Originally Posted by FlyerGoldII

My comments do not preclude AC's goal of being closer to EK, SQ, CX quality, and my comments do not preclude that AC hopes to be considered a competitor to one of these 3 airlines more than a competitor to UA.

Let me explain. Do SQ upper tier members get benefits (eg not charged fuel surcharges, or not charged change/cancellation fees for award tickets) when flying AC that AC upper tier members do not get, when on the same AC flight. If the answer is no, then why does AC allow UA to get the benefit, but not SQ?

So if AC considers SQ to be the type of airline it wants to emulate, good and fine by me - very commendable. But that does mean that it should not give any Star Alliance global partner (eg UA) benefits when flying AC, if SQ customers or even AC customers do not get the same benefit; or if they do get the benefits, then AC should extend them to its own customers.

To put it another way; SQ will never allow an upper tier member of another Star Alliance partner airline to get more benefits when flying SQ then its own upper tier members; so if AC wants to emulate SQ, it should start by leveling the playing field by extending the benefits to AC upper tier members that other global alliance partners frequent flyer programs currently get when flying AC.

So, my suggestions, if implemented, would directly support AC goals, of becoming one the world's upper tier airlines, rather than comparing itself or competing with its US counterparts.