I guess the problem started when someone posted the new UA program in a thread wondering when AC would announce, and it was perceived that it was an attempt show that UA was "bad" and AC was "good." Certainly in some regards, AC has some unique benefits, such as IKK and concierges. But often other programs have comparable benefits -- UA has a special inventory of "Saver" awards for 1Ks, and they have their Global Services program.

As vexed as I am with many things about Aeroplan and Air Canada, I remain with them. But I'm at a crossroads right now. Because I took a 5 month sabatical I haven't earned any status miles since early May, so I'm only at 61K status miles, with no planned business travel in sight. Because I like to be first in line for upgrades, because I like to donate my miles to other and other causes, and because I like the fact that at many airports both lounge agents and concierges recognize me, I'd like to stay SE.

I'm currently debating with myself whether I should spend 6 grand and a couple of weekends earning a fast 40K. If I knew what next year's program was I'd be in a better position to decide. If there was some improvement, almost any improvement, I'd probably be inclined to go for it. If I knew the program would remain substantially the same, I might still go, though probably later in the year when I had a better picture of next year.

But if I spent a chunk of money and time only to find out that benefits were further cut back (and based on the last 8 years it does not seem unreasonable to presume they will be) I'd be annoyed to say the least.

I'm also bemused by the number of people who insist that the AC/AP program is the absolute best in the world, completely wart-free. It is what it is. And it has lots of holes. And those holes have grown much larger over most of the last decade.

Finally, there's a real sense of betrayal to most people when they think they either earned or paid for a benefit, in good faith, only to have it quietly yanked away from them. The COS bonus for upgraded pass flights and the J>2 requirement for pass upgrades are just a couple of examples that come to mind.

Exacerbating that feeling of betrayal is the tendency of AC/AP to not announce cutbacks of that nature, apparently in the hope that no one will find out. Then when AC/AP finally formally/officially announce the cutback, weeks or months after the fact, it seems like an additional slap in the face.

My experiences are generally positive on Air Canada. When I check in, when I go to the lounge, when I go to the gate, and when I'm on board, I get service that ranges from good to superb. And contrary to others who claim the service got better after AC came out of CCAA, my experience was the my service was always good, even in the worst days.

But the cutbacks in the AP program, that are sometimes spun as "improvements", the silent cutbacks, the claims of a simplified fares structure that really no one completely understands, the times I've called the SE desk to be insolently told that of course the YVR-SYD flight departs from the international terminal, or that yes the SYD-YVR flight will depart on time, even though the inbound YVR-SYD flight has been in the air hours and departed YVR 8 hours late so it won't even land in SYD until 3 hours after scheduled departure, the on-board food that is occaissionly so bad that even the FAs are embarressed, the battles I sometimes have to fight trying to change an unrestricted ticket... well, you get the picture.

Sometimes the consistent inconsistency just becomes overwhelming, even for a bona fide road warrior. Then you start to hear "just be thankful you're not on xxx carrier." Only I fly on that carrier, and everyone top to bottom seems grateful for my business, and the flight and food and lounge and service are all top notch. Doesn't matter if it's US or QF, or BA or EK. And I often find I'm asking myself "Why can't it be like this on AC?"

I'd like to be super happy being an Air Canada customer again. If you hunt back through the years on FT, you can find some long "trip reports" where by the end you're probably wondering when AC and I am going to announce our engagement. There haven't been any of those for a long time, not surprisingly I suppose given that I'm pretty unhappy with the whole damn deal these days.

But then you have to wonder, what caused the change.