kai.lileboo

I wonder why AC is still in the Star Alliance, as they not provide the same tratment to all *G passengers?
No Priority access to Security at YYZ, it is only for AC Gold!!!!
No advances seating..it is only for AC Super elite!
It is the second time that we are treated differently in Canada.

When AC passengers arrive or depart from Germany or other EU airport they sure have the same privileges and tratments as all other.
I wonder how would they feel if at Senator Lounge at Frankfurt were diverted to a Priority pass lounge as they were not LUFTHANSA GOLD!!!
What a shame

mendy7511

What do you mean by no advances seating? AFAIK anyone can choose a seat in advance.
AS well, *G get into all MLL in Canada and abroad.

No Priority security is strange, although quite a few airports around the world only offer this to F and not G members.

Santander

Were you turned away from the MLL? No... so you can't really make the comparison with AC*G's using the SEN lounge. Priority security and preferred seat selection are not published *G benefits and no airline is obligated to give them to you for being *G. As long as you got your priority check-in, baggage allowance, lounge access and priority boarding, I don't see how you have too much to complain about. I agree that *G should get priority security access if AC*E/SE get it but it's just not a published benefit. (imo no elite status or class of service should get priority security)

There's no advance seat selection on domestic Tango fares, even for SE. I think OP meant the rows in the front of the plane reserved for E/SE or the exit rows for SE.

rankourabu

Its not Canada - but AC, they do have a "superior" feeling, and frown upon 'foreign' elites as not "good enough". That is a vibe very often with AC employees.


However,
seats can be assigned by anyone at anytime - its the website that doesnt allow it - if you call in, you can get a seat.

You do have access (+1) to any Air Canada lounge.

Priority Security is not a published Star Gold benefit. Period.

Stranger

The web site does let you pick a seat. You yers, AC lets you choose a seat in Y in advance. Which LH does not.

(Could be that the OP bought an LH codeshare. In which case he would need to get AC to assign him a seat. He might need LH to tell him the AC reference.)

rankourabu

LH website does let you select a longhaul seat in advance for LH metal (and others, including AC!)
AC website does NOT let you select a seat in advance unless you booked on ac.com

angelo

Why not? having separate security lines for frequent flyers, or even just for people who just pay for access to the fast lane does not compromise security (as long as the screening is the same). This is not very different from letting anyone in a pilot's uniform cut to the head of the line.

Stranger

1. I was referring to short haul.

2. Correct. But that's a web site issue, not a policy issue. AC does let you select a seat if you call.

unvlad

Sorry, but your anger is not justified: None of the things you complain about are *G benefits, and as AC*G I haven't been treated reciprocally by other *A carriers, notably LH: AC has to pay extra fees to grant its elites the right to use priority security at YYZ, for instance. LH has decided not to pay this fee, so AC is not the right carrier to complain about.
I am not sure what you mean by "advances seating"; either it is the option to select any seat in advance, which does not work for anybody on a Tango fare, as was pointed out, and which might not work directly for other fares if on a codeshare; but you can surely select a seat if calling AC reservations with your booking reference (you might first need to ask LH to give you the AC booking reference which is different from the LH one). Again, no difference to LH or other *A.
If you have in mind priority seats, in my experience all *A reserve them for their own elites and only give them away to other *G at time of boarding (e.g. UA E+) if available.

I don't understand your last comment about lounges: Were you, as *G, turned away from a MLL with a valid same-day departing boarding pass on a *A carrier? Note, however, that you are not entitled to use the AC arrivals lounges. Again, same for other *A: AC elites are not allowed to use the LH arrivals lounge in FRA.

See above.

Stranger

When still Elite, quite a few years ago, I was once turned away from an SK lounge (in BRU) on the basis thsat only SEs were Star gold, not Es.

Showing the card which explicitly said "gold" did not help.

Santander

Of course it doesn't compromise security to let elite/C/F passengers have a priority line at security. However, most security checkpoints are not run by or owned by an airline or alliance. They are mainly run by a governmental or airport organisation and are funded through taxes or security fees. Obviously airport operators will generally comply with these sorts of requests by the airline if they pay for them but it does not make sense to me for someone to be entitled to faster screening just because they fly more or paid for a higher class of service. In the airline's own area, priority lanes are a part of doing business. I just don't think they belong in the airport's "neutral" areas.

Crew are different. Everyone knows that they have to get to work to serve the passengers waiting in the terminal.

BlondeBomber

the original poster has never read the rules of the Star Alliance Gold program obviously (or forgot them).

He has also never flown as a non LH Star Gold member and tried to access some of the unique benefits of being an upper echelon LH Gold . . .

Hey I am sympathetic. I made the same type of mistake when I thought Starwood should give me free breakfast (before it was a benefit). I went on a rant but did a mea culpa after!

FlyerTalker683455

They must have had visions of 2013's Status program!

FlyerTalker683455

The main airlines contribute heavily toward funding airport operations and should have some say in how the airports operate. As well, for instance in LHR, premium pax pay additional airport fees, and some Asian airports have paid up fast track systems. Frequent travelers should have priority security lanes because a) they contribute a large amount of fees to airports they fly through, b) they are more efficient to clear, c) premium pax are premium customers to airports and airlines like and there is nothing wrong with treating premium customers with some level of priority, and d) I am pretty certain Amex and AC are paying a fee for the priority lane arrangements in YYZ. Finally, infrequently travelling kettles tend to have time and take time to arrive way early. Imagine a road warrior having to spend two hours for every checkin experience?

GLAinYYZ

Exact same thing happened to me years ago in BUD (contract lounge) prior to LX flight. The lounge agent even showed me her binder to prove that only SE's were admitted. Was very surprised, and just left it at that!