(CNN) — Despite a growing litany of complaints about air travel, passengers continue to pay for the convenience of flying. A recent complaint turned lawsuit, however, led to a windfall for two travelers -- not the airline. This week, the Federal Court ordered Air Canada to pay more than $15,000 ($21,000 CAD) and send formal apology letters to a French-speaking couple in Ottawa for repeated language equality violations. The lawsuit concerned more than 22 complaints that Michel and Lynda Thibodeau… (www.cnn.com) 更多...
These people are chronic complainers. Do they expect Air Creebec or First Air to also accede to their ridiculous requests? "The couple also alleged violations of their French language rights on the airline in 2005, 2011 and 2012."
I bet they're fluently bilingual, too. Many Quebecers speak "Franglais". They use many English words mixed into their French, like "C'est le weekend", "Ou est le screwdriver", and "Je suis un shoe salesman".
You made me think of the sked from Kingston to Moosefactory.. B1900.. lol definitely not “equal language representation” on those signs and announcements
I wonder what a “blind” french person would do? Demand french braille on the buckle as well. This couple is so stubborn and a pain in the ass I’ll bet they would just sit there and burn if the cockpit ever gave an “evacuation” command and they waited for “ d’evacuation d’urgence”.......such crap!
The seat belts were not bilingual?!? I’m sure Aircanada gets them with “lift” engraved their not gonna put a sticker on everyone.. We should all know how to operate a belt.. the safety card has that in both languages.. maybe a pictorial now “hand with arrow”..
I love how in our country every where but Quebec has to be Eng and French, yet Quebec is all French.. one province has so much power..
Also - this is third time this couple has filed complaints.. last two times rejected.. must of got a sympathetic judge this time.. bs
Vous avez raison sur ce point "le monde va mal" mais n'oubliez pas que c'est un monde anglophone qui le gouverne. Je ne suis pas xénophobe contrairement a certains anglophones. Et je ne suis pas non plus libéral mais ouvert d'esprit ce qui est différent.
"And I always thought you had to squeeze, twist, then push to release !" If they are not intelligent enough to figure out how to operate an aircraft seat belt buckle in 2019, then perhaps they should stay on the ground. Speaks volumes about their intelligence and the intelligence of the court!
This has far more to do with pain-in-the-ass Quebecers than it does with aviation. Many of them specialise in having a woe-is-me persecution complex and if they don't get 1000% of everything *exactly* the way they want it, they head to the Human Rights Commission and the courts.
Quebec, by the way, is the same province that bans signs in English and has recently banned religious symbols in the workplace -- except for Roman catholic ones, that is.
Air Canada should send the cheque in a letter banning them from flying with the airline until the end of time. It would be worth the 21 grand.
This is hilarious ... could be somewhat "problematic" in our country. We have 11 (yes, eleven) official languages. Can you just imagine the word "LIFT" engraved in 11 languages on the seat-belt buckle? I wonder what is engraved on the buckle on Air France aircraft?
Ha! Good one! I had to look this up. Apparently AF's Airbus and Boeings have this: https://www.alamy.com/air-france-airbus-321-seat-belt-geneva-switzerland-image222627427.html And 777 buckle if you scroll through this article: https://thepointsguy.com/reviews/air-france-777-economy-bos-cdg/ There's also a photo of an AF Concorde buckle. It just says "Concorde" -- possibly the same on BOAC
Reminds me of the recorded pre-flight video on Virgin America when they were still a thing. Before demonstrating the seat belt operation the flight attendant in the video prefaced his instructions with something like: "For the one hundredth of one percent of you who do not know how to operate a seat belt"
The simple solution would be to put a sticker on the buckle showing how to open it in pictures only. I'm sure they could look to IKEA instruction booklets for examples of how to do this and on new buckles in the future have no engraving at all.
I was always told,even by airline people themselves and of course atc personnel, that the universal language of flight is English..this proves Canadians also file "frivolous" lawsuits..back in the "olden days", when pan am was still flying, they used to require flight attendants to be bi- lingual in at least one other language than English...flight attendants,however, have always given a "visual" presentation of seat belt use,emergency exits,oxygen masks etcetera,and that doenst require language!
There´s always people trying to sue any company as long as it can get some money. Any reason is worthy. If you don’t have any, just invent it. That’s it.
You have to be kidding what an idiot court decision should be taken to a higher court as that can spell real trouble. What is next having to add other dialects to satisfy other people? Soon they will have to divide aircraft cabins into sections with proper wording and signs so they can be read by anyone...…………………...um wow is about the best I can do...………..DUMB
My question is where the flight originated and to where it was going? More than likely somewhere non French speaking. It disgusts me how the court even allowed this joke of a claim, but wait what was the name of the judge?
Let me guess....they were offended! If its not a logically and instinctive action to undo the seatbelt when you NEED it, if you did not PAY ATTENTION during the safety briefing, please...stay strapped in while the rest of us get out! Whats next...braille...en french?
"The couple also alleged violations of their French language rights on the airline in 2005, 2011 and 2012."