, London
Heathrow began limiting the weight of checked bags to 32 kg (70 lbs.) per
piece, and recommending the use of "heavy” tags for any bag over 23 kg. The
regulation applies only to locally boarded passengers, not connecting
customers. The restrictions were implemented to reduce injuries to the
airport’s 5,000 employees who handle baggage. The changes don’t affect the
number of bags or excess bag charges, which are determined by the airlines.
Passengers whose bags exceed the weight limit are asked to repack their
luggage into smaller units before they can check-in. Plastic bags and boxes
are available for those who need to repack. Scales inside each terminal
help passengers verify the weight of their luggage.
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. Must know.
From a communication issued by Gord Dalziel -
Pensions and Benefits Committee
Subject: Proposed New Funding Rules for Air Canada’s Pension Plans
Dear Pionairs and Fellow Retirees
On June 1, 2004 Air Canada will be mailing a document entitled "Proposed
New Funding Rules For Air Canada’s Pension Plans" which will set out
important information relating to the ten Air Canada pension plans
registered in Canada. This document developed by Air Canada, OSFI and
representatives of the Pension Beneficiary Group, of which we are a member,
will contain the proposed new rules for funding the solvency deficiency of
these plans.
It will contain information of a general nature applicable to all plans and
specific details for funding the solvency deficiency of each of the ten
individual plans.
Recognizing the importance of this undertaking we recommend that as a plan
beneficiary you take the time to familiarize yourself with the content
including the financial status of each of the plans, the proposed funding
relief and the recommendation to and consent of plan beneficiaries.
It is an important aspect of this process that all plan beneficiaries be
adequately informed and given the opportunity to comment, although a reply
is not required unless you object to the funding proposal. You will find
instructions in your information package should you have a need to
communicate with your Court appointed representative.
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. Nice to know.
Jazz begins service to New Orleans. On June 1, Air Canada Jazz began daily,
direct CRJ service from Toronto to New Orleans.
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. News from the districts.
KINGSTON, ONTARIO HOLDS LUNCHEON
A luncheon will be held on Thursday, June 17, 2004 at the Minos Village
Restaurant, 2762 Princess, Kingston. Out of towners travelling on 401, take
exit 611 and turn south on Gardiners Road to Princess Street, turn right
and the restaurant is on the right past the Midland Road intersection.
Time: 11:30 a.m. Cost - $20.00 per person. Meal tickets are to be purchased
on arrival. There will be a cash bar. Please notify Geoff Pratt of the
attendance of yourself and/or your spouse/companion before June 16th with
your choice of Meal --- Chicken or Salmon.
Geoff may be reached by phone at 613-530-3523 (leave a message if no
answer) or by e-mail at
D’Armes, Kingston, ON, K7K 6S1.
Jess Rougeau, Pionair’s Eastern Ontario District Director, will comment on
the recent Pionair AGM in Edmonton and will present a video on Gordon
McGregor that Claude Taylor presented at the AGM. Ted Page who is Pionair’s
Quebec District Director, will provide us with an update on the pension
issues in the CCAA proceedings. He is on the Pionair Pension Committee and
participated in negotiations with the government on the pension fund
deficits. He will respond to any questions you may have on the mail package
you will have received on pensions. Finally, Charlie Simpson former
Vice-President, Operations and a former President of CALPA and IFALPA has
been invited to address us. At time of writing, his participation has not
been confirmed.
There will be a draw for a door prize or two and Pionair pins will be on
sale. Hope to see you there!
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. Found on the internet.
Boeing has served (tentative) notice that it's not quite ready to surrender
the jumbo market to Airbus. The Chicago-based plane-maker is floating the
idea of an "advanced" and slightly stretched version of the 34-year-old 747
that would seat 450 passengers on long-haul flights. Airbus's super-sized
380 will seat 550 on two decks and has already attracted 129 firm orders.
Boeing has been trying to find interest in a revamped 747 for almost a
decade (the last renovation of the design was the 400 series in 1989)
without success. The "A" model would potentially make use of currently
vacant space for conference rooms and other amenities. But its biggest
advantage might be its (relatively) small size.
Brazilian low-fare carrier Gol placed a firm order with Boeing for 15
CFM56-7-powered 737-800s for delivery between 2007 and 2009 and took
purchase options on an additional 28 aircraft that can be purchased between
2005 and 2010.
Canadian low-fare carrier Jetsgo, which is fighting for a piece of a market
now dominated by WestJet, will introduce inflight entertainment on select
flights beginning in July.
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Dreams Take Flight swings in to action with their first golf tournament. If
you’ve always wanted to help a great cause and you love golf, then the
Vancouver chapter of Dreams Take Flight has the event for you. On Aug. 13,
they will hold their first annual Dreams Take Flight Golf tournament at the
Surrey Golf course. The $125 entry fee includes 18 holes of golf, a buffet
dinner, silent auction and the chance to win some great prizes. For more
information about this event call (604) 270-5437.
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. We pass these comments on -
My family and I used the Self Service check-in facilities at Heathrow/YYC
on Sunday May 30th and they worked very well. The agent who handled
our bags after we received the standby boarding passes was very clear
in outlining how the standby baggage process worked for GO & NOGO.
A word of caution to those travelling through LHR about the reality of the
security issues and security precautions. The line ups are long and extra
time should be preplanned into your schedule. The authorities are on high
alert.
Special Cudos to LHR AC ticketing staff for their professionalism &
assistance with a hotel recommendation and directions to the Hoppa busses to
the hotel.
Cheers Stu Russell
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. Terry's travel tips.
Deals from Interline World Vacations -
Princess Cruise Lines aboard the Royal Princess
30 Night Asia/India and Med Cruise sailing from Rome to Bangkok
Sailing Sep 16, 2004 - Outside Obstructed $1799, Outside $1999
Rome / Naples / Istanbul / Kusadasi / Rhodes / Alexandria / Port Said /
Transit Suez Canal / Safaga / Mumbai / Cochin / Kuala Lumpur / Singapore / Ho
Chi Minh City / Bangkok
Princess Cruise Lines aboard the Royal Princess
30 Night Asia/India and East Africa Cruise sailing from Bangkok to Cape Town
Sailing Nov 17, 2004 - Outside Obstructed $1799, Outside $1999
Bangkok / Ho Chi Minh City / Singapore / Kuala Lumpur / Penang / Phuket /
Cochin / Mumbai / Mahe / Mombasa / Zanzibar / Durban
Princess Cruise Lines aboard the Royal Princess
24 Nights South Atlantica/Antarctica and South America Cruise sailing from
Cape Town to Santiago
Sailing Dec 17, 2004 - Outside Obstructed $1799, Outside $1999
Cape town / Tristan da Cunha / Port Stanley / Elephant Island / Esperanza
Station / Intercurrence Island / Sigma Island / Deception Island / Cape Horn /
Ushuaia / Punta Arenas / Seno Eyre Fjord Cruising / Puerto Montt / Santiago
--------------------
PANAMA CANAL
--------------------
Princess Cruise Lines aboard the Regal Princess
18 Night Panama Canal Cruise sailing from San Francisco to New York City
Sailing Aug 24, 2004 - Inside $999, Outside $1099
San Francisco / Cabo San Lucas / Acapulco / Huatulco / Transit Panama Canal /
Cartarenga / Aruba / St. Kitts / St. Thomas
----------------
EUROPE
----------------
Celebrity Cruises aboard the Constellation - Price lowered
14 Night Scandinavia/Russia Cruise sailing roundtrip from Dover
Sailing June 19 - Outside $1200, Suite $2500
July 3 - Inside $1000
July 17 - Inside $1000, Outside $1200
Dover / Oslo / St. Petersburg / Helsinki / Stockholm / Gdynia (Gdansk) /
Rostock (Berlin) / Copenhagen / Dover
Celebrity Cruises aboard the Galaxy
11 Night Mediterranean Cruise sailing roundtrip from Rome
Sailing June 21 Balcony $1100, Concierge Class $1250, Suite $2800
July 12 Inside $800
Rome / Naples / Rhodes / Santorini / Mykonos / Piraeus (Athens) /
Dubrovnik /Taormina / Rome
Celebrity Cruises aboard the Galaxy
10 Night Mediterranean Cruise sailing roundtrip from Rome
Sailing June 11 - Outside $800, Balcony $1000, Concierge Class $1100
July 2 - Outside $800
July 23 - Inside $700, Outside $800
Rome / Naples / Mykonos / Santorini / Valletta / Barcelona / Villefranche /
Rome
----------------------------------------
GREAT LAST MINUTE DEALS FROM CARNIVAL
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CARNIVAL VICTORY 4 DAY 6/24/04 CANADA CRUISE from $289
CARNIVAL VICTORY 5 DAY 6/19/04, 7/3/04 CANADA CRUISE from $349
CARNIVAL LEGEND 8 DAY 6/16/04 CARIBBEAN from $549
CARNIVAL MIRACLE 7 DAY 6/26/04 & 7/3/04 PT CANAVERAL & BAHAMAS from $599
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*PORT CHARGES INCLUDED. Government taxes extra. Rates are capacity controlled
and are subject to change without notice. All prices are in US dollars, based
on double occupancy for new bookings only and apply
only to eligible Airline Personnel and their certain family members. Proof of
employment and/or relationship to employee required. Certain terms and
conditions may apply
For information and reservations, please call
INTERLINE WORLD VACATIONS AT 1-866-279-8480 toll free
or (604) 279-8482
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