Announcing Air Canada Altitude
Sep 21, 2012, 3:11 pm
#226
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YOW
Posts: 2,351
Pretty much all legacy airlines are using extremely arcane systems that have been patched together over the last few decades. AC IT is renowned for their incompetency when a change is relatively simple, adding in boarding groups would not fall into the simple category.
Sep 21, 2012, 3:20 pm
#227
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC*SE100K 1MM, Little Lebowski Urban Achiever
Posts: 735
None of these changes will impact me one way or another. I have had SE for about 4 or 5 years, and expect to continue for the foreseeable future, as we just made an acquisition in Australia. The decrease in threshold miles is annoying, but then I always end up with unused credits at the end of the year, as I don't use them on domestic short haul. I also have DL G, and have been flying them on anything not direct as I get UDU on most flights out of YYZ. Biggest perk for me is YYZ MLL, *A lounges and international UG's. Mind you, I'm in the United Lounge at ORD right now and it is crap....
Sep 21, 2012, 3:21 pm
#228
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,798
Sep 21, 2012, 3:29 pm
#229
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YOW
Posts: 2,351
Has there been any mention of how (or if) early recognition will work with the new program? They certainly can't give it to you for each tier, with select privileges every time along the way. You'd wind up with ~200 e-credits!
One way is to recognize you with each step, starting from 35k or 50k, but only the status itself and the threshold benefits and no select privileges.
One way is to recognize you with each step, starting from 35k or 50k, but only the status itself and the threshold benefits and no select privileges.
That would be very interesting to find out though soon because this might actually be motivation to stay as Elite 35K and then ride the wave next year up higher... I might have to have my FF number removed on a bunch of upcoming flights until we find out the answer.
On another note, I also want to find out more details on the aircanada.com travel options. While it says there will be a range of options I am guessing it will be restricted to the Onboard Cafe stuff.
Something like the following:
25K - $1 off onboard Cafe purchase
35K - $2 off onboard Cafe purchase
50K - One free snack
75K - One free sandwich
100K - Sandwich and non-imported Beer ($5 to upgrade to Heineken)
Regardless of what it is, I will probably take that over the lounge certs since I always seem to have trouble finding people who will use them.
Sep 21, 2012, 3:45 pm
#230
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC*SE100K 1MM, Little Lebowski Urban Achiever
Posts: 735
'100K - Sandwich and non-imported Beer ($5 to upgrade to Heineken)'
Sensfan, despite the fact that you support the wrong hockey team, I like the cut of your jib...
Sensfan, despite the fact that you support the wrong hockey team, I like the cut of your jib...
Sep 21, 2012, 4:30 pm
#231
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Australia and Canada
Programs: Qantas FF Plat; Virgin Aust Plat;
Posts: 799
Incomprehensible program
I only joined the AC program in 2011 and managed Elite level for 2012. I found it a complex program, but happy to see the miles accumulate with the air or redeeming on SQ at some stage..
Now its simply incomprehensible to this non Canadian. Aeroplan AND Altitude? 5 tiers?!!
Like some-one else said, surely a transition phose with the objective of eliminating non 'productive' flyers via a downwards merging of 25K with 35K and 75K with 50K in 2014.
Now its simply incomprehensible to this non Canadian. Aeroplan AND Altitude? 5 tiers?!!
Like some-one else said, surely a transition phose with the objective of eliminating non 'productive' flyers via a downwards merging of 25K with 35K and 75K with 50K in 2014.
Sep 21, 2012, 5:09 pm
#232
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Platinum, hhonors Gold
Posts: 3,424
I tried asking the information booth guy that once so that I could take a shower in domestic, and he strongly discouraged me from doing so - can't remember exactly why but from what I recall it was a different security zone.
If not connecting, not sure if CATSA will let you into domestic area with an international boarding pass. In the US the TSA allows any boarding pass to be used to get to any area of the airport for lounge access.
.
Sep 21, 2012, 5:31 pm
#233
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: FRA
Programs: AC SE 1MM, UA 1K, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Gold Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,943
Unless they changed it recently, this does not apply to LAX. TSA will not let you in unless you hold a boarding pass for a flight departing from that terminal.
Last edited by ACflyerDE; Sep 21, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Sep 21, 2012, 5:37 pm
#234
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: FRA
Programs: AC SE 1MM, UA 1K, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Gold Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,943
I only joined the AC program in 2011 and managed Elite level for 2012. I found it a complex program, but happy to see the miles accumulate with the air or redeeming on SQ at some stage..
Now its simply incomprehensible to this non Canadian. Aeroplan AND Altitude? 5 tiers?!!
Like some-one else said, surely a transition phose with the objective of eliminating non 'productive' flyers via a downwards merging of 25K with 35K and 75K with 50K in 2014.
Now its simply incomprehensible to this non Canadian. Aeroplan AND Altitude? 5 tiers?!!
Like some-one else said, surely a transition phose with the objective of eliminating non 'productive' flyers via a downwards merging of 25K with 35K and 75K with 50K in 2014.
You collect your miles in Aeroplan, and Aeroplan administers the program as such. The Top Tier program with the now five status levels however, recognizes the number of status miles you collect in Aeroplan. This program is now called Altitude and is managed directly by Air Canada, not Aeroplan.
That's why you are an Air Canada Elite member, not Aeroplan Elite member.
Last edited by ACflyerDE; Sep 21, 2012 at 5:49 pm
Sep 21, 2012, 5:38 pm
#235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE 2MM
Posts: 16,655
I think most of us who believe this system is a temporary one believe the system will still end up with four levels - 25, 50, 75 and 100.
Sep 21, 2012, 5:42 pm
#236
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC*SE100K 1MM, Little Lebowski Urban Achiever
Posts: 735
+1, it's an FF program, not brain surgery. Maybe Canadian's are just really smart, and the only ones that can figure out these super complex programs...lol
Sep 21, 2012, 6:01 pm
#238
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
It's meant to be complex so that for the majority of flyers the airline can win.
Sep 21, 2012, 6:19 pm
#239
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,798
"United doesn't fly from this terminal."
Ugh.
Sep 21, 2012, 7:33 pm
#240
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Someone mentioned:
Originally Posted by AC888
"As someone else mentioned, I'm curious how boarding announcements will work now. How will they distinguish between the various Elites without spewing a mouthful of numbers?"
I think thats actually why they kept all the higher levels "Elite"-- When they call priority boarding or have signs for security lines, they just have to say "Air Canada Elite", as it includes the 35K, 50K, 75K elite, as well as super elite.....Prestige doesn't get these perks, and are not labeled "elite".
Imagine if they had to call "Air Canada platinum (making up a random new name for top level), Air Canada Super Elite, Air Canada Elite, and Air Canada Prestige Plus" pax for boarding....Just simpler to align the perks with the name.
Originally Posted by AC888
"As someone else mentioned, I'm curious how boarding announcements will work now. How will they distinguish between the various Elites without spewing a mouthful of numbers?"
I think thats actually why they kept all the higher levels "Elite"-- When they call priority boarding or have signs for security lines, they just have to say "Air Canada Elite", as it includes the 35K, 50K, 75K elite, as well as super elite.....Prestige doesn't get these perks, and are not labeled "elite".
Imagine if they had to call "Air Canada platinum (making up a random new name for top level), Air Canada Super Elite, Air Canada Elite, and Air Canada Prestige Plus" pax for boarding....Just simpler to align the perks with the name.