Air Canada customer service phone numbers and support

Posted by chandrasekharan

on 10/22/14 at 6:42AM

I am an artist, known by the pen name Chans. I was a former Executive Committee Member of the Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi and a member of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, both being governing bodies of art and literature in the State of Kerala, India. I had won various awards, including the first A.S Illustration Award in 2005. I had worked as Art Director in various films and has done illustrations for various prestigious publications such as India Today, Deshabhimani, Vanitha, Madhyamam, Malayala Manorama, Chithrabhumi,Janashakti, KalaKaumudi,etc. My paintings have been exhibited in various places such as Abu Dhabi and Canada to great acclaim, at various popular art exhibitions including the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy State Exhibition (2004-05) and the Pen to Graphics Exhibition (2005). At present, I am working for Samakalika Malayalam Varika under the Indian Express group of newspapers.

Following an invitation from admirers of my work, I spent 48 days in Canada, visiting different provinces such as Alberta (Edmonton), Toronto and Newfoundland. Many of my original works and paintings were sold in these provinces, for a total sum of 7200 Dollars. I also conducted an exhibition at Newfoundland. After the exhibition at Newfoundland, I removed all the frames from my paintings and packed them (a total number of 65 paintings) in a hard shell box for transporting back to India. I also packed my work file for the publication I am now working for in the said box. The said hard shell box, containing the items mentioned above, was booked as luggage, along with another box, for my return flight trip to Calicut (Kozhikode). Other than that, I had a hand luggage, wherein my expensive acrylic paints, brushes, laptop, camera, tablet and the money received from selling my paintings were kept.

I boarded a flight operated by Air Canada from Goose Bay Airport (YYR) at 7.10 PM on 19-6-2014. The said flight being delayed due to bad weather, I missed my connecting flight from St. JohnÃ?Æ?Ã?Â¢Ã?Â¯Ã?Â¿Ã?Â½Ã?Â¯Ã?Â¿Ã?Â½s NL Airport. I was neither offered a delayed flight from St. JohnÃ?Æ?Ã?Â¢Ã?Â¯Ã?Â¿Ã?Â½Ã?Â¯Ã?Â¿Ã?Â½s NL Airport by Air Canada nor given accommodation so as to catch the next flight from St. JohnÃ?Æ?Ã?Â¢Ã?Â¯Ã?Â¿Ã?Â½Ã?Â¯Ã?Â¿Ã?Â½s. Instead, Air Canada transported me to Toronto, a journey which took more than 4 hours, to see if I could get a connecting flight from there on the same day. However, there being no such connecting flight, I was forced to stay that day in Toronto, after having unnecessarily travelled those extra hours. On 20-6-2014, during the security check at Toronto Airport, I was forced to surrender my hand luggage containing the items above mentioned. and was told that my hand luggage would be returned to me at Calicut (Kozhikode) Airport.

Thereafter, I was forced to undergo the most harrowing journey of my life, without adequate money, food, toiletries or clothing at London Airport. I had to undergo hospitalisation after I reached home as a result of my miserable travel. In the meantime, when I enquired with Etihad airways at London Airport about my baggage, I was told that no information about the same had been received from Air Canada. After I reached Calicut (Kozhikode) Airport, I was shocked to learn that my luggage was missing. I had put in a claim with Etihad Airways on the said day itself. After I listed out the articles contained in my luggage of a total value, amounting to 46,913 Dollars.

Ten days later, Etihad Airways informed me that one of my bags was traced from Air India and that the other bags had not been passed on by Air Canada to Etihad Airways. All my original work was in the luggage that is still untraced. My work file was also in the luggage and so I could not submit them to my employers, thereby putting my job at risk. The other valuables that were in there, my paints, money, equipment, etc. are all gone. I contacted Etihad airways on a daily basis, but to no avail. I had also contacted Goose Bay Airport (YYR) but Air Canada informed me that my loading chart could not be given to me as the equipment was broken and thus luggage could not be scanned at the relevant time. Subsequently, Etihad Airways informed me in writing that it could grant only 600 Dollars to me as compensation for each of my baggage. This sum is ridiculously low and cannot in any manner compensate me for the loss of my original paintings. The estimated value of my valuable works will come to 39,000/- Dollars on the basis of the sums received by me by sale of my paintings in Canada.

Subsequently, on 10-7-2014, I received from Etihad Airways at Calicut airport my hand luggage in a severely damaged condition. All items, including the 7200 Dollars received by me from sale of my paintings, laptop, Ipad, etc. were missing from the said hand luggage.

On 1-7-2014, I made a complaint (Ref. No.ABDA-YVU576) to Air Canada in this regard. I sent various reminders, including two to Air Canada on 12-7-2014 and 2-8-2014. In the last reminder mentioned above, I requested nothing but that Air Canada should take all efforts to trace out my missing baggage, as a commercial airline with a reputation for doing its best for its customers and pointing out how valuable the creative works and equipments are to an artist like me. All required documents, including photographs of the damaged hand luggage traced out, were forwarded to Air Canada. However, apart from a communication on 28-8-2014 offering an apology and an attempt to cast the responsibility solely on Etihad Airways, Air Canada has done absolutely nothing in the matter.

It is obvious that both the airlines are trying to evade responsibility for the sheer negligence that has occurred in the matter. A blatant deficiency in service has occurred on the part of both the airlines in handing over my luggage to me. I am entitled to be compensated for the loss of my valuable paintings and equipments and also for the mental agony and anxiety caused to me by their actions and omissions. In view of their totally indifferent attitude,(Etihad Ref:267345) I had been waiting for the last three months to get a favorable reply from them, but they could not give me my luggage and even the compensation what I claimed. After three months, I was forced to tell the medias about it. And it become a hot news in all the medias.

I am left with no option but to take appropriate proceedings to get back my luggage or to obtain adequate compensation from the airlines.

Mathrubhumi News TV

Painter to sue international carriers

Kozhikode: Painter Chandrasekhar lost 65 paintings due to the negligence of international carriers Air Canada and Ethihad Airways. to friends, he was returning to India after a 48-day trip to Canada, after successfully exhibiting his select artistic output of 4 decades. The canvases securely packed in a hard shell box, laptop, tablet, camera and $ 7,200, proceeds of painting sales, carried initially as hand luggage but changed to baggage at Toronto, were all missing on landing here. Worse was the of the 2 carriers, which kept on passing the buck to each other. They wanted him to settle for a compensation of $1,200, while he claims $46,913. He plans to approach the Consumer court.

Air Canada customer service

General Customer Service

User Reviews

Mar

Posted by Lynda

Jan

Posted by Sbasque

Oct

Posted by chandrasekharan

Sep

Posted by Anonymous

Aug

Posted by jo

Customer Service Ratings

Get Immediate Help

Got an Idea?

Corporate Office

Customer Service Scoreboard

Air Canada customer service news

Related Companies