As I have posted a few times over the past months in reminisence as the clock ticks down on Cdn+, it was a program that certainly benefited myself and my family in the 16-1/2 years I've been enrolled. We've seen the world thanks to Cdn+ [and Aeroplan as well]. And we've seen most of it from the front cabins: First when that was available, Business when First was phased out.

I recall in February 1984, presenting a short paper to a panel of the Canadian Transport Commission when it held public hearings on Airline Deregulation in Edmonton (among other cities). My paper argued for permitting Canada's airlines to introduce frequent flyer programs, as AA and Western Airlines had done in the U.S. [and which I had joined and taken moderate advantage of when flying those carriers]. CPAir had that winter done a promotion which gave out vouchers towards free flights to Hawaii, but the Transport Commission ruled the promotion illegal and disallowed the use of the vouchers. I, and hundreds of other western Canadians who had flown the required number of flights, now held worthless scraps of paper.

Interestingly, in response to myself and four others across Canada who also argued for such programs, both AC and CP said they would not like to see such programs in Canada because they might get "out of control". Well, expecting the worst, it came as a pleasant surprise in mid-June to open the Globe & Mail and find a full page ad from Air Canada introducing Aeroplan. The next day CPAir ran a similar ad launching their program, the CP Air Travel Bonus Program. [Actually, CP was planning all along to launch theirs ahead of AC, but AC got wind of this and raced to launch theirs ahead of CP's, and beat them by a day.)

As an AC enRoute Club member -- offered to their most commercially valuable flyers -- I got my Aeroplan package a week later [free to AC's best customers, $25 for everyone else]. And as a Kanata Club member -- similar recognition program for CP's best customers -- I also received a package from CP containing a card and the information for that new program. AC's brochure was very elaborately printed, but CP's awards were much cheaper. Within weeks, AC had to revise and issue a new awards chart.

I still have my original membership cards, and those introductory brochures. For those who are of a more recent vintage, the top award on CP's program in 1984 was 2 First Class tickets to any destination for 160,000 points. 2 Royal Canadian Class tickets [international business] to any destination was 140,000 points. Not only that, you also go a week's luxury car rental and accommodation in a suite for 7 nights!

By comparison, Aeroplan's first award chart required 250,000 miles for 2 First class tickets to the Carribean or Europe [it didn't operate to South America or over the Pacific and there were no international partner airlines to join for a year or two]. 2 Executive class tickets to those destinations were 200,000 miles. As noted, that chart was quickly replaced by one that reduced the former award to 150,000 and the latter to 120,000. And like the CP ones, AC's awards also included a week's hotel and rental car.

That in the days when domestic discounted fares earned a full point and double points bonuses were as common as snow in a Canadian winter. I was crossing the country between YEG and YOW/YUL/YYZ almost every other week, so my points and miles accumulated very quickly over a period of almost 10-years. Things like elite status, upgrading and the like, didn't come along until the early 90s.

And of course in those early days, CP's program was automated for tracking flights, but hotel and car rental partners issued coupons which had to be turned in with a flight coupon at time of boarding for credit. We had to use peel off stickers containing our membership number on Aeroplan, sticking these on both our flight coupons, and on partner cards [we had to carry a supply of these and stickers with us at all times] which were validated by participating hotels and rental companies and turned in as we boarded with our flight coupons.

Ah, those were the days. Just want to thank BB -- and those others who were with us a the FAQ in Montreal after the fireworks back at the Sheraton -- for sharing that ceremonial glass of single malt in a toast of farewell to Cdn+. I shall down another tonight...