flight attendant

gas station attendant

manager

baggage handler

customer service representative

Air Canada

The first 6 months are the strictest but once you pass the probation period (180 days) you are good and don't really need to worry about them firing you. 

During the probation, you can't be late, no sick days included, not unionized, can't forget your RAIC, the slightest mistake is enough for them to fire you. 

The coworkers are really friendly and nice for the most of them. Its feels like a big family. Everyone around you is ready to help, even the manager tries to help the most they can. And if you are ever in a difficult situation with some customers, there is always people there to back you up.

The managers are nice when you get to know them, at first, they seem really strict and mean but throughout your journey with them, they open up to you and get used to seeing you. And they can get really great. Both every relationship needs involvement from both sides. 

Do your job, help the customers, reflect a good image, do what you are supposed to do, and you should be good. 

If they know that you slack, they might be on you but if you do what you're supposed to its all good and they won't bother you or watch your every move. 

You are assigned to a position for your shift but if they need you somewhere else and you are trained for it, they are going to send you there to help out. 

The salary is not the best and could be way better for all the things we have to do. But it follows a scale and goes up every year. They are going to use you as much as they can to try to maintain the flight schedules. And sometimes you can even be kind of forced to do overtime since your stuck on controlling a flight, during an arrival, pushing wheelchairs, dealing with customers rebooking. But you have every right to just leave, and they cannot force you to stay but sometimes some situation happens and your just there for it. But if you find the occasion to leave, go ahead because they cannot stop you. 

You will have travel benefits which are really great. Air Canada has a lot of destinations compared to other airlines and they won't take the money until you actually do your trip. Most of your medical things will be covered. You even have a pension and some discounts for the hotels, car rentals and some other companies. 

You have paid vacations and paid sick days throughout the year that renews every year, just like your tickets, you also have free uniforms that renews every year.  And sometimes if you don't have time to take your break during your shift, they will also pay your break. 

You have the flexibility to change or rearrange your shift with your other coworkers. One of the things that I don't like is that even if you are part-time you have to work 5 times a week but just less hours which is not really a good job/work life. And if you are on a relief schedule  
they can change your shift minimum 48 hours before so if you have other things planned. It's done. And they can also switch your shifts from early am to pm or late pm to am just with 48 hours of notice. But they also have to respect a minimum of 8 hours between the end of a shift and the beginning of another one. 

For the overtime, the salary is 1.5 then the original when you have more than 40 hours of scheduled hours, if your part-time and do overtime it's going to stay the same salary.


You will find extremely polarizing opinions about working as a station attendant at AC, because one person's experience can be wildly different from someone else, depending primarily on your personality, and perhaps a little bit of luck.

Some days, it feels like a great job and you are thankful to be there. Other days, you question why you are wasting your time with this  job and you feel like quitting on the spot. 

If you are a very social, likeable person, chances are you will love working there.  Special treatment is common place.  You will get easier tasks, more breaks, spend lots of time socializing instead of working, and never be hassled by management. 

If you are introverted, and prefer to just go to work and do your job. You will most likely be exploited and abused until you have about 10 to 15 years of seniority.  You will be given the most difficult, almost impossible to complete tasks, and you will be punished for not completing them according to the unrealistic expectations. 

If you are unfortunate enough to be one of these people, this job is incredibly hard on the body. You will destroy your shoulders, your knees, your back, and your mental health. 

That being said, there are many upsides:

- Almost limitless flexibility with 
   your schedule.
- Health & dental benefits
- Access to standby passes for 
   you and your friends / family.
- Job gets much easier with 
   seniority.
- Very dynamic place to work, 
   every day is different.
- Can be lots of downtime.
- Amazing people. You will make 
   lifelong friends working here. 
- Lots of opportunities for 
   advancement and higher salary.

Cons:

- The pay is criminally low 
   considering how difficult it is to 
   replace a fully trained 
   employee. (it takes on average 
   2 years to fully train someone) 
- Favoritism and special 
   treatment are rampant.
- Your job and your life are 
   constantly at risk.  The airport is 
   a dangerous place and 
   accidents are common. Not 
   only can you be a victim of an 
   accident due to someone else's 
   complacency, but you will often 
   be blamed for the mistakes of 
   others under the guise of 
   "we're a team".
- Simply getting to work is a 
   MAJOR pain. The employee 
   parking lot is 20 minutes away 
   from the actual airport.  It's 
   nearly impossible to find a 
   parking space, and when you 
   finally arrive at the terminal, it 
   can take up to 15 minutes to get 
   through security.  This can add 
   30 minutes to an hour to your 
   usual commute.  If you are even 
   5 seconds late, you will have a 
   disciplinary action on your 
   employee record. 
- Shortage of equipment 
   (possibly the biggest con of all).  
   There simply isnt enough 
   equipment to go around. This 
   makes it impossible to do your 
   job, and you will be punished as 
   a result if you arent adept at 
  defending yourself against 
  management. 

This is by far the worst place I have EVER worked at. Management do not care about you. They listen and say yes all the time but really they do not care. Every time I suggested something to a supervisor so it would make our work easier they would say "I've taken it into consideration" but really all they wanted was for you to do your job and not think outside the box. If ever you did really have a good idea and upper management approved it the supervisor would take credit for it and say it was their idea. The work schedule is horrible. They ask you to work on holidays with the promise of giving you the day back when you want it but you would then have to fight to take that day back or they would offer you a Wednesday off instead of attaching the day off to a weekend. HR is horrible. Might as well not have one. They never reply or when they do it's to tell you they've forward your email to someone else. At one point they hired a new team to work with us and I learned they made more per hour then I did (after 6years of service) and when I asked HR why, they referred me to managers and my manager told me it was a company decision and to not ask any other questions or there would be heavy consequences. Upper management think they are above everyone and done care about you. Salaries are HORRIBLE. They pay you 15$/h even after 8 years of service and say there is a monthly bonus, but make up excuses to not pay the bonuses you really never get that bonus that was promised 1000$/month). They make you come to the office for a coaching session and are very hard on the evaluations so to not give you a good result which then you don't get a raise at the end of the year. The work load is way to much for what one person can do. I would do 10h/day and never got a thank you. Clients would insult you and be rude and the supervisor would never do anything about it. They let the clients be disrespectful if fear of getting a bad review on Facebook. They don't even let you use your real name you have to answer with a made up name. I would never recommend working there even to my worst enemy. All they car about is the money you bring in. They do not have about the person. There is a huge amount of people leaving because of a burnout. I was brainwashed in thinking this is a good place. They are very good at manipulating you.

Dear [Company],

I wanted to take a moment to provide some feedback on my experience as an employee at [Company]. I believe that open and honest communication is essential for the growth and success of any organization, and I hope that my feedback can contribute to improving our workplace.

Firstly, I want to express my gratitude for the opportunities and support that I have received during my time here. I have learned and developed my skills in ways that I could not have imagined. The training programs and resources provided have been excellent, and I feel that they have empowered me to excel in my role.

However, there are a few areas where I believe there is room for improvement. One of the main issues I have noticed is the lack of clear communication from senior management. It would be beneficial for the entire team if goals, objectives, and expectations were communicated in a more transparent and timely manner. This would enable us to align our efforts properly and work towards common objectives.

Additionally, I have noticed a lack of opportunities for career growth and development. While the training programs have been insightful, there is limited visibility on progression within the company. It would be greatly appreciated if the company could invest more in providing clear pathways for advancement and promotions.

Furthermore, I have observed that the work-life balance at [Company] could be improved. There are instances where employees feel overwhelmed with their workload, which can negatively affect their productivity and overall well-being. It would be valuable to explore strategies that promote a healthier work-life balance, such as implementing flexible working hours or offering more comprehensive employee wellness programs.

Lastly, I would like to highlight the importance of recognizing and appreciating employee contributions. Although occasional recognition and rewards are given, a more consistent and genuine acknowledgment of achievements would greatly boost employee morale and motivation.

I hope that my feedback is valuable for the betterment of our organization. I remain committed to contributing my best efforts to [Company]'s success and look forward to witnessing positive changes in the future

I will give this a fair review, so believe me when I say this will be the only review you will ever need if you need to decide whether to work there or not. 

Pros

-Health and dental benefits
-Extremely cheap tickets. Including business class
-if you are single, you can nominate anybody to use your passes, so they can travel without you(economy only)
-$50-60 for a business class(standby for seats) ticket anywhere, plus you can bring a friend.
-Lots of vacations. You can get up to at least 4 weeks.
-You can sell your shifts and get more days off.

Cons

-Yes, you can get cheap tickets but your pay is terrible.
-Starting pay at $14 (customer service. flight attendants make almost double)
-With the tax deductions, union fees, and other deductions, you will probably only be getting 700 dollars every two weeks. Can you survive on that?
-You get a 0.50 raise every year. It will take you at least 6 years to make $20/hour
-Tax deductions, insurance, union fees will leave you with a $700 pay cheque every two weeks.
-Yeah, you can get cheap tickets but how are you gonna travel with that kind of money?
-You are at the mercy of 'shift bids. You don't get extra pay for midnight shifts (6pm-4am) or really early shifts(starting at 3:30am or 5am). If you are new, as in (less than 5 years with the company then I guarantee to you that you will have to do those shifts for at least one period(6 months).
-The senior agents will get the good shifts and the new agents will get the bottom of the barrel. 
-New employees are at the bottom and negotiations with the company have the interest of the senior agents in mind. The union does not care about new employees.
-The good reviews you see here are from people who have worked at AirCanada since the beginning and are probably making at least $30/hour. 

This job is perfect for:
-For households that already have a money maker.
-People that already have money but just want the cheap tickets.
-Young people that want to travel. Work here for 2 years and travel around the world. You will probably not save any money. You will be broke, but you can explore the world. Then get out and find another job.
-Don't work here to make money or to build a career. Work here to take advantage of the travel benefits.

The hardest part of this job is that Air Canada trains Customer Experience Specialists for 5 roles at the airport. For a minim wage job, the scope of responsibility is too wide for someone entering the airport environment. While Air Canada gives priority to people who speak English and French, they don't pay more for this added skill set. Bilingual C.E.S.s are forced into lines which involve Gate Control or boarding an aircraft. This is a high stress task, involving rapid computer key boarding skills and interacting with passengers to solve travel problems. If you get stressed out, or make a mistake, you get fired on the spot, which is emotionally exhausting for the employee who are forced to take on these tasks even if they don't feel comfortable with the whole process and responsibility. At minimum wage, you must have a backup plan for your finances, or you will be short money every month. The floor managers are new and come from other industries, so they haven't done the job that they are managing over. There is little or no opportunities for moving ahead unless you have been there for a few years. The union is useless for as long as you are on probation. The uniforms never arrived within six months of working there, and were delivered in parts, so it was never complete enough to actually be useful. The training was intense and covered a lot of material, but little of it was actually relevant to my role, because passengers wanted rebooking, which is something that we never go trained on. If you enjoy speculating on a job position, apply, and there is 50% chance that you complete probation, and 50% chance that you get laid off, and then you can look for better paying work somewhere else. At minim wage, everything else pays more, so why waste your time here. 

First thing first Beware!!! Your hard work won’t get noticed, the only thing they will notice if you have finished your work no matter how you did it, you do it correctly or not or just forwarded it or just closed the issue without doing anything. They will tell you initially that don’t ask colleagues for any questions/ difficulty you have. But that’s the only thing that works. But if you ask any seniors or managers about anything, they will take it to negative. Instead of leading, training or helping you out like a leader, they will think that you don’t know your work, you aren’t for this job. This is coming from someone who rarely asked questions from seniors but something that’s really different and not taught was asked. Throughout the time, I did my job perfectly, just when I had issue with one task that was confusing even for trainers because of new COVID rules, they decided to get rid of me. Very unprofessional management VERY VERY VERY UNPROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT. They are not leaders at all. Also beware of the senior staff because they are together with them. I have noticed very few people last in this company, that comes to the point that they are not worth working hard. I have seen people so dumb, doing many wrong things that still works there but if you have been perfect throughout and just had one issue, they will tell you to go. So now you know what type of employers they are and this is the reason they are NOT even listed as the top 100 employers in Canada. Benefits of the company are good but that’s not the only thing, they will EAT YOU OUT before you will even reach a stage to get benefits of the company. They will smile at you they day you are getting fired and a sudden one good morning coming from your manager to the people sitting near you is a sign that someone is getting fired that day. Otherwise they never greet you good morning also. How very unethical and pathetic. VERY VERY UNPROFESSIONAL!

Salary and benefits should be separated for this review. Yes benefits are good but when you start at $14 hour you end up taking home around $10/hr due to deductions. One cannot live on this wage alone, flights are very cheap although they come with the risk of getting bumped,as you are always stand-by, and it happens often. I have been forced to buy full fee return tickets with a different airline on more than one occasion just to get home. Travel is a great benefit..that is if you are able to save any money to fly and stay somewhere.  
The expectations from the company would equal that of one in a mid/high ranking job in which you would be properly compensated. 
There is a separation between the previously hired staff (from years ago) and the newer staff. It could be due to the fact that they make approx double what the newer employees make and do the exact same job. 
With the overselling of flights,  cancellation of flights, tight timelines to close flights and then see another off, there is a constant buzz of stress and negativity from both passengers and employees. 
I do like my job and in general the people I work with but I would not be able to ever consider this as a career job because the expectations vs the compensation is unrealistic to be able to live a fruitful life and the stress that comes along with the job as well as the high expectations are not worth the insufficient salary. 
There is no room for advancement either, you get your .50/hr raise every year and that is that. If you switch positions you risk not being a part of the union. 
It's a shame but the company just is not what it used to be. I have family members that worked here in the past and have great things to say. They stared off at a much higher wage then..even when cost of living was more reasonable than is is now.

I worked with Air Canada as a Sales & Service agent for 17 years from one end of Canada to the other, one move specifically to keep my job due to office closures. 

I worked in many different capacities and locations during those 17 years; airport, call centre; prepaid ticketing, ticket agent, check-in, gate control, terminal control, etc. The only reason I left was because a package was offered due to the merge with Canadian and the opportunities for shift options were extremely limited, as were shift trades. I would go back in a heartbeat if that were an option (a condition of the package was that I would never work for AC again - what a shame, as good people are hard to find!)  

I absolutely loved my job and my colleagues, the flexibility, the transfer opportunities, pension, and the travel benefits. The group benefits package was very good and included medical and dental and help for those with addiction issues or otherwise (some that truly would not have kept their jobs anywhere else!) along with a lot of other great things that you realize you need, only when you no longer have them!

The pay was not great to begin with, but as you accumulate seniority, the pay increases as do the shift options.

I have to say that my 17 years with AC were really good ones, although definitely stressful at times (irregular operations - weather, mechanical issues, irate passengers, oversold flights, etc.) but the good times outweigh the bad and I have places to stay across Canada and the world through the friendships I made during that time.

If you have the opportunity to take a job with AC, grab it and hold on to it, as it's hard to find a job with such great benefits. There are also always opportunities to move into Management positions.

Good luck & hope to meet you in my travels!

This is not an office job. I think some people have expectations that a little unrealistic sometimes. The work is physically demanding. You can get injured if you’re not careful and sometimes even if you are but just be aware of your surroundings. The pay is certainly not enough however you do get nice flight benefits that is wonderful bonus. As you start there is no work time flexibility but you will get more options as your seniority grows. The first 6 months was the hardest as the company expects you not to be late in anyway at all or sick. If you can get through that then things are much better. Especially after you have learned from ramp training and full understand the job.

My recommendation is to join if you’re ready for a challenge with lots of physical exercise daily. You will walk a lot, there is lots of noise, your in the rain, snow, cold, heat but the company does try to help with the clothing allotment they give you each year. 

They honestly do more than many companies out there. Just know it’s not a comfy job. 

The workers for the most part are nice but some will put you in trouble for their bad behaviour so be careful. Management has some good people so you take the good with the bad. Some managers seriously need training about the workplace because they don’t know what happens on the ramp. In some areas they are non existent and only come when there is a problem. They will make snap judgments which are unfair because they only saw you at the scene. So some management (not all) can be careless.

Most employees are good but there are some sour apples who are always miserable and they make it sad for you to be around them.

The Union needs to work more for employees and negotiate better working terms and higher pay according to inflation.

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