Air Canada online web booking: The Final Chapter
Following up on my post about the obscure error message I kept getting on the Aeroplan site…
Turns out, the error code simply meant “The credit card you have on file has expired.” (I don’t know why it couldn’t have said that instead of spitting out a numeric code you had to call to get decrypted.)
But here’s the kicker:
The old credit card can’t be removed from their system. It will ALWAYS give me this error message when I book online. They can’t remove it. I can’t delete it from my profile. It’s there forever.
(I guess they got a discount database without the “Delete Field Data” function?)
So, in other words…
I can no longer book online with Aeroplan.
Instead, I have to call their phone number
and incur a $40 booking charge.
Each time.
I’ve emailed the “Aeroplan Corporate Reputation team” for comment.
UPDATE: More than two weeks later and still no reply from Air Canada. Not that I’m surprised.
Aeroplan: “Our web site is pretty. It doesn’t work, but it’s pretty!”
This has been going on for more than a week now. You get right to the end of the booking process then it crashes. I’m on hold with their “web site assistance centre.”
What do YOU think they’ll say?
- “It’s because you’re using a Mac.”
- “We don’t support Firefox.”
- “I’m not sure. Did you try it again?”
I’ll have the results later.
Why I Have Stephen Harper’s Passport
Okay, I don’t really have Harper’s passport. But I did a pretty convincing mockup of it.
And why did I do this?
Check out spamtrapper.wordpress.com to see my latest project. 
Telus ordered to refund “network access fee”
The CRTC today decided that Telus has been improperly charging customers a network-access fee.
The Commission has ordered Telus to rebate customers who paid this monthly fee, but did not make any telephone calls on the company’s long-distance network during the month. (The company doesn’t have to refund the fee to customers who did make long-distance telephone calls during the same month.)
“When applied to customers who did not make any long-distance calls, the monthly fee was equivalent to an unauthorized increase to the residential local service rate,” said Konrad von Finckenstein, Chairman of the CRTC.
In November 2007, Telus began charging close to half a million customers in Alberta and British Columbia a monthly network-access fee of $2.95. These customers had not signed up for a long-distance plan, either with Telus or another company, and the charge applied even if they did not make long-distance calls or if they made long-distance calls using only dial-around long-distance services.
Customers could have avoided paying the network-access fee by subscribing to TELUS’ toll-restriction service, also known as Call Guardian in certain areas, which permits only local or toll-free calls. While there is no initial charge associated with this service for residential customers, there is a $10.00 cancellation fee. The Commission has directed TELUS to waive this cancellation fee during the next three months if a residential customer subscribed to the toll-restriction service after October 2007 and now wishes to cancel it.
The CRTC no longer regulates long-distance rates. While local telephone companies can set their long-distance plans and rates according to market conditions, TELUS is required to provide its customers with access to the long-distance network as part of its local service rates.
Please welcome Geneva Bokowski
I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Geneva Bokowski as my Research Coordinator/Executive Assistant.
Until recently, Geneva had been the Communications Coordinator with Cross-Cultural Strategy. She also served as Assistant Art Director at Pacific Rim Magazine. Geneva is currently tackling communications and publishing at Simon Fraser University, with specific work in documentary research.
She’s reachable directly at +1.604.683.3725 or geneva@todmaffin.com
The Myth is Busted: Americans are taxed MORE than Canadians!
“Yeah, free health-care and far less crime is great, but don’t Canadians pay a lot more taxes than Americans?”
No, we don’t. Americans pay more in personal income taxes than Canadians. Here’s proof.
read more | digg story
Stupid-ass Web Error Message of the Week
Zero or more numerics? Doesn’t every password have zero or more numbers in it?!
From Cineplex Odeon Canada’s web site. When I called tech support, the guy told me to “wait about 10-15 minutes and maybe it’ll go away.” Yeah. ‘Cause that’s the way programming works.
Your Cell Phone Is Tracking You
Satellite tracking isn’t new… we’ve had G-P-S around for years. But you may be surprised at what they’re starting to do with the technology now. For one, you may be being tracked without your knowledge…. and no satellites are involved at all!
Oops.
In my attempt to prepare my database and server for Wordpress 2.5, it seems I wiped out a number of post categories. And, of course, the posts that went with them.
{sigh}
It’s okay, actually, I’m going to take one of my twice-annual breaks from the Interwebs for a bit while I deal with some other matters in my life.
See y’all on the other side.
(Y’all?! Oh, tell me that didn’t rub off on me in Austin this past weekend…)
Blu-Ray Wins: But Is It Good For Consumers? (Hint: No!)
It’s over. The battle is won.
There will be one format for high-definiton DVDs and it will be… Blu-Ray.
But, is good news for the industry good news for consumers?
The CBC’s national technology correspondent Tod Maffin thinks not.
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