Jan

I would be interested to hear any comments, good or bad, about the airline Canada 3000 we are thinking of booking with them for a trip to Toronto later in the year.The plane we would be flying on is one of the newer airbusses. I can't understand why the fares are so much cheaper than BA. It will be our first trip to Canada, so I will no doubt be back with more questions later!

Vanessa

Canada 3000 is a charter airline which is why the flights are so much cheaper than British Airways. I've never flown BA but generally charter flights have less services, the seats are more cramped. Canada 3000 is your usual charter airline. You shouldn't have any particular problems with them -- just don't expect the level of service you would get with a non-charter flight.

Shane

Hi; <BR>I agree with Vanessa - Canada 3000 is more cramped because it is a charter but they still show movies and serve meals so you still maintain those services. I used them last year to go to Paris and Scotland with no problems. Personally, I would sooner save on airfare to have more to spend while I'm away. If you have any other questions, fire away and we'll see what we can do for you.

Island Girl

We used Canada 3000 to go from Calgary to Glasgow last year. The flight ended up being delayed 15 hours because of engine problems, and the communication about the situation was very poor. The plane was supposed to take off at midnight and everyone was in the departure area til 4 am with no idea of what was going on. They did put everyone up in the airport hotel, and when we did fly, the flight was fine. A few weeks later we got a letter and a cheque for $100 each for our "inconvenience". I would use Canada 3000 again, only because the fares are lower.

Susan

Don't use Canada 3000! We flew Toronto/ <BR>Aruba recently & it was a nightmare from beginning to end. Delays, <BR>delays, delays on both ends & we never did find out why. It wasn't the weather. <BR>With Canada 3000 you are told to arrive <BR>@ the airport 3 hours ahead of flight departure. We did this & then ended up waiting for another 3 hours in the airport. The plane was cramped, food & service were awful! ( by 'awful' I mean worse than the 'normal awful' food on most planes!!!) And, with a charter like Can 3000 if the flight is delayed <BR>or cancelled you have no other options. <BR>Next time we will fly Air Canada. For the extra $ I wld. go with a 'regular'like BA as opposed to a 'charter' <BR>like Canada 3000. It all comes down to how much $$$ you have & how you choose to spend it! <BR>

Naneki

I've flown Canada 3000 numerous times from Calgary to Hawaii and have always been satisfied with the service. Seating is a little more cramped than on a non-charter plane but if you're looking to save a few dollars, you should be okay with Canada 3000. I prefer it over Air Transat, another charter.

Carl Z

I've flown Canada 3000 numerous times,never had any serious problems. <BR>The staff aren't the smartest it's true, I think it may have something to do with their policy of hiring women who 'look good' but aren't the brightest, nor are their Bosses the most supportive, I've seen some scenes where staff were just left to flounder and no Supervisor in sight. <BR>The thing to remember about Charter Airlines is that they don't have a 'backup' if something goes wrong with the plane intended for your route. <BR>If you're waiting in Sydney for a plane that's out-of-commission in Vancouver you could be there a while! <BR>Also and I'm surprised no-one has mentioned this- there are no reservaions for seating. <BR>The Check-In opens 3 hours before take off and the cattle 'pony up' to find out what's left over when they get to the front of that line. <BR>This situation leads to scenes where people are arrriving at 1PM to check-in for a 6PM flight, barbaric at best. <BR>OTOH-they will take Sports Equipment for free I travel with a 7 foot fishing rod case no problems ever. <BR>I once saw 2 Kayaks being loaded on a Flight to the S Pacific! <BR>When I first boarded an AirbBus I didn't like it at all, as I sat there for many, many hours, it was a S Pac flight, I began to appreciate that although designed differently the plane itself was marginally roomier than Boeing products I had flown in.

Jan

THanks for all your replies, guess I will think very carefully before booking. Just a couple of things, I wondered if there was more room on the Airbus 300 than on the older planes Canada 3000 also use? Also it is now possible for a small charge, (£14 return in the UK), to prebook seats so I guess that would put an end to the 'arriving at the crack of dawn' at the airport syndrome!

Jan

Thanks for all the replies, guess I will have to really consider all the pro's and con's before I book. A couple of things, is there perhaps more leg room on the A300 Airbus than on some of the older planes used by Canada 3000 I wonder? Leg room is quite an issue with me, as I am fairly tall and there has been all the recent publicity about deep vein thrombosis here in the UK. Plus I believe you can now pre-book seats for a small fee (£14 return from the UK), which would save having to get to the airport by the crack of dawn.

Sharon

We have also booked a flight to Canada with Canada 3000 and we have paid the £14 fee to pre-book our seats. When we did this we were asked if we were taller than average and would like more leg-room. As I am small and my husband is only average we said we wern't too bothered. However now all this DVT has become news we are thinking of ringing them back to ask if we can change our seats.

Robyn

I think it's a hit and miss. I personally have never had any problems with them. I've flown with them on a round trip, from Vancouver, BC, Canada to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico and back. Never had the slightest problem. The plane left on the time, the seating was alright, and we arrived at our destination on time. Not only that, but as we were passing through the USA, the pilot would point out geographical attractions to look out for (ie: Grand Canyon, Utah salt plains, the New Mexico A-bomb test site, etc). The flight was enjoyable both ways. Coming back, the pilot let people into the cockpit to view the sunset from above. It was beautiful. Before we knew it, we were home. No problems whatsoever. <BR> <BR>But I'm only assuming that the people who don't like Canada 3000 are the people who have had major problems due to delays and such. But for the price? If you're looking for something a little less cheap, charters like Canada 3000 are the way to go.

Tony Hughes

Jan, flew with them last september and was one of the best flights across the atlantic that I've ever taken. Reasonable price, decent service. <BR> <BR>My folks are using them aagin this year for a return to Vancouver.

Shelley

Hi! I flew from Calgary to Honolulu on Canada 3000. As others have said, the seating may be slightly more cramped because it is a charter. We had no problems. I booked with them, because it was $80-200 dollars cheaper than some of the other airlines. I would fly with them again.

Tbone

I have flown on Canda 3000 out of Vancouver.To Puerto Vallarta and Las Vegas. No problems what so ever. Would definetly fly with them again.