Hmm... Let's see...
Originally Posted by
alexbc
1. WHY E35 has been SOOOOO DEMOTED! To me, this is the mostly negatively impacted group of them all.
Can't say I don't agree. But if we wanted to be a bit more gentle, let's say that E35K was "enhanced".
Originally Posted by
alexbc
2. E35 has lost the following: Lounge Access, Star Alliance Gold, eUPs, Chance of upgrade, Priority Boarding, Priority luggage handling, etc...
That's correct. However, since priority boarding, priority luggage handling, lounge access, etc. were *G benefits, really E35K lost *G. You still do have NA MLL access and extra baggage, priority boarding, and priority checkin on AC flights. You still do get eUp credits, and you still have a chance at getting upgrades (more on that later).
Originally Posted by
alexbc
3. How can you justify removing ALL of the above? It simply doesn't make sense!
4. I can understand lounge access, and Gold status re-alignment with other airlines, but it is basically IMPOSSIBLE TO USE eUpgrades. It needs "M" class for any outside of NA flight to get upgraded, regardless of how many eUpgrades you got. It's actually almost exactly the same as 25K folks.
Give me a break! 45K is basically 10 return flights from Vancouver to NY... how's that not Frequent flyer?
The biggest omission and biggest downgrade is the fact that no matter how many eUps you got, you simply CANNOT upgrade outside NA flights. This is BS.
I'll tackle the next group all at the same time.
No one said you weren't a frequent flyer. Let's be honest, 25K/35K per year is a frequent flyer. However, aren't 50K/75K/100Kers even more frequent flyers? If you are AC, and have a SE100K who spends 5x as much as an E35K, wouldn't you want to reward the SE100K more than the E35K? It only makes sense.
As per the Pareto principle, 80% of AC's revenue comes from the top 20% of flyers. Do you fall in that group as an E35K? Sure, maybe, maybe not, but let's just say that you do.
Applying that principle again, 64% of AC's revenue comes from the top 4% of flyers. Do you fall in that group now? Probably not. Only makes sense on AC's part to feed the tuna, not the anchovies.
Originally Posted by
alexbc
5. WHAT is the incentive to stay with AC and Aeroplan (WORST redemption, and expiry in the industry) if you're within 35-50K miles?
Unfortunately, I can't answer that for you. Maybe AC/AE isn't right for you. Maybe MP/MM/etc. might be better for you. There are a lot of factors one has to consider when choosing a FFP. AC works for some people; AC doesn't work for others. There is no right or wrong FFP; some FFPs are not better than others. What might work for me might not work for you and vice versa. Join a FFP that suits your needs. You shouldn't stick with AC/AE just because you have lived in Canada for the last X years and it's convenient. There are alternatives. If you don't like AE, it might be time to start looking for these alternatives.
Moral of the story: If you want better benefits with AC/AE, stop being a sardine and become a killer whale!