Can't get long haul J seats with points. Sound familiar?

[RooFlyer]

Aeroplan is a coughpy FF scheme - the spun out Air Canada scheme that is just a points scheme now, with everyone fighting for scarce seats.

Sound familiar? Have a read; very similar to the situation with QFF.

And Aeroplan only has 5 million members (according to the report)!

 

[andye]

Neither of the featured members look very well

 

[Duffa]

Better get those two lads a Suites redemption ASAP.
NLFTW methinks or maybe it's just the light

 

[smit0847]

More members with more points but no more seats- what do qff members expect?

 

[JohnM]

Neither of the featured members look very well

You haven't seen Rooflyer's full reaction yet :mrgreen:.

 

[boomy]

What's your status with Aeroplan RooFlyer?
Is it similar to QF where high status members get extra award seats released upon request? I'm asking because a friend of mine is Super Elite with AC and he doesn't stop raving about them.

 

[clazman]

Currently in Canada, mentioned this issue and got a 20 rage on how pathetic AC rewards are

 

[RooFlyer]

What's your status with Aeroplan RooFlyer?
Is it similar to QF where high status members get extra award seats released upon request? I'm asking because a friend of mine is Super Elite with AC and he doesn't stop raving about them.

I'm 75K Elite, sort of WP, although 50K gets you Star Gold, *A top tier.

I was 100K elite for a year and yes, that's really worth having. They have the AC Concierge service which was much better than what WP1 team sounds like with WF. Real, pro active looking after , very important with the winter disruptions they get over there. They can make car and hotel reservations for you too, and are visit able in major airports across Canada and around the world.

I never tried to get a seat released, so can't answer the direct question, sorry. But I've never heard of it. Problem is that Aeroplan isn't Air Canada. It's just a points company that has some Award seats amongst the hotels, toasters etc. For upgrades, you deal with Air Canada, who started a new parallel program "Altitude" when Aeroplan started to suck big time. Aeroplan retaliated by starting its own parallel sub program "Distinction". I still haven't figured out what the hell it does.

With Aeroplan there is 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K and 100K levels, ( qualifying miles you fly each year) and it's a complex matrix of useful and useless perks.

Long answer, sorry but 100K is excellent, most others are meh.

 

[boomy]

With Aeroplan there is 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K and 100K levels, ( qualifying miles you fly each year) and it's a complex matrix of useful and useless perks.

Long answer, sorry but 100K is excellent, most others are meh.

Sounds a bit like QF tiers these days, maybe they are comparing notes

 

[Pat2065]

Currently in Canada, mentioned this issue and got a 20 rage on how pathetic AC rewards are

I am a Canadian living in Oz. My family tend to come on AC and I can confirm that the Aeroplan system is lousy, at least for J class. It appears Aeroplan has two J seats on each flight and that's it. My brother snagged one of these a couple of years ago from Toronto to Sydney. His partner decided a month or so later to come as well but she could only get an economy seat despite many more than enough points for J. They kept trying until departure to get her a J seat but 'nothing available'. When they boarded, J class was almost empty but AC could not (or would not) arrange for Mary to get a J seat as they had no way to take her extra points, as the points system is totally outside their control, and did not want to just upgrade her. If I had any inkling the QF program was going to be handled by Aeroplan, I'd switch airline allegiances immediately.

 

[clazman]

I was told by a few Canadians yesterday that the best way to utilise AC points was book a seat on ANZ and use the points to upgrade. You can't use points only for the ticket.

 

[RooFlyer]

I was told by a few Canadians yesterday that the best way to utilise AC points was book a seat on ANZ and use the points to upgrade. You can't use points only for the ticket.

Depends what status you are and the route to an extent. AC have 'eUpgrade certificates' which are essentially free and therefore better than spending points/miles. ( I guess you are talking specifically about TPAC, but I'll speak more generally).

You are allocated a certain number at the beginning of your status year and can earn more via thresholds and choose yet more as 'gifts' depending on your status. You can spend EUps to upgrade yourself, or a colleague on the same flight and its granted (or not) instantly.

As a 75K Elite (about Plat in FF) I end up with about 80 eUps during a year and the cost to upgrade from Y to J LAX-YYC is about 6, and I can do that a week out, and like I said, its confirmed (or not) instantly. I never use more than half during a year and I go J TPAC anyway.

Within Nth America, hardly anyone with good status buys in the J cabin because there is a very good chance they will be able to use eUps to get there.

If I had any inkling the QF program was going to be handled by Aeroplan, I'd switch airline allegiances immediately.

Or, indeed if it was going to be sold off to anyone. It would go the exact same way.