As we approach the end of the first third of the year I did a comparison of this year's qualifying points versus previous years. It is pretty clear that for the first time in more than five years, I will not make SE - largely for the reasons discussed on this site to date.

The reasons in my case inclde: fewer upgraded flights, using more alternative airlines for domestic flights and complete discontinuance of using AC flights to Europe (I now stick to BA for the OneWorld affiliation).

I wonder how the rest of you folks are stacking up in terms of whether or not you think you'll make SE by the end of the year??

I'll make SE by June. However, majority of the 100K Q miles will be on UA. I've only flown 20K Q miles on AC so far this year and that number will not go up by much. Rupert needs to keep his word that things will only get better. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing has changed since the meeting back in March and it doesn't looks like anything will be changing in the near future.

Shareholder, you do one big pile of travelling!! In the good old days of AC & CP I'd usally end up with CP Platinum and AC SE, but that was when you only needed 80K to achieve Platinum.

Like I say - the good old days - gone forever.

Shareholder!? I hope you don't think I am him.

I should make it again ... I've just passed 50k status miles - almost all on AC.

I just reached 0 status miles.

All of these were earned on AC.

Hmm does this mean that Afterburner is flying AA ?

I do expect to hit SE again, sitting at 72K right now with a conference in Europe next month supplementing my normal transcons. So like Empress, I should achieve 100K later in the summer.

As I am locked into YEG/YVR transcons from YYZ, my alternative is non-existent: I prefer the creature comforts of ExecClass no matter how downgraded these have become. I am not deterred by paying another $150 or so to move from V to H, and know my travel far enough in advance and can accommodate weekends in my plans since these are actually more productive for my meetings with business colleagues than weekdays. There is not much of a lottery involved in upgrading on the YEG trips, and I can now book them up a a week in advance to be pretty certain of having a C seat. YVR is a bit more dicey, but even if I don't get a confirmed C in advance, I am almost assured of either an at-the-gate or op upgrade on those flights.

I had pre-planned my winter vacations last year and so was able to capatilize on an upgraded UA mileage run [thanks to a very kind FTers who gave me a pair of SWUs] for a week down there, and another week in Australia on AC's special introductory MEL fare.

This front loading certainly helped cover off a lot of long haul mileage, supplemented by a couple of V upgraded trips out west prior to March, and my current H to YEG this weekend.

So AC will still get my domestic business, but I will consider alternatives into the US and overseas. I have done a couple of US trips on AA, and will likely renew Plat status with a SAmerican trip later this year, and miscallaneous other travel. Still don't know what projects I will have in the 4th quarter to know where my travel will take me, and thus carriers I will use.

But I can see Cam's rationale for transferring his European travel to BA, since I think they have a superior level of service over AC right now, and if one is paying J BA is the best way to travel there. I would similarly think that CX has the same advantage with its new sleeper bedseats in J for any travel to Asia. If one is not paying full fare, then the FF program and its benefits will be the deciding factor, along with convenience of schedule and connections, which I guess is why AB continues to fly AC to Europe rather than BA or any US carriers.

Since I will be in Europe in late May, I may use a STAR EuropePass to pick up OS, SK and any other carriers needed for the 5 partner bonus at a reasonable price.

Unlike others, I have not taken a boycott AC position, since it wasn't to my advantage, and the bulk of my Aeroplan miles would be earned on non-AC flights anyway. And I have always covered myself off with AA status, and a foot in the [much superior] oneworld alliance.

On the other hand, I am trying to wait as long as possible before I hit the 70K mark so the free NA ticket that I get will be valid later into 2003.

QUOTE Shareholder, you do one big pile of travelling!![/b][/QUOTE]
Shareholder!? I hope you don't think I am him.
UNQUOTE

Oops sorry, Empress, tend to get you two confused now again you're both so prominent on this site!

Why bother? When Feb 2003 comes around they will trash what little of the S.E. perks are left.

I have to travel on A.C. for domestic flights (compny policy) However, I do have freedom on my transat flights and am flying any carrier except A.C.

For the transat flights I pay for the cheapest airline gets my money. If A.C. still had the upgraeable V fare then they would get that business.

Will be @ 23,000 Q miles at the end of this month.

Biggles.

Well... maybe I'll be the little devil here. I still think the benefits that SEs get are still a little better than all the other top tiers programs. No one can beat the no capacity control on award seats in all classes, this is the one benefit that is keeping me with Aeroplan (and the most valuable benefit IMO). Whether they decide to keep it around next year is another issue. Rupert said they don't have any intentions to take it away but I wouldn't put money on that. The second thing I've found is upgrading have gotten harder on all carriers not just Aeroplan. In fact, maybe one could even argue that it has gotten a lot easier to upgrade because of the new restrictions. It's the C class inventory that is frustrating me [The zeroing out crap despite J being 50%+ open]. It's up to Rupert to go figure out whether the new policies are backfiring on them.

I like you Vasbyte and thank you for flying AC

P.S. I should make SE (in my own mind) by the end of June

Not this year - will be 1K by Sep and then I decide if I want to pursue E status or not on AC or just stick with the double miles on UA. I've got time to see what AC announces and then decide what makes the most sense.

I still collect AP points from my Visa and car/hotel rentals and it's nice to be able to get reward seats within Canada so the E status has some use for me. But I will miss the no capacity control of SE as [b]Empress[/b[ points out.

A strange thought just occured to me:

Since Aeroplan is now a seperate company and they must buy the reward seats from "the Airline" and "the Airline" must buy points from AE. Is there a policy in place that AE must compensate "the Airline" for members using upgrades also???
If not, is this why "the Airline" is being so stingy with C inventory??

Now I personally think that "the Airline" should encourage the upgrade so as to get the base fare ticket, but??? I wonder what the road block really is.