I used to be a AC prestige member and currently have 140,000 miles with them. Last week I made a reservation online for my grandmother to fly from YYZ to LGA for the day for her grandsons graduation from medical school. I couldn't get through to confirm the flight and now the reservation has cancelled out and there are no more award seats left for the flights I need. The only thing available is a departure from YYZ at 9am and a return at 2pm same day. But, the graduation begins at 3pm.

I was told a couple of weeks ago by an AC rep that standby would be an option or that I could call AC the day before the flight and ask them to release a seat. However, today I was accidentally transferred to the Super Elite desk and the rep I spoke with stated that they won't release a seat or allow my grandmother to go standby. Purchasing a ticket is about $890.00 USD and flying Jetblue out of Buffalo isn't an option as my grandmother is in her seventies. AC is so difficult to get through to that I have decided to give my business to American. What options do I have to get my grandmother to NY for the graduation. Both LGA and EWR have no aeroplan seats.

I don't know how easily your grandmother travels, but what I would suggest is standby travel. . . . .

Ask the AC Agent how full the later flights are and if they look "open", book the ticket on the flights with Aeroplan seats - with the return on a later day. I believe you can then standby for an earlier flight on an earlier day with your aeroplan ticket. . . I have done it in the past.

Before your grandmother heads back to the airport check the loads for your flight again (call AC and ask - they should tell you).

Worse case scenario is a hotel night in NY, but that should be cheaper than a full fare ticket.

Just curious, What day is she flying and to what NY airport ?

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(I made about 10 suggestions, original poster doesn't care, neither do I now. So I will stop posting on this thread.)


[This message has been edited by MoreMiles (edited 05-19-2001).]

Back Seat-
My grandmother was schedualed to fly on May 24 and return on May 25. The problem is that there are now no Aeroplan seats for the 25th. While the 24th has a good departure time for her (9am)she would have to return on the 2pm flight on the 24th. I can't undersatnd why they won't allow her to try going standby on the 24th of May on their 710pm flight. If there is an empty seat why can't she go? Why must there be an empty Aeroplan seat. This policy stinks.

Book the seat on the 24th and a return for the first open Aeroplan seat on the 25th or 26th. Have her go out to the airport after grad to standby for whatever opens up on the later flights. On an Aeroplan ticket, one can stand by for any flight on any day. If there are no regular open seats, she won't be boarded, but when the flight closes, if there are any open seats, she'll get one, even on an Aeroplan ticket. I have stood by twice in the past few months using an Aeroplan ticket and got on the earlier flights. Granted I am Elite, but once the flight is turned over to the gate, there is no difference between a paid seat and an Aeroplan seat. There will be a priority to getting any open seats based on status and fare paid, but she should get on unless all flights are 100% sold out. By the way, have you been trying J and Y class?

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[This message has been edited by MoreMiles (edited 05-19-2001).]

Hi Moeman,
Just some more questions . Is the reward booked in econ or biz? If booked in econ, would they allow you to change the reward ticket to biz - or have you already tried that? Can you change at this late date to another partner, or is United not flying between the two locations?

I'm not sure, but if all else fails, what about a letter from your gran's GP or something stating that she needs every assistance to get home on the 25th? If she shows up at the airport with this, I really think a 70 year old lady on standby might arouse a bit of human compassion at Air Canada!

Good Luck!

Thank you to everyone that reponded with questions and advice. As many of you suggested, my grandmother did go standby today on her return flight from LGA to YYZ. (She left YYZ this morning and returned tonight) The big problem was that everytime I called AC, I got a different response. Some reps said she could go stanby (she was on a coach ticket) while others stated that only if there was an empty aeroplan seat would my grandmother be allowed to travel, an empty seat wasn't good enough. As is turns out she went to the airport and made it on the last flight from LGA to YYZ and was my mom and grandmother were both UPGRADED to Bussiness. I am still waiting to hear why and how. However, thank you everyone for your input.
Moe

Very nice to hear that moeman!!

Is this part of a trend that AC is being more considerate with respect to u/gs, or is it a statistical blip? Fisch got two comps last weekend, my daughter got one when I was travelling in paid J, and now here's another. Has anyone else noticed any change in approach?

I just travelled YWG-YOW-YWG in economy and was not given any comp upgrades. There was space available in J. I think these upgrades mentioned are statistical blips. AC has not changed its policy. In fact, I was travelling with an SE and he was not upgraded like me.

Six AC flights for me last weekend, four were packed in the back and empty in the front, and no upgrades. I don't think the policy has changed.

I arrived in YYZ this morning and my mom explained to me what happened. My grandma and mom where standingby for the second last flight out from LGA to YYZ. However, there was only one seat left by the time they called my mothers name. She explained that she couldn't leave her elderly mother alone in LGA and that the seat should be given to someone else and that they would try to go standby for the last flight out that night. When my mothers name was called the gate agent said to my mother "you take really good care of your mom, I have upgraded both of you. Tell your mom to put her feet up and have a cocktail."

I had been kind of upset after AC bought Canadain as I lost my lounge passes and upgrades, however, I am very immpressed. The PR Air Canada is getting is priceless as my mom can't stop telling the story to her friends. Thanks again to everyone that responded to my plea for help. Everyone enjoyed the graduation yesterday.

Hehe, maybe I should bring my mom and my grandma next time when I travel.

Anyhow, it's nice to hear that AC did a good job on this.

Glad to see the standby method worked for grandma. As I noted, Aeroplan tickets have the same status on standby as full-fare purchased tickets, so being accommodated on this basis depends on the number of open seats on the aircraft and your Aeroplan elite level status. Once the flight is under control of the gate agents, there are no distinctions. It is amazing what too many AC staff don't know. But one can only learn from firsthand experiences... Congratulations on graduating too.