Preferred seat bookable on Aeroplan?
Feb 7, 2011, 11:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,746
Preferred seat bookable on Aeroplan?
One of the benefits listed of being an *E is that the preferred seats are bookable at no charge. Does that also apply to a reward booking? I.E. if I booked a flight on a 333 could I request row 35 and be reasonably sure of getting it?
Feb 7, 2011, 11:32 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: UA MP
Posts: 768
Once you have it booked, I believe you can go straight to AC website, login as *E, and select the seats there. (that's assuming you can't select that seat using AP's website).
Feb 7, 2011, 12:03 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YYJ
Programs: 50K
Posts: 307
I don't think you can see your Aeroplan awards reservation on AC.com unless something changed recently.
Feb 7, 2011, 12:59 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,132
Preferred seats only available to E's (w/o charge) when purchasing a Latitude fare. But I have got agents at AC who will do it for you without charge. AE cannot access the preferred seats. Jagboi where does it says preferred seats available at no cost to E's?
Feb 7, 2011, 1:19 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,746
" Preferred seat selection is complimentary for Air Canada Super Elite members – with a Tango Plus or Latitude fare;
Air Canada Elite members and Star Alliance Gold members with other airlines - with a Latitude fare.
If you're an Air Canada Super Elite or Elite member, or a Star Alliance Gold member with another airline, and you are eligible for complimentary Preferred seat selection, your travel companion(s) also enjoy complimentary Preferred seat selection provided you are all under the same booking reference."
Doesn't say anything about reward seats, thus my question.
Feb 7, 2011, 1:30 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC*E50
Posts: 594
Posters are talking about a few different things:
- Advance seat selection is available for Aeroplan tickets (Air Canada treats them like T+). You will get an arbitrary seat at time of booking, so you just need to call AC to change. This is available to everyone and should be free of charge. Non-status pax will be limited to the non-premium seats. Aeroplan tickets generally fill from the back so it's always good to call.
- P/E/SE/*G get access to the "premium" seats, which are the first few non-bulkhead, non-exit rows of the plane. If you have status and call AC you will get access to those seats
- Anyone can pay extra for "preferred" seats, while SEs get them for free. If you book a reward ticket you can call in and pay for the seat (or if SE get moved up for free)
- All seats open up at OLCI, so you may be able to snag a better seat for free at that time
- Advance seat selection is available for Aeroplan tickets (Air Canada treats them like T+). You will get an arbitrary seat at time of booking, so you just need to call AC to change. This is available to everyone and should be free of charge. Non-status pax will be limited to the non-premium seats. Aeroplan tickets generally fill from the back so it's always good to call.
- P/E/SE/*G get access to the "premium" seats, which are the first few non-bulkhead, non-exit rows of the plane. If you have status and call AC you will get access to those seats
- Anyone can pay extra for "preferred" seats, while SEs get them for free. If you book a reward ticket you can call in and pay for the seat (or if SE get moved up for free)
- All seats open up at OLCI, so you may be able to snag a better seat for free at that time
Feb 7, 2011, 4:13 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YOW
Posts: 2,351
Posters are talking about a few different things:
- Advance seat selection is available for Aeroplan tickets (Air Canada treats them like T+). You will get an arbitrary seat at time of booking, so you just need to call AC to change. This is available to everyone and should be free of charge. Non-status pax will be limited to the non-premium seats. Aeroplan tickets generally fill from the back so it's always good to call.
- P/E/SE/*G get access to the "premium" seats, which are the first few non-bulkhead, non-exit rows of the plane. If you have status and call AC you will get access to those seats
- Anyone can pay extra for "preferred" seats, while SEs get them for free. If you book a reward ticket you can call in and pay for the seat (or if SE get moved up for free)
- All seats open up at OLCI, so you may be able to snag a better seat for free at that time
- Advance seat selection is available for Aeroplan tickets (Air Canada treats them like T+). You will get an arbitrary seat at time of booking, so you just need to call AC to change. This is available to everyone and should be free of charge. Non-status pax will be limited to the non-premium seats. Aeroplan tickets generally fill from the back so it's always good to call.
- P/E/SE/*G get access to the "premium" seats, which are the first few non-bulkhead, non-exit rows of the plane. If you have status and call AC you will get access to those seats
- Anyone can pay extra for "preferred" seats, while SEs get them for free. If you book a reward ticket you can call in and pay for the seat (or if SE get moved up for free)
- All seats open up at OLCI, so you may be able to snag a better seat for free at that time
Feb 7, 2011, 4:25 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: YHZ
Programs: UA PREMIER GOLD, AC*E25K, Best Western Diamond, Marriott Gold, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 131
SensFan's statement is correct. If you are Aeroplan Elite and flying on an Aeroplan reward ticket, you are entitled to the seats that SensFan refers to for free. Unfortunately the Aeroplan agent cannot assign these seats to you, but the AC reservations agent can...just give them a call.
If you are flying on an Airmiles reward ticket, there is no spot on the PNR to put in your Aeroplan number, so your status won't show, so you cannot get premium or no-cost-preferred seating assigned in advance.
If you are flying on an Airmiles reward ticket, there is no spot on the PNR to put in your Aeroplan number, so your status won't show, so you cannot get premium or no-cost-preferred seating assigned in advance.
Feb 7, 2011, 4:52 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Posts: 14,132
This is incorrect. E's get access to seats in the front of the cabin and E's only get preferred seats if they have an Attitude fare. Aeroplan tkts for E's means access to PREMIUM SEATS and not PREFERRED SEATS. I am not sure if SE's get access to Preferred seats(with no cost) with AE tkts.
Feb 7, 2011, 5:30 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
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Feb 7, 2011, 6:49 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YOW
Posts: 2,351
This is incorrect. E's get access to seats in the front of the cabin and E's only get preferred seats if they have an Attitude fare. Aeroplan tkts for E's means access to PREMIUM SEATS and not PREFERRED SEATS. I am not sure if SE's get access to Preferred seats(with no cost) with AE tkts.
Here is a letter from Ben Smith explaining which seats an Elite can access.
Dear SensFan,
As an Air Canada Elite® member, your satisfaction matters to us. We took your feedback regarding the recent introduction of Preferred seats* very seriously and have made the following changes:
As always, you will continue to enjoy complimentary Priority Seat Selection, which includes bulkhead seats and select rows in the front of the Economy Class cabin as one of your existing Elite Privileges. Until this service is available online, you can reserve your bulkhead seats by calling us at the numbers listed in your Elite Priority Contacts.
In addition, you will have complimentary access to more seats with additional legroom in Economy Class, referred to as Preferred seats, with the purchase of a Latitude fare ticket. These coveted seats, such as the ones located in exit rows, are also available to all Air Canada and Jazz® customers for a variable fee.
We remain open to your comments and are always working to meet your highest expectations.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Smith
Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Air Canada
As an Air Canada Elite® member, your satisfaction matters to us. We took your feedback regarding the recent introduction of Preferred seats* very seriously and have made the following changes:
As always, you will continue to enjoy complimentary Priority Seat Selection, which includes bulkhead seats and select rows in the front of the Economy Class cabin as one of your existing Elite Privileges. Until this service is available online, you can reserve your bulkhead seats by calling us at the numbers listed in your Elite Priority Contacts.
In addition, you will have complimentary access to more seats with additional legroom in Economy Class, referred to as Preferred seats, with the purchase of a Latitude fare ticket. These coveted seats, such as the ones located in exit rows, are also available to all Air Canada and Jazz® customers for a variable fee.
We remain open to your comments and are always working to meet your highest expectations.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Smith
Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Air Canada
Feb 7, 2011, 7:08 pm
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
Usually I call in to select seats from what the agents tells me is available.. I guess this would not include preferred seats that are blacked out.
Feb 7, 2011, 7:11 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Morin Heights, AC*SE, UAPE
Programs: ACMM 50K, UA Platinum
Posts: 298
What I think is incredible is that we all think it is "normal" that we are forced to book reward seats on-line or else have to pay a fee. Then, after doing all the work ourselves we have to make a phone call to get the seats we would like. I am so fed up with having to complete half the booking on the web and then wasting my time on the phone to complete the reservation/seat selection. It's exactly the same issue with Flight Passes. The AC and AE websites are inadequate and until they are upgraded/fixed to allow us to complete bookings in their entirety I think we should have the choice to use an agent to make reservations without a fee.
Last edited by yulgirl; Feb 7, 2011 at 7:23 pm