Bob Andelman's Article Archives: Air Canada Call Center in Tampa (Sun-Times of Canada)

Image via WikipediaProfile By Bob Andelman (Originally published in the Sun-Times of Canada, 1990)

Not that they'll ever know the difference, but callers to Air Canada's reservations switchboard will soon have their calls answered by operators in Tampa.

The airline which has been flying passengers between Canada and Tampa for 40 years will relocate its continental U.S. reservations service from New York to Tampa in mid-1991. The airline has leased 26,000 square feet in Westshore at 2 Urban Centre twice its New York space and will initially employ 169. Corporate headquarters of the Canadian-owned airline will remain in Montreal and Canada itself will continue to be served by regional reservations services in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

"This is the first contact the public has with Air Canada," says Bruce Deitsch, manager of Air Canada's U.S. reservations sales office. "Tampa turned out highest on our relocation consultant's list for the labor force and relatively inexpensive commercial property. We're a telephone service. We have '800' numbers for travel agents and the public. We were concerned about where there would be a good telephone company. We researched that GTE is excellent."

The move was unexpectedly well received by existing Air Canada personnel more than half the New York staff is moving to Tampa.

"That's principally because of location," says Deitsch. "If we were in an undesirable location, we would get 20 to 30 people relocating with us, instead of 80. Tampa has enabled us to entice a great deal of our staff. The standard of living is excellent. There's no state income tax. I won't have to commute two hours any more. I was amazed to go downtown and find parking. New York you could live your whole live and never find parking."

Deitsch expects Air Canada will grow in Tampa. "We have built with room for expansion," he says.

Air Canada has engaged the Hillsborough County School System's Industry Services program to identify and train candidates for the reservations center it is relocating from New York to Tampa.