theseatbelt

It appears WestJet has heard out our grievances with AC and is offering a free status match. See here. http://www.westjet.com/guest/en/rewards/get-gold.shtml

The most amazing part of the status match is that you only need to have 25,000 AQM or AQS - which means you can be a Prestige and get all the benefits.

Benefits are not bad at all:

• 2 free checked bags
  
• No fee to change to an earlier/later flight on travel day (BIG PLUS)
• Priority security screening (at select airports)
• Advance boarding
• 4 advance seat selection vouchers
• 10 airport lounge vouchers

A quick comparison shows that in some ways AC Prestige members are getting a really good deal out of this as it's pretty much an upgrade to all the benefits. For example, Prestige does not get advance boarding or priority security screening, but with the free status match with WestJet, they now will! Brilliant move by WestJet here.

Wish they were part of SkyTeam.

Let the EXODUS begin!!!

More info....: http://www.westjet.com/guest/en/rewards/get-gold.shtml


Status Match terms and conditions

To participate in the Status Match promotion (the "Promotion"), you must join WestJet Rewards at westjet.com/rewards and must individually submit a request to participate between October 29, 2014 and January 31, 2015 by sending an email to [email protected] and providing the following information:
- your first and last name
- your 9-digit WestJet ID (provided to you upon joining WestJet Rewards)
- a scanned copy of your membership card in the other Canadian airline's frequent flyer program showing your name and 2014 or 2015 top tier status, or a boarding pass from travel taken on the same airline between January 1, 2014 and January 31, 2015, also indicating your 2014 or 2015 top tier status within that program.

2014 or 2015 top tier status with another Canadian airline is defined as having achieved status through the equivalent of a minimum 25,000 qualifying miles or a minimum of 25 qualifying flight segments in that program during a calendar year. All status levels above the minimum qualifying miles or flight segments required to achieve status with the airline are eligible for this Promotion.

All required information must be provided or the submission will be deemed to be incomplete. Screenshots showing account information or submissions of any other kind will not be accepted.

Once a request to participate has been received, the information will be verified by WestJet within 30 days and, if deemed to be complete, accurate and eligible, Gold flight benefits (comprised of ten airport lounge vouchers, four advance seat selection vouchers, first and second checked bags free, no fee to change to an earlier/later flight on same day of travel, priority security screening at select airports and advance boarding) will be awarded to the member through issuance of an email to the address on record in the member's WestJet account.

The eligible member's flight benefits will be awarded on a promotional basis and will expire on February 29, 2016. Flight benefits awarded on a promotional basis, including through this Promotion, may have shorter validity periods than when awarded to a member as a result of regular program activity (ie. achieving $6,000 in qualifying flight spend on WestJet flights flown within a qualifying year).

The following are excluded from this Promotion: WestJet dollar earn rates and milestone awards. The ability for any member to receive increases to WestJet dollar earn rates on WestJet flights and vacation packages, and to receive milestone awards, such as companion flights, is directly correlated to a member's qualifying flight spend at any point in time and will not change as a result of a member achieving Gold flight benefits through any means, including this Promotion. Earn rates will increase and milestone awards will be awarded in step with the normal qualifying flight spend milestones set out in the WestJet Rewards program.
Gold flight benefits will be issued one time only during a member's qualifying year, either through regular program activity or through a promotional means such as this Promotion. Member may not receive Gold flight benefits and vouchers through multiple promotions.

WestJet in its sole discretion reserves the right to deny any submission that cannot be reasonably verified for any reason, including, without limitation, scanned copies submitted with incomplete, inaccurate or fraudulent information.

All other Program terms and conditions remain in effect.

Promotion is subject to change without notice.

For more information on WestJet Rewards, visit westjet.com/rewards.

HometoYYZ

Thanks for that reminder. Will be easy enough to do, since that's just one YYZ-???-LAS roundtrip (and I do between 6 and 10 of those a year... Rougeification is another big reason I'm thinking of jumping unless they count Premium Rouge as PE for eUpgrades, and the terms are favorable), but I hadn't factored in that I'd need to get four UA metal segments under my belt before 25 or 50 status would kick in. Now I have. ^

HometoYYZ

If you're qualified as E50 for next year, you can credit to UA next year and use your AC card to get priority boarding and lounge access until you have UA status. Not sure if that works for baggage, but it does tide you over until you reach a Premier level.

HometoYYZ

Shhhhhh. Ixnay on the exusnay before the ineslay get too onglay.

But seriously, I have no idea why any Canadian who flies across the US border more than zero times per year wouldn't apply for a Nexus right away.

Garbageman

TK status matches other *A carriers, including AC.

purelywasted

I second that, Global Entry when going through US is so easy, the longest part is waiting for your priority bag to come out. Recently cleared SFO coming from Japan in less than 10 minutes, no line at customs, no line at exit. Regular line would have been a good 1 hour+, dropped off baggage for connecting flight and was showering in arrivals lounge within 20 minutes. Do yourself a favor and get nexus/global entry.

flybit

West Jet has way better rules for changing tickets in the golden triangle. Global Status and Flyertalk just saved you from suffering AC any longer.
Global Status also let you have pre-clear in the USA, another huge perk!.
Run don't walk to another alliance. Air Canada was a frequent flyer program its not now.

superangrypenguin

I must say, that while I am honestly still calculating how many miles I expect to fly next year so then will figure out where i'm going, the amount of people on my team who have status matched is near 100% (I have as well). Not sure how that will translate revenue wise and if they will fly AC (I have been devoutly loyal to AC so i'll be one of the last to decide), but the majority of them have indicated that they will move to WS simply because now it makes sense for them to be 'good company men' and fly within policy. Ill wait a week and then decide (our team values priority boarding as one of the only core things we care about - zonal boarding may mess up a lot of us as we usually just get to the gate early and board before super elites). Big Ben did say that they might make some tweaks, so i'll see.

Ultimately though, the 'hard product' that is J on AC is something that while I value, it's not the end of the world. Narrowbodies offer a slidely wider seat, that's all. I can get that on Plus since it rarely goes out full (from what I have read). I lose a hot meal to a cold one (which sucks) but most of the time I get waitlisted anyways so I can't eat (dairy restriction). Booze is free on WS. Decisions, decisions. But i'll be patient, for now.

LittleYHZ

Wasn't aware they'd opened Nexus entry to the USA when arriving from a third country for a Canadian passport holder.

CX I enjoy, but that doesn't solve the Costa Rica/Panama/Colombia issue. Its so star A dominated its not even funny. And frankly its these places *G has gotten me out of pinches/100 mile lines and cluster... at the airport.

BlondeBomber

"Wasn't aware they'd opened Nexus entry to the USA when arriving from a third country for a Canadian passport holder"

been in place for quite a few years now (2010) and it does make decisions about where to fly easier!

See: Global Entry for Nexus holders

PLeblond

I'm not sure if its changed since I got my Nexus card, but you had to ask for GOES/Global Entry during the interview to have it added to the card.

martyYOW

lol! Can't believe I didn't think of that

ACA321

Is there a special email address or number to call for this request? I called the general Miles and Smiles department and was told by two representatives that they will not match to any other elite program.

I hope I got wrong info, as I'd like to match to Turkish given I need to fly them a quite a bit next year.

InTheAirGuy

I flew WestJet to Orlando recently. Came back on Rouge.

Given the devaluation of the SunPass with Rogue, and given that MCO is a regular for me, I'm signing up for the status match.

I really think AC doesn't get how much it has alienated people.

For this SE-since it started, what really gets me is the sheer spite that seems to seep out of the changes.

ESC

Has anyone had experience with AA? Understand AA provides a status challenge for their 50K tier (Platinum), but they do allow for exceptional status challenges for UA 1K to their 100k tier (Exec Platinum)?