Posts tagged air canada news

WestJet and Air Canada Stock Take Sudden Tumble

0
231 days
by in Canadian Airlines

Both WestJet and Air Canada stocks took a steep drop at close today, with both airlines decreasing by over five percent. WestJet stock dropped .67 of a point to finish the day at 12.26 per share, while Air Canada dropped .16 to close at 1.32.

This all comes after WestJet had begun crowd sourcing their employees to promote ways of reducing costs. And according to this report, there was an overwhelming response. Furthermore, the airline was able to gather new product ideas by using this method.

It isn’t clear yet what exactly caused the slide today, however, both stocks had been maintaining their worth for the past week. Below is the graph of how today’s stock for both WestJet and Air Canada played out.

WestJet

 

Air Canada

Randstad Ranks Air Canada as One of The Most Attractive Employers In Canada

0
233 days
by in Canadian Airlines

Air Canada is boasting it’s newest achievement as one of the premier airlines in Canada. A survey conducted by Randstad Canada and ICMA International has ranked Air Canada as one of the top five most attractive companies to be employed by. The international airline employs over 26, 000 people world wide, with an average of 70 applicants per job posting.

This is a surprising statistic, especially with Air Canada facing heavy criticism by customers regarding their customer service. You wouldn’t expect large amounts of people applying to a company that has consumers whining about them. Furthermore, I’ve found many reviews by employees on the web criticizing Air Canada’s management and their uncaring attitude.

However, it’s also important to consider the fact that Air Canada offers their employees excellent benefits, along with a stable union that can represent them at the bargaining table. Some of the more prominent benefits include personal insurance programs, health benefits, dental benefits, life insurance, pension plan, and vacation benefits.Furthermore, the travel benefits are more extensive than Air Canada’s rival WestJet, with many more international destinations available. It’s also important to note that there were very few travel related companies listed among the top employers, meaning that competition was minimal regarding the airline industry.

Other companies among the top five include Research In Motion, IBM Canada, McGill University, and Bombardier. In order to be listed as a top company, the employer must have at least 1000 people working for them. Furthermore, they must also be one of the one hundred and fifty largest employers in Canada.

All in all, it’s important to remember that the survey conducted reflects on the attractiveness of working for Air Canada, not the opinion of employees already working for the airline. I’m concerned that results may have showed differently if the survey included people already working for them. On the other hand, there are very few companies who offer benefits that are on par with Air Canada.

image: DiscoveryFinance

WestJet and Air Canada Fighting Over Eastern Routes

2
504 days
by in Canadian Airlines

WestJet and Air Canada are offering significant discounts.

It has become increasingly obvious that both of Canada’s major airlines are in a war over flights in Eastern Canada. At this time, both companies are offering 30% off deals on flights leaving out of Halifax, Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, and other major airports in Eastern Canada (varying depending on the airline).

This battle has been going on for quite some time now. If one airline offers a deal, the other soon follows with an equal or additional discount. Both airlines seem to be targeting the online audience, as I haven’t been able to find these deals through any other travel agency (yet). With that said though, this promotion may turn out to benefit WestJet, as their web-experience is by far more user-friendly than Air Canada’s. Furthermore, Air Canada adds a whole bunch of options that you can apply for before checkout, making it much more difficult to simply book a flight.

However, one thing that both airlines have failed miserably at is making it simple for the customer to use the coupon code. Both airlines require that the user go to a separate page and copy the code, then the customer must paste the code in the coupon box on the airline’s payment page before making the purchase. It would’ve been a whole lot simpler for the user if both airlines would’ve simply applied these discounts automatically, or at least create a simple check box for a customer to click on if they choose to use the deal.

I should also remind everyone that bookings for both WestJet and Aircanada must be made by January 10, and travel must be completed by June 26th…. Talk about copycats.

By the way, here are the links to Air Canada’s and WestJet’s 30% off deal.

Image source: Mogomoney.com

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