Hello GTAM, i have an issue and looking to see what actions i can take against Air Canada
My wife and I were to fly to Sydney Australia on Saturday the 18th.
When we showed up to the airport, we checked our bags, and made it past security check. We were told to go to the Air canada help desk to have our electronic Visa's issued. It was a $25 charge.
We get to the desk, and the employee had no issue doing it. He started getting all the info at the same time talking to another employee about shop talk sort of thing. After issuing my wife visa, he issues mine. But than his eyes go very wide open, and a look of panic in his eyes and body language.
When you apply for a visa, the question asks "do you have a criminal record" Well the employee checked yes, instead of no.
Now my visa is rejected, and essentially 'locked out' I would be denied entry into Australia.
He quickly got on the phone and started calling a help desk, and everyone who can help.
The end result is that my wife could board, but i can't. My wife did not want to fly without me, so they had to get our bags off the flight.
He was apologizing like crazy, saying it was a flick of the wrist mistake.
He printed off 2 $25 food credits, and offered to pay for a hotel for the night. We declined the hotel, because we only live an hour out.
They re booked our flight for Tuesday night, in hopes that we get everything sorted out.
The reason for the Tuesday flight is because, i have to go to an Australian high commission, and get my name cleared, and since Monday is a holiday it would be Tuesday.
Australian high commission is in Ottawa, so i have to drive out to Ottawa for Tuesday morning with a criminal record check, and get a paper visa. Drive back to Toronto and board the flight. I went to the local OPP in Fergus, and they were able to give me a record check, showing no criminal convictions.
Now, we have missed 3 days of our holiday, 3 nights in a hotel in Sydney (hotwire, so no refunds)
Hours of driving time, plus extreme embarrassment of being escorted through the air port. We waited 2 hours to get our bags off the flight, plus another 2 hours for the park n fly to get our car, since it was parked off site due to the length of our trip (not there fault)
Our flight was at 7pm, and we got home to Fergus around midnight.
This trip is 3 weeks, and since my line of work, i can't just ask for an extra week off work.
I have sent emails off to complain about this, called the call centre, and i'm all out of options. In the last 11 years, i can only think of my wife in tears a few times, and last night was pretty hard to take, because someone didn't do there job right.
The trip was suppose to be a tour of Australia, and even a track day at philip island, and now it our itinerary is just got messed up because someone ticked the wrong box.
What actions can i take against Air canada? A meal credit i don't think is going to cut it.
Anyone have something like this happen?
Possibly a news outlet that can help me?
My wife and I were to fly to Sydney Australia on Saturday the 18th.
When we showed up to the airport, we checked our bags, and made it past security check. We were told to go to the Air canada help desk to have our electronic Visa's issued. It was a $25 charge.
We get to the desk, and the employee had no issue doing it. He started getting all the info at the same time talking to another employee about shop talk sort of thing. After issuing my wife visa, he issues mine. But than his eyes go very wide open, and a look of panic in his eyes and body language.
When you apply for a visa, the question asks "do you have a criminal record" Well the employee checked yes, instead of no.
Now my visa is rejected, and essentially 'locked out' I would be denied entry into Australia.
He quickly got on the phone and started calling a help desk, and everyone who can help.
The end result is that my wife could board, but i can't. My wife did not want to fly without me, so they had to get our bags off the flight.
He was apologizing like crazy, saying it was a flick of the wrist mistake.
He printed off 2 $25 food credits, and offered to pay for a hotel for the night. We declined the hotel, because we only live an hour out.
They re booked our flight for Tuesday night, in hopes that we get everything sorted out.
The reason for the Tuesday flight is because, i have to go to an Australian high commission, and get my name cleared, and since Monday is a holiday it would be Tuesday.
Australian high commission is in Ottawa, so i have to drive out to Ottawa for Tuesday morning with a criminal record check, and get a paper visa. Drive back to Toronto and board the flight. I went to the local OPP in Fergus, and they were able to give me a record check, showing no criminal convictions.
Now, we have missed 3 days of our holiday, 3 nights in a hotel in Sydney (hotwire, so no refunds)
Hours of driving time, plus extreme embarrassment of being escorted through the air port. We waited 2 hours to get our bags off the flight, plus another 2 hours for the park n fly to get our car, since it was parked off site due to the length of our trip (not there fault)
Our flight was at 7pm, and we got home to Fergus around midnight.
This trip is 3 weeks, and since my line of work, i can't just ask for an extra week off work.
I have sent emails off to complain about this, called the call centre, and i'm all out of options. In the last 11 years, i can only think of my wife in tears a few times, and last night was pretty hard to take, because someone didn't do there job right.
The trip was suppose to be a tour of Australia, and even a track day at philip island, and now it our itinerary is just got messed up because someone ticked the wrong box.
What actions can i take against Air canada? A meal credit i don't think is going to cut it.
Anyone have something like this happen?
Possibly a news outlet that can help me?