Airbor

Long time lurker here on Flyertalk.... As someone that flies around 40k yearly on AC on my own dime, I am not a happy customer. I have been an elite with Air Canada for 7 years and every year they keep on cutting, not once they have given "more"!

But at the same time, just saved over 1600$ on booking on other airlines!

7 year of loyalty to Air Canada just went down the drain! Good job guys!!

m.y

People shouldn't feel upset when they will be receiving less benefits for the same flying pattern? Just because it didn't impact you, then others who were impacted can't complain?

gglave

As has been said over and over again on this forum, the other airlines in North America don't have fare classes like "Tango" that earn virtually no miles.

So what you need to do is compare 35K T+ miles on AC against 50K miles on an American carrier...

CloudsBelow

Believe his point is AC is advising PAX well enough in advance for you to decide and book your 2012 accordingly. If you don't like the 2013 packages, find a program that suits your needs better like many of us have.

CloudsBelow

This point mean ZILCH unless you would have paid that additional $1,600 to fly AC had benefits not deteriorated in your view.

mkjr

if anything, they should be thanking AC so they can decide to direct business away from them for the rest of 2012 to the extent they still can.

mkjr

i think what he is getting at is at least AC is telling you what you will get in 2013. i do agree, those who booked for 2012 trips on the assumption levels would stay the way they are can be upset, but no more upset than you would be when you find out your 2013 benefits are devalued.

CdnFlier

Look at they, they had an answer all prepped! Good for them, now I feel silly for not reading it first! Thanks!

yvr76

For those complaining about the split of Elite into 35k and 50k, you still get 3 bags @70 lbs and MLL lounge access at 35k. United does not offer the bag allowance until 50k, and lounge access at all. And with AC at 50k, you get the shot at international upgrades, which United does not give out to its own Premier Gold members.

I think these changes are mostly positive, with the exception of how status miles are accrued. The current structure inherently makes status much harder to achieve than any of the U.S. carriers, especially if you consider that Canadian fares are more expensive to begin with. I would like to see something like this for status miles:

- Tango : 75% (currently only 50% for international)
- Tango+: 100%
- Latitude: 125% (currently no COS bonus)
- Discount J: 150% (international currently only 125%)
- Full-fare J : 175% (currently 150%)

This is much more competitive with United, with the exception of Tango (all their paid fares earn miles).

AC is still able to differentiate Tango as it is a non-upgradable fare class.

yeg2where

I'm still not sure what to think. I usually start out thinking I'll fly 35k, end up flying just over 50k, this year reached 80k. Part of me thinks its nice to get more reward for flying more though the year (I'll never make 100k); but on the other hand, I'm actually getting less if I dont fly 50k. As mentioned elsewhere, with 2k "bonus" miles option, the requirement for flying has gone from 33k up by 17k for the same benefit, a 50% increase.

One think I'll definitely look at is making minimum mileage then flying UA/CO wherever possible, as I'll get miles on their cheapest fares.

Intersting that its almost exclusively SE's (the ones who have been complaing about us bottom feeders clogging their lounges) who think there's nothing to complain about..

CdnFlier

You'd think that at least the 25% of miles they do award could be EQM.. It's just a small number anyway!

Santander

Even compare the cost of 35k on domestic Tango compared to 50k on cheap UA fares. You also get advance seat selection on even the lowest UA fare unlike Tango. If they want to keep the non-AC flyers out they should reduce earning on the cheapest UA fares or increase AC metal minimums.

Airbor

Means ZILCH? Honestly, I Just saved 1600$ by booking elsewhere and yes I would have paid that more for those extra 3 tickets on AC as a value customer..which i feel i no longer am.

arched_bridge

Oh man has it been a bad year for me. First they cut status miles on tango trans-pac flights down to 50%, now they kill off AC*E at 35000. As someone who consistently flies in the 40000 range on their own dime, this is a total bummer.

The worst thing is AC has me by the balls, because there is no other direct flights from YYZ to the asian destinations I travel too.

z2so4

As an international traveler, many times I have paid the extra to fly AC so that I can get Elite status. Being elite for 5+ years and seeing things get taken away again and again has been frustrating, but it has now come to the point where the economics do not make much sense.

Thankfully I had not booked my Jan flight yet, but now I can explore other options as paying extra to go AC is not worth it.

I guess it was inevitable, but it is really not a great way to breed loyalty. I was an AC Evangelist often defending them to critics due to a great rewards system. I just do not feel that way any more, and it seems as though I am not worth it to them as a customer.

I am never going to hear the end of this from my sky team friends. heh.