AC & 7F relationship in the Western Arctic evolves
 

The codeshare relationship between Air Canada (AC) and First Air (7F) will soon change. Effective March 18, 2001, the AC code, currently under the NWT Air (NV) partition, will be removed so that 7F can operate its entire northern network under its own carrier code. Air Canada will introduce a manual block codeshare arrangement on the Edmonton-Yellowknife (YEG-YZF) route operated by 7F. All 7F
flights will be entitled to Aeroplan® miles and those passengers
travelling under the YEG-YZF AC codeshare flights will also earn
Qualifying miles.

That's a bit of a bummer--no Q miles on most northern flights anymore http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

How does this change reward tickets? If I am flying to, say, Inuvik from Toronto, will I now need 2 awards (Toronto - Yellowknife, and Yellowknife to Inuvik)? Or will I still be able to use just one award ticket?

Good question but I think we will see the reward chart stay the same, ie First Air in with all the other Star Alliance crew.

I wonder what is happening with Canadian North and Q miles? Right now no Q miles to most of the north.

7F and AC are combineable on 1 reward. The only problem is that it is more restrictive (ie: changes with 14 days notice).

Per the bulletin, Q-miles will be given when you are travelling on a flight operated by 7F, but must be booked as an AC flight number (codeshare).

Slightly off topic here, but ... What other other airlines are combinable with AC on one award ticket? I know, for example, that if I want to fly to South Africa, I would need an award on Air Canada to Frankfurt and another on Lufthansa.

My understanding is that some awards on other partner carriers permit AC travel to their gateway. For example, an Air New Zealand award would include equivilent class AC flights to/from LAX or SFO (if they still fly from there). Similarly, a UA award to Asia (or anywhere) can include AC travel in equivilent class to nearest Canadian city where UA flies, or to its nearest gateway in the U.S. Flying to Europe, I believe you can have connecting service on BD out of LHR and LH out of FRA or MUC within the country of immediate region [i.e. within Europe]. You are correct, however, about needing separate awards if you want to travel outside one of the regions AC flies to, and I believe also for connecting travel within Asia.

One of the things I was hoping we would see in this new membership year was a STAR Alliance award chart, integrating trips on two or more carriers in the same fashion that oneworld offers based on mileage lengths to be travelled. We were told this was in the works back in July at our meeting with Aeroplan folks.

AC is combineable with all Canadian domestic partners (7F, PB, QN, WJ, QC, JV). It is also combineable with UA, LH, NZ, MX & RG. With any partner, restrictions are once the ticket is issued, NO CHANGES. LH, NZ, MX, RG do allow AC to be the international carrier in 1 or both directions if the routing permits. ie: YVR-SYD with CP and back with NZ via AKL and HNL/LAX if needed. Canada/US to/from Germany only. MX is to/from Canada only.

[This message has been edited by CPYVR (edited 02-09-2001).]