We hope everyone is enjoying their summer schedules, including our many new seasonal destinations. The Hotel Committee wishes to take this opportunity to reach out and update you on some topics of interest and concern.
Hotel Shuttles: It is important to note that there is a difference between dedicated crew transport (ex. Limousines, mini-vans, coaches) and Hotel shuttles. Hotel shuttles that typically operate for the purpose of transporting guests between the airport and the hotel are governed differently than other transport providers, allow for standing passengers of not more than 30% capacity and not forward of the driver and in some cases may cover more than one stop/hotel. Please know that the nature of the transport at any specific destination is determined and negotiated by the company. See the following details of importance:
We have followed up with both our ground transportation providers and the hotels offering shuttle services, and they all referred us to the same regulatory interpretation. Based on this, the three provinces are aligned.
Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia:
- No province requires passengers to wear a seat belt when the seating position is not equipped with one.
- There is no legal obligation to retrofit older or urban‑style shuttle buses with seat belts.
- Vehicles not originally manufactured with passenger seat belts (e.g. certain buses) are therefore not required to be retrofitted.
This interpretation has been consistently confirmed across Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.
Per-Diems/Allowances: Please be aware that the Union has filed a grievance to enforce its “Me Too” clause in the Collective Agreement, in order that our members’ meal allowance entitlements match those that have been recently re-negotiated and re-structured by ALPA.
https://accomponent.ca/meal-allowances-me-too-policy-grievance/
Wake-up Calls: Please know that for all international layovers, wake-up calls one hour prior to scheduled pick-up time are mandatory, and there is no option to cancel. This allows for hotel staff to do a wellness/readiness check as is contracted by Air Canada, in order to not impact the operation.
Domestically (including USA), crew members can request a wake-up call at their discretion during the check-in process.
Guest Room Amenities: Please know that during the site inspection process, we have standard amenities that we recommend prior to contracting. In respect of items such as microwaves and fridges (not mini bar type coolers), these are not contractual obligations under the Collective Agreement. In all cases we make enquiries about accessibility for these amenities. In some cases, due to local laws, items in guest rooms such as microwaves, fridges, irons, etc. are not permissible. In these circumstances, some hotels may, at their discretion, grant access to a communal fridge and/or microwave. For the purpose of reheating food, a personal supplemental charge may be added. We understand the importance of these items, and do attempt to ensure there is access free of charge. In the case of irons and ironing boards, these items are generally available and delivered to the guest rooms on request.
The trend we are seeing now is that many hotels are, for environmental reasons, cost-cutting, etc., limiting and/or removing what were once standard room items: ex. tissues, washcloths, extra bath towels. If you would like these items, please make your request known to hotel staff at check-in and they should be accommodated.
Inventory: In most cases, for the purpose of aircrew business, it is the standard room category that is used for contractual purposes. We always make the recommendation for the King, Queen, Double/Double bed types. Many countries, for cultural or for operational versatility reasons, have large volumes of twin inventory. In many cases these are standard rooms and can on exceptional occasions be assigned to our crew. This may be done in circumstances of overselling, or limited options for our contractual room categories, or to avoid wait times. Please know that the option to ask to change rooms is always available and most hotels will accommodate this request whenever possible.
Wait Times: Wait times are a difficult issue, particularly during the peak summer travel months when many hotels are at or near capacity. Various factors impact availability times at hotels: flight crews arriving early, flight crews whose flights leaving are delayed, flight crews arriving at peak check-in/check-out times, general staff shortages, shortages of larger bed sizes, other guests taking late check-outs or overstaying scheduled check-out times, to name a few. Our hotel partners do understand that our members have worked long and stressful hours and do their best to facilitate short wait times. Patience and co-operation are best advised in these circumstances. If a hotel becomes chronic with wait times, the Union will raise this issue with the Company and, depending on the circumstances, may recommend (and has in the past recommended) that new sites be sourced.
Crewcare: As always, the crew care tool available through the Portal and App is the Union’s official tool for bringing issues related to both Hotels and Ground Transport forward to the Company. It is easy to use and is monitored daily by the Hotel Committee. In all cases where there is an urgent or obvious need, these reports allow us to have the Company reach out to the service provider for additional follow-up or investigation if we determine a need and or the crew care response is lacking in information.
Crewcare has a wide distribution list; therefore, it is important to always be factual and professional in your comments. Please note that a new disclaimer has been added to the Crewcare application, and we recommend that all members read this prior to submitting your reports.
Heating and Cooling: Heating and cooling are also difficult issues in many destinations, particularly in Europe. This is for a variety of reasons: accelerating effects of climate change, related European environmental and climate change regulations, outdated or overworked heating and cooling infrastructure, and hotels running at full capacity during peak travel months (bodies, cooking, showers, hair dryers, etc., all give off heat).
Some applicable regulations set heating and cooling temperatures at +/- 3 degrees of temperature regulated levels, and with temperatures soaring, the Canadian approach to heating and cooling with which we are familiar, is not permitted.
We have asked all hotels to close blinds and curtains, to cool rooms to maximums permitted, to provide water bottles and fans (if available) and to make the rooms as fresh and clean and comfortable as possible. We have also recommended in certain circumstances that new hotels be sourced at certain destinations to address the problem of outdated infrastructure.
These problems may persist for the foreseeable future as Europe struggles with the unprecedented effects of climate change during what has become an extended summer season. Our hotel partners are doing their best in these challenging circumstances, and patience and co-operation is again best advised.
Maintenance and Comfort: We request and encourage that all matters related to your room, hotel maintenance (including fitness centre maintenance) or matters that may be disrupting your comfort, be addressed directly with hotel staff at the time of occurrences or check-out, in addition to filing a crew care report. This is in order that the Hotel has an opportunity to address the matter directly and in a timely manner. Aggregate crew care filings at a specific hotel indicate a potential chronic problem that may be reportable by the Hotel Committee and actionable by the company.
Safety and Security: It is always important to utilize all of your locking mechanisms on your door, to ensure you are safe, once inside your room. Guest room doors should be self-closing, but always take a moment once you exit your room to ensure that the door is fully locked behind you. Many of our partner hotels have card key access installed in elevators for guest safety. Please do not allow anyone without a room key access to the elevators. If you feel unsafe, request that front desk staff have someone available to escort you to your room.
In closing we wish all of our members a happy and safe summer.
In Solidarity,
Melinda Allen & Karen Pritchard
Co-Chairs, Component Hotel Committee