Question: What is your Aeroplan Fuel Surcharge "pain" point
Sep 15, 2011, 5:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,409
What is your Aeroplan Fuel Surcharge "pain" point
So you've decided to redeem a J award ticket across an ocean. Your choice is either to
1) Fly direct on AC and get hit with hundreds of dollars of fuel surcharge
2) Fly direct on LH and get the worst J seat in the industry, on an overnight flight
3) Double connect through Canada and fly LX.
At what point is the fuel surcharge too much? My pain point is $200 per direction...after that, I'll settle for the LH seat instead of the pod.
1) Fly direct on AC and get hit with hundreds of dollars of fuel surcharge
2) Fly direct on LH and get the worst J seat in the industry, on an overnight flight
3) Double connect through Canada and fly LX.
At what point is the fuel surcharge too much? My pain point is $200 per direction...after that, I'll settle for the LH seat instead of the pod.
Sep 15, 2011, 5:44 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YOW
Programs: AC*SE MM, Accor Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 384
While it's undoubtedly a huge, vexing irritant, the fuel surcharge wouldn't prohibit me from redeeming a reward ticket, I don't think; at least it hasn't yet. I've still been able to derive tremendous value from the very long haul AP reward tickets in J, and my experience has been that starting a trip in comfort for a tatl in an AC pod gets things off on the right foot, so by and large I've swallowed the surcharge. I believe it got as high as $250 for one upcoming trip. I recognize, however, that others have much stronger views on this and will lable me crazy 
Sep 15, 2011, 5:46 am
#3
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
My answer would be 1)
Don't know about the pain point. Maybe $1000 per ticket. Time is money too. So if the flight takes 1-2 hours more, paying $300-400 per hour extra is IMO worth it.
LH seats are terrible in J, even in their 388. I would try to avoid. LX J seats are not much better. I would avoid as well.
Don't know about the pain point. Maybe $1000 per ticket. Time is money too. So if the flight takes 1-2 hours more, paying $300-400 per hour extra is IMO worth it.
LH seats are terrible in J, even in their 388. I would try to avoid. LX J seats are not much better. I would avoid as well.
Sep 15, 2011, 6:13 am
#4
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YOW
Posts: 2,351
Sep 15, 2011, 6:28 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: YXU
Programs: AC SE100K, National E/E, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond, MB, Avis PC
Posts: 967
I have. Nothing to write home about. The seat is quite narrow and compared to AC, the adjustment possibilities are limited. Moreover, the seat seems to be parallel with the floor in sleep mode, so my feet were higher than my head. I hate to sleep like this. Honestly, I would choose LH's J seat over it anytime.
Sep 15, 2011, 6:51 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,132
LX's seats in J are perfect, nothing wrong with these seats on their new planes.
Sep 15, 2011, 7:02 am
#8
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
The service is awesome but the seats have nothing to write home about. The seats are really not horizontally flat and are uncomfortable. Better than LH but not as good as AC.
Food is way better than AC though.
Sep 15, 2011, 8:08 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: YXU
Programs: AC SE100K, National E/E, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond, MB, Avis PC
Posts: 967
Hmm, I don't know...are you sure you were in J, not in F? Somehow I found the service good, but nothing to write home about. Heck, LO's service on the way back was better. Now, the seat, that's a different story.
Sep 15, 2011, 8:22 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC QR WS*P
Posts: 372
I just checked YHZ-PER, wound up with taxes and fees of about $750. Then I checked an AC flight to ORD, and AE rewards from ORD to PER, total was $350 for the YYZ-ORD flight and $200 taxes and fees for ORD-PER (flying ANA and SQ). While not great connections (SIN-NRT-ORD), and only really saving $200, it really shows the difference in fees that come with AC.
Sep 15, 2011, 8:28 am
#12
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
Definitely, LX F have great seats, but LX J is bad, not terrible.
Sep 15, 2011, 8:29 am
#13
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
The food and service are great. They even have a cook onboard.
Sep 15, 2011, 8:56 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2009
Location: FRA / YEG
Programs: AC Super Elite, Radisson Platinum, Accor Platinum
Posts: 11,874
However, I´d definitely agree with you about the service and particularly the food.