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R space oddity / 2017 IKK devaluation?

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R space oddity / 2017 IKK devaluation?

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Old Jan 3, 2017, 7:29 am
  #1  
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R space oddity / 2017 IKK devaluation?

I'm looking at random days for GRU-YYZ and YYZ-GRU space. On EF, flights show as at least R2, sometimes R6 for the direct flight. I lost my SE this year (but I'm still SE up to Feb 28), and I'm Aeroplan Black, whatever that means. I am not showing any R space business class flights, despite it being obviously available.

What gives? I'm not even dead yet for another month and a half, but AC has already written me off? :P
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 7:57 am
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Originally Posted by Pseudo Nim
I'm looking at random days for GRU-YYZ and YYZ-GRU space. On EF, flights show as at least R2, sometimes R6 for the direct flight. I lost my SE this year (but I'm still SE up to Feb 28), and I'm Aeroplan Black, whatever that means. I am not showing any R space business class flights, despite it being obviously available.

What gives? I'm not even dead yet for another month and a half, but AC has already written me off? :P
Are you trying to redeem Aeroplan points for an IKK award?

While R space may indicate IKK space, it does not guarantee it IME.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 7:59 am
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Originally Posted by gabdusch
Are you trying to redeem Aeroplan points for an IKK award?

While R space may indicate IKK space, it does not guarantee it IME.
Interesting. I always thought it did? And yep, trying to redeem.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 8:01 am
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Originally Posted by Pseudo Nim
I'm looking at random days for GRU-YYZ and YYZ-GRU space. On EF, flights show as at least R2, sometimes R6 for the direct flight. I lost my SE this year (but I'm still SE up to Feb 28), and I'm Aeroplan Black, whatever that means. I am not showing any R space business class flights, despite it being obviously available.

What gives? I'm not even dead yet for another month and a half, but AC has already written me off? :P
Originally Posted by gabdusch
Are you trying to redeem Aeroplan points for an IKK award?

While R space may indicate IKK space, it does not guarantee it IME.
Originally Posted by Pseudo Nim
Interesting. I always thought it did? And yep, trying to redeem.
This question should be in an IKK thread or it's own thread, as if it's in the R games thread it's going to be really confusing. Maybe the mod can break it out?
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 8:06 am
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Originally Posted by Sean Peever
This question should be in an IKK thread or it's own thread, as if it's in the R games thread it's going to be really confusing. Maybe the mod can break it out?
Thought so which is why I put it into a new thread - but it got merged here ...
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 9:45 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by gabdusch
Are you trying to redeem Aeroplan points for an IKK award?

While R space may indicate IKK space, it does not guarantee it IME.
I agree-especially intercontinental flights but even domestic. I have a wide open flight on January 7th YYZ-YYC on a 763 that I cannot get my son-in-law into business on, even using priority rewards. I also got my daughter on there ok and from SCL-YYZ. There was still R space on both flights but no luck for the son - in law on either flight.

I think this goes against the spirit of IKK domestically for sure (and internationally it is getting much more difficult than it needs to be) and is just further erosion of a once great benefit.

Great for economy travel still and I appreciate that but given where the program has been, a big downfall. It doesn't give you nice warm fuzzy feelings of appreciation anymore (I know first world problems).

I spent 45 minutes with Aeroplan yesterday just trying to accomplish some of this for one passenger. Secured Premium Economy for the son in law for the SCL-YYZ flight. R space has now disappeared.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 10:33 am
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The flight can't be full.

It can be R9, but if Y is oversold by 20 (which is definitely possible), then you cannot IKK.

I have never seen a situation where a flight had R space and positive space that I could not IKK.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 12:38 pm
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
The flight can't be full.

It can be R9, but if Y is oversold by 20 (which is definitely possible), then you cannot IKK.

I have never seen a situation where a flight had R space and positive space that I could not IKK.
I agree but as an example look at flights for January 7 YYZ-YYC

Lots of availability of fare classes, including R, on Expertflyer (and often empty seat maps) and out of TWELVE possible flights only TWO flights available non-stop for Priority Rewards (one for non-Priority Rewards). Must be one helluva lot of people flying without seat assignments.

Something seems amiss--in the past, even with reduced IKK, I could easily get a variety of flights when that many cheap fares were still available:



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Old Jan 3, 2017, 1:06 pm
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Can you get Y on those flights with IKK?

Just because low fare buckets are open does not mean the flight isn't full.

If they expect a 20% no-show factor, there's no reason not to sell Tango even if it's already full.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 1:23 pm
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
Can you get Y on those flights with IKK?

Just because low fare buckets are open does not mean the flight isn't full.

If they expect a 20% no-show factor, there's no reason not to sell Tango even if it's already full.
My thoughts exactly. A friend of mine was on YVR-YYC a couple of weeks ago and was told she and her husband were likely to be bumped (no status, Tango fares) because the flight was oversold by 39, on a 319-operated flight. (Of course, this coming from an AC check-in agent, that may not have been entirely correct, but based on the rest of the story, which I won't bother to recount here, it doesn't seem incorrect).

Yet AC was still selling seats.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 1:36 pm
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
Can you get Y on those flights with IKK?

Just because low fare buckets are open does not mean the flight isn't full.

If they expect a 20% no-show factor, there's no reason not to sell Tango even if it's already full.
All Twelve flights YYZ-YYC are available in Y on Jan 7.

The first flight of the day is non-priority in Y. The remaining 11 flights are all Priority Rewards in Y....

Given all the R showing on EF, more than 2 of these direct flights should be available in Business as Priority Rewards.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 7:51 pm
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Air Canada has dramatically reduced IKK in J across many of it's routes. I've just checked a handful of European and Asian cities and it looks like a 50%+ reduction across the board from what I expect at any point in the year.

YYZ-HKG is a nearly 100% reduction of IKK J availability through EOS.

Happy New Year to AC's most valued customers.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 8:35 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by Bonaventure
Air Canada has dramatically reduced IKK in J across many of it's routes. I've just checked a handful of European and Asian cities and it looks like a 50%+ reduction across the board from what I expect at any point in the year.

YYZ-HKG is a nearly 100% reduction of IKK J availability through EOS.

Happy New Year to AC's most valued customers.
Nice. So first they cap IKK at 10 and then they magically zero out availability. Nice.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 8:41 pm
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Maybe it's an IT error? Has anyone tried contacting AC about it? I know there are some people on the forum with people they know.

I also tried checking some routes I looked at a few weeks ago which was wide open.

For example, YVR - PHX on Jan 21st direct is J9 C9 D9 Z9 P9 R9 Y9 B9 M9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 G9 S9 T9 L9 A9 K9 and I can't book as a reward flight in J..........
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 8:42 pm
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Originally Posted by Sean Peever
Maybe it's an IT error? Has anyone tried contacting AC about it? I know there are some people on the forum with people they know.

I also tried checking some routes I looked at a few weeks ago which was wide open.

For example, YVR - PHX on Jan 21st direct is J9 C9 D9 Z9 P9 R9 Y9 B9 M9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 G9 S9 T9 L9 A9 K9 and I can't book as a reward flight in J..........
Why would we contact AC? I think we all collectively agree it's better to just bash them on a forum they don't read.
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