Originally Posted by
YOWgary
It's not that they'll protect you ONLY on AC metal for TPAC/TATL, but if AC metal is available, it's supposed to take priority.
That is to say, if your Aeroplan award were booked SFO-TPE on UA metal, and that UA flight got cancelled, an AC agent *should* prioritize SFO-YVR-TPE instead of putting you on the SFO-TPE direct with BR.
Why would that be the case or even desired?
In the case of a reward booked for SFO-TPE on UA metal, it's a partner only reward that is not dynamically priced. Space is available with X/I only. If UA were to be cancelled, Aeroplan should rebook to BR metal as it did before if there is still X/I space as applicable.
My point is if the reward booking is MSC on AC (which it would be as the transoceanic operator), the amount of points required for the booking may be lower than a partner MSC reward, and AC will not protect you on another carrier to cross the ocean.
On a random date:
SFO-(BR)-TPE = 50k in Y - BR is MSC
SFO-(AC)-YVR-(BR)-TPE = 50k as well in Y - BR is MSC
but...
SFO-(AC)-YVR-(AC)-TPE = 43k - AC is MSC
or
SFO-(AC)-YVR-(AC)-ICN-(TG)-TPE = 43k - AC is MSC