2011 Air Canada Top Tier Program Changes - General Discussion
Dec 9, 2010, 4:12 am
#76
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: YEG
Programs: AC
Posts: 815
Not impressed.
Wow, a whole 25 eupgrade credits for making E.
I live in Belgium, so this is almost enough for two of us to fly back home, not impressed at all with this. I went from 4 Blues and 2 Reds last year, to not even having enough for 2 reds this year.
The 2011 Select Privileges you chose are now confirmed*. In addition to the core Privileges associated with the 2011 Air Canada Elite® status, you can now look forward to:
50% Top Tier Bonus with Air Canada and select airline partners
15 eUpgrade Credits
10 eUpgrade Credits
4 Maple Leaf Lounge Guest Passes
8 eUpgrade Credits for Flight Pass Activities
You can expect to receive your Elite welcome package within six to eight weeks. To learn more about all your 2011 Privileges, click here.
Hopefully someone at Air Canada realizes that this is right out to lunch.
I live in Belgium, so this is almost enough for two of us to fly back home, not impressed at all with this. I went from 4 Blues and 2 Reds last year, to not even having enough for 2 reds this year.
The 2011 Select Privileges you chose are now confirmed*. In addition to the core Privileges associated with the 2011 Air Canada Elite® status, you can now look forward to:
50% Top Tier Bonus with Air Canada and select airline partners
15 eUpgrade Credits
10 eUpgrade Credits
4 Maple Leaf Lounge Guest Passes
8 eUpgrade Credits for Flight Pass Activities
You can expect to receive your Elite welcome package within six to eight weeks. To learn more about all your 2011 Privileges, click here.
Hopefully someone at Air Canada realizes that this is right out to lunch.
Last edited by canforce; Dec 9, 2010 at 4:35 am
Dec 9, 2010, 4:22 am
#77
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Across the pond
Programs: Aeroplan SE, Goldpassport Platinum, Avis Something, Hertz Gold
Posts: 750
so 60 eupgrade credits to start for SEs. This doesnt look that bad. But the threshold levels and the credits are certainly something that leaves a lot to be desired.
i am guessing someone at AC does not have a grasp on either simple algebra or the concept of value but if this is a decision they have made then so be it. At least be honest and dont call this an enhancement. It reminds me of the recent 'benefit' for FFs where they are exempt from the extra fees that is now being introduced for baggage for flights within NA. It appears that more recently AC has been focused on how to spin 'devaluations to customer experience' (ff or otherwise) as 'enhancements'. However we are all adults here and would rather discuss this for what it is as opposed to spinning it as an enhancement.
AC might be better off getting rid of their PR firm/department and focusing on how to provide a better customer experience. These changes will certainly alienate some of their frequent fliers that have been loyal to AC over the years..
/End Rant
i am guessing someone at AC does not have a grasp on either simple algebra or the concept of value but if this is a decision they have made then so be it. At least be honest and dont call this an enhancement. It reminds me of the recent 'benefit' for FFs where they are exempt from the extra fees that is now being introduced for baggage for flights within NA. It appears that more recently AC has been focused on how to spin 'devaluations to customer experience' (ff or otherwise) as 'enhancements'. However we are all adults here and would rather discuss this for what it is as opposed to spinning it as an enhancement.
AC might be better off getting rid of their PR firm/department and focusing on how to provide a better customer experience. These changes will certainly alienate some of their frequent fliers that have been loyal to AC over the years..
/End Rant
Dec 9, 2010, 4:42 am
#78
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Across the pond
Programs: Aeroplan SE, Goldpassport Platinum, Avis Something, Hertz Gold
Posts: 750
Wow, a whole 25 eupgrade credits for making E.
I live in Belgium, so this is almost enough for two of us to fly back home, not impressed at all with this. I went from 4 Blues and 2 Reds last year, to not even having enough for 2 reds this year.
Hopefully someone at Air Canada realizes that this is right out to lunch.
I live in Belgium, so this is almost enough for two of us to fly back home, not impressed at all with this. I went from 4 Blues and 2 Reds last year, to not even having enough for 2 reds this year.
Hopefully someone at Air Canada realizes that this is right out to lunch.
Come to think of it as an SE you now get the equivalent of 2 SSWU and 2 SWU to start and can only hope for another 2 SSWU and 2 SWU when you cross all thresholds (before getting to 100k). A significant devaluation from before the 'enhancements'
Dec 9, 2010, 4:46 am
#79
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Toronto, ON, CANADA
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Bonvoy LTE
Posts: 1,881
I gotta say... I prefer the old upgrade certificates... As an E/SE member this year, I will have used up every single certificate I've received... I may have used SWUs on short hops (like YYZ - EWR), but I was still able to use up all my certs.
60 eUpgrade credits seem like a big devaluation in benefits to me.
60 eUpgrade credits seem like a big devaluation in benefits to me.
Dec 9, 2010, 4:51 am
#80
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Across the pond
Programs: Aeroplan SE, Goldpassport Platinum, Avis Something, Hertz Gold
Posts: 750
I gotta say... I prefer the old upgrade certificates... As an E/SE member this year, I will have used up every single certificate I've received... I may have used SWUs on short hops (like YYZ - EWR), but I was still able to use up all my certs.
60 eUpgrade credits seem like a big devaluation in benefits to me.
60 eUpgrade credits seem like a big devaluation in benefits to me.
They have also gone from two tiers to three tiers for certs. you were able to use SWU for M class fares but now they seem to be in a class of their own so somewhere between a sswu and swu there is a new type of cert if that makes sense. they have also introduced varying credit requirements which again break down the types of certs you would have had..
Dec 9, 2010, 4:51 am
#81
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: YEG
Programs: AC
Posts: 815
With Air Canadas thanks for only flying 81000 status miles in 2010. Guess I should have tried a bit harder. Anyone else get the feeling "E's that is" that we are getting fleeced on this one?
Dec 9, 2010, 4:56 am
#83
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
eUpgrade Credits for Flight Pass Activities
Dec 9, 2010, 4:59 am
#84
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Platinum, hhonors Gold
Posts: 3,430
How many strangers do you have on the same reservation as you? I would read that as the same PNR, not the same flight. So I think strangers or business colleagues on the same flight are now out, unless you add them to your list.
Dec 9, 2010, 5:01 am
#85
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Platinum, hhonors Gold
Posts: 3,430
I think the only bad thing will be that you can't change the nominee, you can only deactivated them. So we need to pick the nominee(s) carefully at the begining of the year. Or leave them open when you really really need to use them to upgrade someone not travelling with you.
Dec 9, 2010, 5:02 am
#86
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Platinum, hhonors Gold
Posts: 3,430
From: http://www.aircanada.com/en/aeroplan...grades/tc.html
Not a surprising side effect given how it will work, but this definitely a downgrade.
You will not be able to request an upgrade if you are travelling on a codeshare flight operated by Air Canada (e.g., a United-marketed, Air Canada-operated flight).
Dec 9, 2010, 5:04 am
#87
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Across the pond
Programs: Aeroplan SE, Goldpassport Platinum, Avis Something, Hertz Gold
Posts: 750
josh.. actually all ffs are getting fleeced on this and to a certain extent AC will get fleeced too. i am not sure if they have realized that most of us that would buy M class fares due to the abundance of SWUs will now either buy the cheapest fares (not many credits) or fly with other * partners... so in essence this might have an impact on their revenues and down the road maybe their load factors and pricing power as well
Dec 9, 2010, 5:06 am
#88
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
...OR by one travelling companion who must travel on the same flight as the member ....... only one companion is permitted per member per flight...
Dec 9, 2010, 5:33 am
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2009
Location: FRA / YEG
Programs: AC Super Elite, Radisson Platinum, Accor Platinum
Posts: 11,874
WOW, this is much worse than I expected! 
I´m certainly not amused and I´m of those guys generally supportive of AC and understanding when it comes to changes, but this is a bad devaluation!
So let´s compare this with the current system:
The most popular package was tier bonus + 2 SSWUs + 2 SWUs + 4MLL passes (flight passes only being bought by a small percentage of flyers and therefore not being taken into consideration, though it doesn´t change the picture)
If one wanted to keep the tier bonus, E/SEs now get 25/60 upgrade credits.
SEs get about the same value while Es have really been burnt, the 25 credits give you the equivilant of 1.25 TPAC SSWUS or 1.5 TATL SSWUs, so this new system even puts those at a disadvantage who never used their SWUs, not even talking about those who actually used both the 2SSWUs and 2 SWUs.
The devaluation of threshold bonuses could possibly be justified by saying "But you now have more flexibility ...etc.", but drastically cutting the benefits one gets at the beginning of the year is by no means an enhancement for anyone.
I was seriously considering doing 80k-100k miles on AC metal next year and going for SE status, but with these changes it seems I´ll be pretty much done with flying by April when I hit 35k miles.
Sorry, not very impressed this time!
I´m certainly not amused and I´m of those guys generally supportive of AC and understanding when it comes to changes, but this is a bad devaluation!
So let´s compare this with the current system:
The most popular package was tier bonus + 2 SSWUs + 2 SWUs + 4MLL passes (flight passes only being bought by a small percentage of flyers and therefore not being taken into consideration, though it doesn´t change the picture)
If one wanted to keep the tier bonus, E/SEs now get 25/60 upgrade credits.
SEs get about the same value while Es have really been burnt, the 25 credits give you the equivilant of 1.25 TPAC SSWUS or 1.5 TATL SSWUs, so this new system even puts those at a disadvantage who never used their SWUs, not even talking about those who actually used both the 2SSWUs and 2 SWUs.
The devaluation of threshold bonuses could possibly be justified by saying "But you now have more flexibility ...etc.", but drastically cutting the benefits one gets at the beginning of the year is by no means an enhancement for anyone.
I was seriously considering doing 80k-100k miles on AC metal next year and going for SE status, but with these changes it seems I´ll be pretty much done with flying by April when I hit 35k miles.
Sorry, not very impressed this time!
Last edited by Jasper2009; Dec 9, 2010 at 5:51 am
Dec 9, 2010, 5:53 am
#90
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: YVR
Programs: TK*G
Posts: 312
Pissed off
This is awful. Last year as an E I received 2 SSWUs and 4 SWUs, as well as a few more at the thresholds. I managed to use all of them but two by paying for the odd M or L fare.
This year I won't even start with the equivalent of the 2 SSWUs since I'm based in Japan and travel back to Toronto.
This is complete and total crap.
I'll continue to enjoy my *A benefits, but my mileage with AC next year will be 10,000 miles and not one more if I can help it since I now have no hope in upgrading.
This year I won't even start with the equivalent of the 2 SSWUs since I'm based in Japan and travel back to Toronto.
This is complete and total crap.
I'll continue to enjoy my *A benefits, but my mileage with AC next year will be 10,000 miles and not one more if I can help it since I now have no hope in upgrading.