tdott

What you don't seem to understand is that 2013 requirements, are effective starting January 1, 2012!!!! People have already made travel plans which would have changed if they knew that AC planned to devalue their current reward level and increase the requirements for this so called new levels.

There goes your so far in advance theory.

Basically giving people 2 weeks noticed, for travel where plans are made well in advance.


As a 5+ yr Elite member, I am not happy with the changes. I will be switching programs. Thank you for convincing me it was the right move as I've been considering it for a while now.


If I had known this all my *A flights would be cancelled. Thankfully I only have one, which is a rewarding booking.

YEG USER

For the most part, I agree with what yvr76 has written. I think MLL access for 35k/35 is a good trade-off to losing *G status. I'd like to see a significant discount on a worldwide lounge pass as part of the base benefits so that you can select a tier bonus and eUpgrades too.

What I'm curious to know is how threshold bonuses will work for eUpgrades, etc. Will these still be at 20/40/60, or will these now only be available once you reach the next status tier? If they are only available once you reach the next status tier, this could be OK with me as I'd get awarded for the segments I fly which is not something that happens when thresholds are awarded only on the basis of mileage.

Non issue. AC currently sells a worldwide lounge pass to people without satus. I assume they'd likely give you something similar.

gglave

Agreed.

It's unlikely I'll earn 50K status miles which means -

- No upgrades on int'l (my company will never pay for Latitude)
- No early boarding on AC (hit and miss on US carriers - Some board *S early)

bingocallerb22

So another devaluation for loyal Elite members, right? (or is that called Elite minus now )

corlanb

I'm disappointed too. Fliers 35000-49999 miles per year lose the most here. Taking away *G, priority baggage, int'l upgrades AND having 3 tiers above you for domestic upgrades is pretty shocking. As was said above, it looks like the old 35k tier is on its way to being phased out.

Hope AC remembers that 50k BIS miles are typically much cheaper to fly on US Airlines and COS and DEQM promos are commonplace. If you want to prevent the old E's from jumping ship, recommend you announce some EQM earning opportunities, before the end of the year!

g46r

Deputy Elite

Shareholder

This further confirms what I have been saying all along...that the Elite tier was designed for those who primarily travel within NAmerica (ergo at the 35K T+ upgrades only on NAmerican flights, Latitude on international) while the SE tier is for those traveling primarily internationally (and new higher tiers open up for T+ upgrades on international flights). The two intermediate tiers are hybrids of the two types of fliers. (Yes, there will be some exceptions to this broad profile but look at the nature of the benefits of each new tier.) As for an additional tier at 125K, it's not really practical or will be needed. A lot of those who might now have earned SE at 100K are not going to do it next year if they are limited to the lowest international fares, and thus start earning 50% SMs and will end up at either the 50K or 75K tier.

Loss of STARGold and international T+ upgrades are major negatives for the 35K tier elites, but they can opt for the lounge package and since they travel primarily within NAmerica (and Tango fares are replacing low T+ fares internationally) most were not going to use international upgrades. A likely blow for MRs, and definite move towards revenue-based tiers given widespread introduction of Tango fares internationally earning just 50% SMs.

Changes also go after those non-resident/primarily non-AC fliers who earned Elite for STARGold status and US lounge access. They may have been shooed away with the 10K AC metal requirement, though many could still meet that one. So Aegean will certainly now become the new STARGold default program for Americans wanting lounge access when flying their domestic UA/CO/US flights without buying a club membership each year!

Too early to say much more. Further reflection will be required.

BTW, email just arrived from AC with these details.

WildcatYXU

Hmmm, I almost never go above 50k miles a year (as a matter of fact, this year it was for the first time), but I'm absolutely sure I can qualify to the new Elite level on segments. And since I was few times at 60 segments per year, I'm already thinking about some segment runs to achieve the new Elite+ level. So I'm afraid in my case AC achieved the desired effect - more flying.

corlanb

Agreed. Confirmed above that those already enjoying MMstatus will get the 50k tier benefits. But what about lowly me who hasn't hit that mark yet? If existing members are grandfathered and new MM'ers only get a 35k tier, that would really reduce my desire to hit this mark. The Lifetime *G is what is attracting me.

HerpaYvr

Well they say change is good, and I like change and with this announcement I have to do what my old Saskatchewan farmer CEO use to say, “you have to think this through”!

I have to book a YOW to YVR trip for early January and instead of using AC, UA for the same money gives me 7 segments and an extra 2,645 miles so I think I will book through UA out of YOW. I get two AC flights out of that code share trip.

As I do not fly for work right now, its my own dime so I guess its US airlines for the most of 2012 flights, and of course I will do AC for the minimum. Still have to think this through to see if switching programs is worth it or get a position that pays for a lot of travel. Good job interview question, “why do you want to work with us?” PAID FLIGHTS FOR TOP TIER BENEFITS

dawk

That's really weak. Just further cuts. Nothing in return. If you need to cut on expenses, start from the biggest money wasting parts, not minor expenses, that provide huge marketing leverage. Air Canada makes a lot of incompetent moves, typical to government controlled company.

jambone

Once again, another brutal 'enhancement' that takes stuff away for loyal Elite members (increase of business class reward ticket from 40K to 50K was the previous one).

The only way I can see this is that I travel between 35K and 40K each year and the benefits I will get for doing so just went way down. To maintain them, I will have to increase my travel by more than 25% - the same as the increase from 40K to 50K for reward tickets.

An honest slogan for these changes (for Elites)?: "25% worse than last year"

BRAISKI

So the 35k will be called Super Prestige lol. This sucks for current Elites, oh well...

YEG USER

If you are talking about doing a MR in 2011, then the answer is YES do it. These changes are for 2013. Your 2012 eUpgrades will work the same as those for 2011.

I think having a 35k tier was very tactical move by AC. Could you imagine the backlash by current E's who don't hit 50k/50 for taking away *G benefits? This way they can at least continue to use MLL's, keep the AC baggage allowance etc. They just lose the benefits they had when flying other *A carriers.

As I said in another thread, good job AC by anouncing this in 2011. tdott, if past trends were followed you would not have found out about these changes until December 2012. At least now if you had a revenue booking you have the opportunity to credit your miles to another *A carrier. You can still use your *G status that you earned last year to enjoy benefits on the flights you already booked too...

I'm really curious to see how things get tweeked over the next year. The more I think about it I'm not sure how to feel about all of this. I certainly do see some "improvements" (i.e. AC has now confirmed that the higher status will have higher priority in terms of upgrading) but there are also some definite devaluations. The devil will be in the details as to what is in the select benefits for each tier and how many selections can be made.

Also, now that *G is at 50k, AC PLEASE ALLOW FOR THE EARNING OF STATUS MILES ON ALL AC FARES (please make NA travel 50% status miles for Tango fares to bring them in line with the international earning structure).

Mauricio23

I am a 40,000 miler, and most of those miles are earned flying internationally. People like me are those who lose the most. No more *G priority boarding, no more *G priority baggage, no more *G lounge access (unless you give up your firstborn, probably -that's what Air Canada typically means by a "select privilege"), no more upgrades. This, combined with the recent devaluations in redemption levels and scamcharges on redemptions most likely spells the end of my relationship with Air Canada/Aeroplan. A combination of crediting to Aegean and switching rewards credit cards looks increasingly like the way forward.

At least I appreciate the honesty - Air Canada is not even pretending it wants my business any more.