lespoir

Maybe Air Canada is secretly testing this idea to see the customers response, so in future they will implement it. I can't imagine this Checkin agent's supervisor did not know the rules and reaffirm the Checkin agent's BS.

Altaflyer

Way to test....piss of your loyal customers at a time when you are rewarding their loyalty! Are these people insane? Must be something to this as it is not just one or two agents.

canadiancow

I don't think it was ever supposed to work that way. On United, it did, but it was a bug, and they're finally fixing it.

Wpgjetse

The answer is yes and no. If you are on your points, yes status shows and you get all the benefits. If you are on a reward flight, but not using your points, the file shows no status. You will only get your free check in baggage by showing your card. No card, no free baggage. This hold true for the MLL also.

yvr76

From the Altitude web site:

Although it says purchased, so it should also say "or an Aeroplan flight reward". If you're writing in for a refund, you should pass the name of the agent so they can be retrained.

OP, was your reward travel from your own Aeroplan account, or someone else? My understanding is that it's the latter that causes status issues, and relies on the knowledge of the check-in/gate agents.

gcashin

I find a lot of the issues with benefits on AE reward flights seem to be rooted in system issues, and the agents may not know the policies well enough to know when to override the system.

Aeroplan redemptions seem to be inconsistent when it comes to things like recognizing free checked baggage, as well as access to preferred seats, even if the status does show up properly on the boarding pass. In order to provide those benefits, it often forces the agent to override things like bag fees or preferred seating fees.

While agent knowledge of policies and benefits seems to be an issue, agents are often trained that the system is correct and they should follow what it says (i.e. if the system says no free bags, there are no free bags). Fixing the underlying IT issues would help save AC so much time in dealing with these issues and trying to resolve things like refund requests, etc for fees that never should have been charged in the first place.

Ben Lipsey

Yes, status benefits apply to award tickets as long as the status member is travelling. i.e. Allvest's example of SE benefits being extended to a non-SE should not happen, but irrespective of if you are on a paid or award ticket you are allowed complimentary baggage as per your status.

YXUhomebase

somewhat related - what if a non status is traveling on a reward business class ticket (but initial flight is in economy since there is no business seats on RJ)

do they get free checked bag?

cavitron

Thanks all for your answers. Some more details..

I handed my 2015 E50K card over with my ID when I checked in. It also even said E50K on my boarding pass. There was no doubt that this agent knew I was E50K. One of the other agents knows me and that I'm elite and was chatting away at the same time (but didn't help, btw). I even showed her the AC baggage limit website with my booking reference and itinerary showing that elites get free bags and she ignored it.

It was my points flying my family and I together on the same itinerary. I felt I was entitled to three bags and was prepared to pay for my family member's bags. She felt I should pay for all of them.

This is exactly the problem I believe. Now that they are forced by the system to charge for bags, they need to go through a screen to charge and they aren't clear on the rules.

I contacted AC via twitter and they (as usual, btw) were quite good. They acknowledged that I was entitled to the bags and that the agent was wrong. I will need to make a claim. We have another leg on the journey tomorrow and will see what transpires here in YCD. Stay tuned!

lcohen999

The frustration is status is not pulled on AE tickets.

So you need to show your card for baggage/zone/lounge. What is more concerning is status does not show on the manifest and what would happen if there was a cancellation, etc.

I know a call to the concierge would help but if the computer rebooks you based on your status, could be more complicated.

Took the agent in FLL 20 minutes to override the baggage rules on a flight. Not her fault, people were trying to help her, just annoying that it just didn't work as it is supposed to.

cavitron

One more thing. This wasn't as simple as one agent not knowing what the rules were. When I called AC Elite number they "confirmed" that I wasn't entitled to bags or priority tags as I was flying on Aeroplan reward. Seems like some sort of memo needs to go out.

Geoflying

Seems pretty clear - no mention of any exceptions for Aeroplan Reward flights. "regardless of fare purchased" surely says it all

From: https://altitude.aircanada.com/statu...ram-privileges

FlyerTalker683455

Send me a bill retroactively as I am sure I must have been manipulating agents into receiving benefits not deserved.



By the way I booked a non status passenger on an X fare from YYC yesterday and the system requested a $20 fee for seat selection. Is that normal?

gcashin

Ben - this seems to be a chronic issue where the systems don't properly recognize status, and the system seems to be prompting charges for things like seat selection, baggage fees. You can see from these threads the number of examples of baggage fees being charged in error, unnecessary calls to reservations for waivers on seat selection fees, refund requests, and complaints. I'd suggest it would save AC a ton of time and money if you can address the system glitches that are causing these issues. Is this on the radar?

Murphy123

I always have whether on AC or Star Alliance on a J class Reward ticket - but it has always been full business class for the 2 legs of each trip.

The non-status passenger would have redeemed business points for the whole trip (unless he/she bought separate tickets) so hopefully 1 or 2 bags would have been allowed free of charge.

Who knows for this year.