Harsh perhaps, but true at least for some of us.

I was shopping for flights to Europe this fall for 4 of my family members. The AC all in price was appr. $1020 CDN ( YQR - CDG ) and the NW all in price was $960 US. Almost exactly the same.

But the NW flight came with full flight miles ( plus some of the usual NW bonuses). And I didn't need the Air Canada Masters degree to decipher which fare class on flights to what country earn miles.

I am sure that Air Canada has much smarter people than me crunching the numbers about fare classes and mileage accumulation. But I am sure that its not just me and wannagoexplore that are considering other airline options because of the confusing AC / AP rules for collecting miles.

We don't fly much, Europe once a year or twice if we are lucky, and the occasional trip to Mexico, Asia, or South America. But earning miles is still a significant part of the decision making process for myself and my family when purchasing airline tickets.