Aeroplan when are seats released?
Dec 18, 2011, 11:44 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Programs: AC Elite
Posts: 63
Aeroplan when are seats released?
I tried booking flights from YOW to MCO for Nov 10-18th for next year (2012)since I already know the dates of my cruise. The website is showing no flights available at regular points & when I called the agent had no idea why only a Continental flight was available. We looked back to Sept/Oct & it seemed only US Air & other partners were available. I find it hard to belevie that every flight would be booked 11 months in advance ( I have been checking for the last month)
Any idea when Aeroplan actually released Classic Flight rewards? Right now only Priority flights showing at double the points ( 100K miles vs 50K miles for 2 people to fly from YOW to MCO)
Thanks
Any idea when Aeroplan actually released Classic Flight rewards? Right now only Priority flights showing at double the points ( 100K miles vs 50K miles for 2 people to fly from YOW to MCO)
Thanks
Dec 18, 2011, 1:45 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Erstwhile Accidental AC E35K
Posts: 2,915
Not hard to believe at all. This is normal, especially to popular desitnations like MCO. It is likely that only 1 or 2 seats were ever available, and these were snapped up as soon as they became available, 355 days out.
Dec 18, 2011, 9:43 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: AC E50K (*G), Westjet Gold
Posts: 788
Did you try any "interesting" routings? For this past summer, I had to look high and low for 5 Y seats for LGA-YEG 10 months out. Ended up getting 2 (payed T+ for the rest). They were midday Thursday departures with 6 hours in YUL....Nothing was free via YYZ, nothing out of EWR to YYC, YYZ, YUL, YOW, nothing at all!
Agent said they "may" release more seats later, but I didn't want to risk that....But from what I have heard, they tend to release a few seats every few months....
Agent said they "may" release more seats later, but I didn't want to risk that....But from what I have heard, they tend to release a few seats every few months....
Dec 18, 2011, 11:25 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: YVR
Programs: AE
Posts: 5
My experience over the past few several months has been that air canada, and many other airlines do NOT release many seats at 355 days anymore, but release seats closer to departure based on loads. I've had pretty good luck booking between 1 and 6 weeks in advance, for flights that I had been watching where there were not reward seats available several months ahead of time.
One thing you can try is searching for the same route but closer dates (i.e check for Jan or Feb departures). If availability is better than the dates you want, it would indicate that spots are likely to open up later. Of course you have to take into account seasonal variations when doing that.
One thing you can try is searching for the same route but closer dates (i.e check for Jan or Feb departures). If availability is better than the dates you want, it would indicate that spots are likely to open up later. Of course you have to take into account seasonal variations when doing that.
Dec 19, 2011, 4:57 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Programs: AC Elite
Posts: 63
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I checked dates in April & seats are available for many flights so guessing they have not released any seats yet.
Interesting enough there are flights available from Montreal at 25,000 points however they are all through partners- no AC flights available yet.
I will be patient & keep checking.
Interesting enough there are flights available from Montreal at 25,000 points however they are all through partners- no AC flights available yet.
I will be patient & keep checking.
Dec 19, 2011, 5:12 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: YEG
Posts: 3,925
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I checked dates in April & seats are available for many flights so guessing they have not released any seats yet.
Interesting enough there are flights available from Montreal at 25,000 points however they are all through partners- no AC flights available yet.
I will be patient & keep checking.
Interesting enough there are flights available from Montreal at 25,000 points however they are all through partners- no AC flights available yet.
I will be patient & keep checking.
AFAIK AC is required by their contract with Aeroplan to set aside a certain percentage of seats per route per month for redemption. This does not mean that your flight did, or ever will, have seats released on the dates in question.
But to echo other posters, there is a high chance that the seats you are looking for got snapped up once they were released at the end of November at the 355 day mark. Of course, additional seats could always be released.
If you can book on a partner, you might want to consider that; you'll likely save on "carrier administration" (i.e. fuel) surcharges too.
Dec 19, 2011, 7:15 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
I have found this to be the case as well- I don't believe that all rewards are made available at the 355 day mark.
I find it very hard to believe that flights such as YVR-LAX are soo popular that you can't find a single economy seat there or back for +/- 2 to 3 days at the 300 day mark.
Possible for the higher popularity routes, like YVR-SYD, but not these ones IMO.
Of course since many other programs offer seats at the 300 day mark or what have you, it makes any connecting itin hard to plan for.
I find it very hard to believe that flights such as YVR-LAX are soo popular that you can't find a single economy seat there or back for +/- 2 to 3 days at the 300 day mark.
Possible for the higher popularity routes, like YVR-SYD, but not these ones IMO.
Of course since many other programs offer seats at the 300 day mark or what have you, it makes any connecting itin hard to plan for.
Dec 23, 2016, 7:06 pm
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: YYY
Programs: AE
Posts: 42
Why isn't Air Canada releasing last minute award seats (especially business) for flights that are pretty much empty (9+ availability across the booking classes) ? examples are AC 461, 463, 465 tomorrow December 24th
Don't they wanna get compensated with Aeroplan miles and some scamcharges instead of flying empty ?
Don't they wanna get compensated with Aeroplan miles and some scamcharges instead of flying empty ?
Dec 23, 2016, 9:24 pm
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,313
Why isn't Air Canada releasing last minute award seats (especially business) for flights that are pretty much empty (9+ availability across the booking classes) ? examples are AC 461, 463, 465 tomorrow December 24th
Don't they wanna get compensated with Aeroplan miles and some scamcharges instead of flying empty ?
Don't they wanna get compensated with Aeroplan miles and some scamcharges instead of flying empty ?
More importantly, if they consistently did this, you could just monitor a flight you needed to book, and if it looks pretty empty, just don't pay for it, knowing X/I space will open up. They'd lose big money from business travelers.
Dec 24, 2016, 10:32 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Delta, BC
Posts: 1,646
This assumes that the money they're paid by Aeroplan exceeds the cost of fuel and food.
More importantly, if they consistently did this, you could just monitor a flight you needed to book, and if it looks pretty empty, just don't pay for it, knowing X/I space will open up. They'd lose big money from business travelers.
More importantly, if they consistently did this, you could just monitor a flight you needed to book, and if it looks pretty empty, just don't pay for it, knowing X/I space will open up. They'd lose big money from business travelers.
Dec 24, 2016, 11:46 am
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,313
AC's contract with Aeroplan requires releasing a certain number of fixed mileage seats.
But which flights, and anything in addition to the minimum, is entirely up to AC.
Most of the X/I space is also released to *A partners.
But which flights, and anything in addition to the minimum, is entirely up to AC.
Most of the X/I space is also released to *A partners.
Oct 13, 2022, 9:14 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: UA
Posts: 383
Sorry to bump this old thread, but I couldn't find any recent info, especially after AC re-acquired Aeroplan.
Need 2 seats from New York to Toronto, in business, mid March on Air Canada Jazz. Obviously many flights a day, but not much saver inventory, typically only 1 seat at a time. The flight I want is completely empty -- I booked the only saver seat and set an EF alert for another seat. Based on people's experience, is it likely another seat opens up? If so, any insights on when AC releases more? It's mid morning n the middle of the week, so I can't imagine tons of paid tickets.
(I realize AC biz isn't anything spectacular, but I need the luggage allowance)
Need 2 seats from New York to Toronto, in business, mid March on Air Canada Jazz. Obviously many flights a day, but not much saver inventory, typically only 1 seat at a time. The flight I want is completely empty -- I booked the only saver seat and set an EF alert for another seat. Based on people's experience, is it likely another seat opens up? If so, any insights on when AC releases more? It's mid morning n the middle of the week, so I can't imagine tons of paid tickets.
(I realize AC biz isn't anything spectacular, but I need the luggage allowance)