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Old Nov 5, 2002 | 3:32 pm
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Andrew Yiu
Company Representative - Air Canada
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Join Date: May 1999
Location: Canada
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Detailed information on fare classes

Lots of people asking me about this. So here're some updated information on Air Canada's fare classes. Please correct me if you see any wrong information or anything that you wanted to be added on.

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Order from highest to lowest:
J, C, D, Y, S, M, B, T, H, V, W, Q, L, N, Z, ZED

J - Full Fare Business Class, no advance purchase required.

C - Upgraded Business Class or Discount Business Class on selected routes (YYZ-HNL...). This is also used as upgrade inventory and booking class for Round The World Business Class.

D - Award Business Class

Y - Full Fare Economy Class, upgradeable for all tiers with the appropiate certificates at the appropiate time before departure.

S - Super Comfort Class. It's available on routes which they do not distinguish between J & Y. (YYZ-MAN/GLA...) You can pay more to buy S class so you get a J seat but Y service.

M - Close to full fare Economy Class. Elite can upgrade M fares on all AC flights except to Europe; SE can upgrade M fares on all AC flights at 7 days prior to departure; E at 72 hours; P can upgrade M fares on domestic flights at 24 hours.

B, H - Discounted Economy Class. Elite can upgrade on these fares for domestic and transborder flights (exclude HNL); SE can upgrade on these fares for all AC flights at 7 days prior to departure; E at 72 hours; P cannot upgrade on these fares at 24 hours. H has advance purchase of 7 days on domestic flights, 7-14 days or more on transborder flights and 0-14 days on international flights. B has advance purchase of 3 days on domestic flights, 7 days on transborder & international flights. H is the booking class for Round The World Economy Class tickets.

V - Discounted Economy Class. Not upgradeable but same day standby allowed. Usually has advance purchase of 7 days for domestic destinations, 14-21 days for transborder and 7 days or more for international destinations.

[Some international V & H requires no advance purchase such as JFK-HKG...]

T - no longer available (except on YYZ-YHZ & eastern triangle routes); introduced earlier in the year to compete with RootsAir; was basically tickets with 3 or 10 days advance purchase which allowed changes to it and no Sat night stay required. Non upgradeable. Goes after B in the order of the fares.

W - Award Economy Class.

(Most of the discounted fare on the western and eastern triangle routes have different advance purchase requirements ranging from 10 days to 0 days.)

==Standby allowed on the above fares==

Q, L, N - Discounted Economy Class. Not eligible for upgrades by any tiers; No standby allowed. Usually 14 days advance purchase on domestic flights & 7 days or more on transborder and international flights. There are some L fares (FLEX fares) which have no change fee and allow you to standby for an earlier flight. (They're bookable here - http://www.aircanada.ca/specials/jazz_e/ )

Z - for tour wholesalers (such as cruise lines or AC Vacations) where the airfare is sold as part of a tour package. Not eligible for upgrades by any tiers; No standby allowed. No Aeroplan points.

ZED - Airline employee travels.
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[This message has been edited by Empress (edited 11-06-2002).]
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