THE DETAILS OF THIS POST ARE OUT OF DATE
NOTE: Award booking for Super Elites will be changing substantially on March 1 (for the better). See the top tier section of aeroplan.com for details.
It isn't the shortest way to answer the question "What is Instant KK", but it is comprehensive and also contains the history of the term.
Q: I've seen the following terms. What do they mean?
Instant KK
IKK
KK
A: The various computer reservation systems use many codes to descibe the status of bookings, called "segment status codes". Each system (Amadeus, Sabre, Worldspan, Galileo, Apollo, etc.) has its own set of codes, but there is considerable overlap. One code that is the same for all of them is
KK, which means "confirming". In other words, the act of finally getting that seat once and for all. So "Instant KK" means that the seat can be confirmed immediately. No holds, no waitlists, etc.
Q. That sounds great! Who can get tickets in the Instant KK manner like that?
A. Anyone with a credit card, really. Go to a travel or airline website, ask for the flights you want, enter in your payment details, and you have your ticket.
Q. So what's the big deal if everyone can do it?
A. Because here in the AC forum when people refer to Instant KK they are referring to a special type of ticket purchase. They are talking about an Aeroplan (AP) award booking.
Q. So who can get an immediately confirmed award booking?
A. Anyone with an AP account.
Q. So what's the big deal if everyone can do it?
A. Because different people can redeem vastly different numbers of AP points to take advantage of this kind of Instant KK. In fact usually when people say "Instant KK" they are referring specifically to the number of points that Super Elites need to redeem, because in some circumstances they can redeem at a 30% premium over the lowest number of points required as long as seats are available for sale.˛
Q. Is there any way to find out the gory details?
A. Why, yes there is. Thank you for asking! In the details
Best Value refers to the capacity controlled award bookings requiring the lowest number of points.
Extra Access refers to the award bookings that are not capacity controlled, but require more than the minimum number or points (and sometimes a fantastically large number of points.)
- Super Elites
- Can make IKK award bookings for themselves, or for themselves and anyone else on the same itinerary on any AC flightsą in any class of service for round trips at the Best Value+30% point level, as long as there are seats available for sale˛.
- Can make IKK award bookings for a companion at the Best Value+30% point level for anyone else on any AC flightsą in Executive First, as long as:
- the SE member is on an international itinerary on a paid J/C/Z ticket.
- the companion is on the same flight for at least one of the international segments
- there are seats available for sale˛
- Can make IKK award bookings for anyone on any AC flightsą in Canada and the United States in any class of service for round trips at the Best Value+30% point level, as long as there are seats available for sale˛.
- Can make IKK award bookings for anyone on any AC flightsą in economy class for round trips at the Best Value+30% point level, as long as there are seats available for sale˛.
- Elites
- Can make IKK award bookings for anyone on any AC flightsą in economy class for round trips for double the number of Best Value points, but capped at 100,000 for flightsą to Europe and 130000 miles for flightsą to Asia and Australia, as long as there are seats available for sale.˛
Awards redeemed by Super Elites at the 30% premium level and Elites at the 100% premium level are called Priority Rewards
- Everyone (including Super Elites and Elites)
- Can make IKK award bookings for anyone on any AC flight in any class of service for round trips or one way trips at the Extra Access point level, as long as there are seats available for sale˛.
Q. That sounds great! Why is there sometimes some negativity concerning these kinds of award bookings?
A. Super Elites were able to, up to 2006, make
Best Value bookings for anyone on AC in any class of service, not just companions on the same award itinerary, and with no 30% premium. Many people were angered by this benefit cut. Also,
Extra Access point levels can be very, very high, so the ability to book these awards, while technically a nice benefit, are normally seen as a waste of points.
ą All scheduled flights operated by: Air Canada; Air Canada Jazz; and Air Canada flights operated by: Air Georgian Limited (doing business as Air Alliance), Exploits Valley Air Services Ltd., and Central Mountain Air.
˛ There are some technical details. There can be J seats showing for sale, but the flight might be oversold in Y by such an amount that exceeds the total number of seats for sale on the plane. In that case IKK is not available.