As a frequent flyer (not as frequent as many of you guys!) my personal perception of AC is that the consistency is degradation of FF benefits and a general disregard for FF as customers that one might assume are somewhat important to the company.

It's also hard to separate the perception of AC and the perception of AE. Though I intellectually understand they are legally separate entities, the reality is that much of my brand perception of one is greatly influenced by the other. It's really hard I think, to have a strong airline without also having a strong FF program.

As an actual airline though. objectively I'll have to say that AC is adequate. It gets me from A to B, mostly on time, mostly in airplanes that have a pleasing interior with decent creature comforts such as individual IFE and food that tastes OK. Compared to other airlines in North America and perhaps even some in Europe, AC can hold its own. Compared to Middle Eastern airlines auch as Qatar, Etihad etc and Asian airlines it's a different story. But it's also a different game in those geographies so I can overlook certain AC deficiencies.

For my brand perception of AC to increase, I would want to see a better, more caring attitude towards FF. Part of this is enabling front-line staff to use their own discretion in dealing with the one-off issues that come with frequent flying. I would also want to see a stabilization of benefits and get a sense that they won't be further enhanced. Thirdly I would like to see many Aeroplan issues fixed. For example, the $30 booking fee should go away particularly since so many routes can't be booked online. I would also like to see a stop to the scam charges, or at least an acknowledgement of what they truly are instead of the subterfuge that AC / AE actively engage in. This gets back to a more caring attitude towards FF and pax in general - not all of us are stupid.