Over the past year I took steps to accumulate Aeroplan points (via premium credit card applications) because these points used to be worth something.

As a resident of a small hick town I am dependent on Air Canada Jazz for my once every month or two trips to civilization, usually a two to three day trip over a weekend.

Starting at the beginning of this year, looking at the Aeroplan awards availability chart for Jazz flights from my hometown to YVR, there is virtually ZERO availabilty to fly out of town for the weekend, all year long. If a Thursday or Friday flight is available, there is no return flight Sunday night or Monday. For weekends with Monday return flight availablle, there is no flight out on the Friday. Very occasionally there is a Friday night flight out with an early Sunday morning return, ie. only one usable day in Vancouver.

It is as if Aeroplan/Jazz said to themselves, "People would like to take a 2 or three day break over the weekend. Let's make it impossible for them to do this, so they will have to buy tickets instead".

I understand limited availability, and I understand you can't always get an award ticket on they days you want. However blocking out every single weekend for an entire year is excessive. Considering I paid good money for premium credit cards to amass these Aeroplan points, I feel ripped off.

Anyway I realize there is nothing I can do about this but as a warning to others, if you live in a small town serviced by Air Canada Jazz, don't bother to get an Aeroplan rewards credit card.

I know this doesn't really address your complaint, but is it worth your while to double up trips -- fly out on points one Friday and pay your way back Sunday, then a month later pay your way out and fly back on points?

That is an excellent suggestion and it would be worth my while in cases where I would have to fly a paid flight anyways, then I could add a free award flight. That is if they do not complain that I am violating a rule about "nested" flights.

1) It's possible that other hick residents have the same idea, and that you've been beaten by them to the few seats offered on what are the times of peak demand.

2) It's also possible that AC doesn't offer reward seats at all on the highest-demand flights out of your hick town.