Will they show mercy?
Nov 17, 2011, 4:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: YUL
Programs: AE, HHG
Posts: 194
Will they show mercy?
My sister is 7 months pregnant and will be returning from SYD back to YUL via YVR next week, on an aeroplan reward ticket with a toddler in tow and her very helpful husband. Once in YVR however, her husband's itinerary splits with theirs (one of the drawbacks of reward bookings!!) They have tried to get this changed multiple times with no luck. Any ideas on improving the slim chance of having hubby's ticket changed so they can all fly back for the final leg to YUL as one exhausted cranky family??
To note:
1. Toddler is on a purchased ticket
2.None of them has any status
3. I know, I know, some of you think the husband should pray that it CAN'T be done!!
To note:
1. Toddler is on a purchased ticket
2.None of them has any status
3. I know, I know, some of you think the husband should pray that it CAN'T be done!!
Nov 17, 2011, 5:17 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,409
I'm assuming that these are economy tickets - if they are business tickets you are entitled to free same-day change at the airport.
If they are economy tickets, you can pay $75 to change tickets if there is space available in economy on the desired flight.
If they are economy tickets, you can pay $75 to change tickets if there is space available in economy on the desired flight.
Nov 17, 2011, 5:23 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: YUL
Programs: AE, HHG
Posts: 194
I assume that's REWARD seat availability.. I'm pretty sure they tried that..
Nov 17, 2011, 6:05 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,877
Mercy is an outdated concept. 
Specially if in the same sentence as Aeroplan. They even get pleasure for giving no mercy.
Seriously though, this might well be the situation where a gate agent might show I would say some compassion, not sure if mercy is the appropriate word.
You never know. I would give it a try. But really, I would not count on anything.
Specially if in the same sentence as Aeroplan. They even get pleasure for giving no mercy.
Seriously though, this might well be the situation where a gate agent might show I would say some compassion, not sure if mercy is the appropriate word.
You never know. I would give it a try. But really, I would not count on anything.
Nov 17, 2011, 6:31 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,409
Nov 17, 2011, 7:00 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: YUL
Programs: AE, HHG
Posts: 194
Nov 17, 2011, 10:15 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: Super Elite 100K, Mariott Ambassador Elite,
Posts: 231
So in theory you could book a night time flight in J if that's all they had in rewards availability, and show up at the airport to try and get an earlier flight and have access to the full J availability? How would that work, would you have to wait till the flight closed? or can you snag a J seat say 5 hours before the flight?
Nov 17, 2011, 10:21 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: YEG
Posts: 3,925
Nov 17, 2011, 11:59 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Vancouver/Toronto
Programs: Aeroplan, Finnair Plus, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Posts: 112
Trying to get a change at the airport seems like the best plan to me for this situation.
What time is the YVR-YUL flight? Depending of the time of day, there will be a much better chance of an extra seat being open. As mentioned before, you can make a same-day change at the airport.
I had the pleasant surprise once of showing up at the gate for an AE reward YYZ-YVR via YEG (Y) where the first leg had just been delayed for at least an hour. I turned my head, and one gate over was the final boarding call for a direct flight to YVR. There was one seat left on the plane. No problem switching at all.
What time is the YVR-YUL flight? Depending of the time of day, there will be a much better chance of an extra seat being open. As mentioned before, you can make a same-day change at the airport.
I had the pleasant surprise once of showing up at the gate for an AE reward YYZ-YVR via YEG (Y) where the first leg had just been delayed for at least an hour. I turned my head, and one gate over was the final boarding call for a direct flight to YVR. There was one seat left on the plane. No problem switching at all.
Nov 18, 2011, 12:28 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan 75K, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,378
Really? I didn't now that.
So in theory you could book a night time flight in J if that's all they had in rewards availability, and show up at the airport to try and get an earlier flight and have access to the full J availability? How would that work, would you have to wait till the flight closed? or can you snag a J seat say 5 hours before the flight?
So in theory you could book a night time flight in J if that's all they had in rewards availability, and show up at the airport to try and get an earlier flight and have access to the full J availability? How would that work, would you have to wait till the flight closed? or can you snag a J seat say 5 hours before the flight?
Nov 18, 2011, 5:20 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,409
Really? I didn't now that.
So in theory you could book a night time flight in J if that's all they had in rewards availability, and show up at the airport to try and get an earlier flight and have access to the full J availability? How would that work, would you have to wait till the flight closed? or can you snag a J seat say 5 hours before the flight?
So in theory you could book a night time flight in J if that's all they had in rewards availability, and show up at the airport to try and get an earlier flight and have access to the full J availability? How would that work, would you have to wait till the flight closed? or can you snag a J seat say 5 hours before the flight?
Nov 18, 2011, 7:43 am
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Aeroplan *E, Marriott Elite Silver
Posts: 146
Same day changes are the BEST kept secret at AC (dont know why more people dont know about it).
I've actually purchased crappy, crappy (but really cheap) tickets, only to get my desired flights for only $75 on the day of. Of course there's a risk that you wont get a seat at all, but sometimes AC asks for an arm and a leg for ideal flights, paying what you can and then adding $75 to get what you want is a good option. Heck I even changed airports once, but I had to convince the agent that I was going to rent a car and end up at my initial destination. She bought it
.
AC actually is getting really good at ripping customers off, this is one of the few good things they've still kept around.
I've actually purchased crappy, crappy (but really cheap) tickets, only to get my desired flights for only $75 on the day of. Of course there's a risk that you wont get a seat at all, but sometimes AC asks for an arm and a leg for ideal flights, paying what you can and then adding $75 to get what you want is a good option. Heck I even changed airports once, but I had to convince the agent that I was going to rent a car and end up at my initial destination. She bought it
. AC actually is getting really good at ripping customers off, this is one of the few good things they've still kept around.
Nov 18, 2011, 8:04 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: YWG
Programs: AC Altitude E35K, *Silve, UA Premier Silver, Marriott Platinum, SPG Preferred Plus, a bunch of other
Posts: 410
Really? I didn't now that.
So in theory you could book a night time flight in J if that's all they had in rewards availability, and show up at the airport to try and get an earlier flight and have access to the full J availability? How would that work, would you have to wait till the flight closed? or can you snag a J seat say 5 hours before the flight?
So in theory you could book a night time flight in J if that's all they had in rewards availability, and show up at the airport to try and get an earlier flight and have access to the full J availability? How would that work, would you have to wait till the flight closed? or can you snag a J seat say 5 hours before the flight?
Nov 18, 2011, 8:34 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYC / random hotel in YYZ
Programs: Back of the bus
Posts: 923
I had an agent in YWG ask me (not me asking) if I wanted to change from my YWG-YOW-YYZ flight straight to YWG-YYZ, no fee, nothing.
"why send you the long way, the planes are empty"
had booked the flight on rewards.
it does happen, just gotta be nice and friendly to the agent and they often make the changes!
"why send you the long way, the planes are empty"
had booked the flight on rewards.
it does happen, just gotta be nice and friendly to the agent and they often make the changes!