I am not sure why UA is being compared to AC here and AC is forced to be perceived as the bad program. Every program has their own pros and cons. We certainly do appreciate the business for those who choose AC as their main carrier and use Aeroplan given everyone has the freedom to choose their airline/ffp. Perhaps a more fair comparison for upgrading would be vs. airlines that fly on our exact same routes and you would find that AC is far more generous especially on International for our loyal members (SE, E, P). YYZ LHR on BA vs AC, YYZ HKG on CX vs AC, YVR HKG on CX vs AC, YVR ICN on SQ vs AC, YYZ FRA on LH vs AC and so on.

I just don't think it's fair to insist AC is all bad and UA is all good. It all depends on one's travel, fare purchasing and award redemption pattern. Some customers love the Instant KK benefit which no other carriers offer for the J cabin at regular levels, some customers love the fact that as they get fair amount of certificates that allow them to confirm upgrade right away since they purchase higher fare types, some Elites appreciate the fact that they get a few SSWU per year for lower fare types. Some customers like that as AC E or SE that they can use MLL on domestic travel where as a UA 1K or PE, you can't use RCC on a domestic itinerary. Then you have some that would appreciate the fact that they can give their 1K SWU to their friends/familes. There's nothing wrong but to use one to trash another is not quite fair.