Filmusic

laughing really - changed my credit card from cibc aerogold to american express aeroplan gold, flew united for the first time last month, just booked a united rtn flight a week ago hfx to shanghai,

(yup, I appear to be buyng into american in the air...although, I'm a passport carrying Canadian on ground)

i will hit 50k ac status this year, but all my flying in 2013 will be united milage program - i'm switching...why, cause i want to get upset at a different airline for a change...being constantly angry at ac is disturbing my karma, at least with united i have 'L' class...a cheaper 100% STATUS alternative to tango...what can i say - i want a bargin - anyone do the math...am i better off with united...flew ac for bout 8 years now at bout 40 to 50k status per year...expect the same miles forever...want to ensure i understand my options, so i'm switching this year, i'll report in 12mnths, please shoot me a heads up if there is anything i should know - just want to win...that's all

Transpacificflyer

Unfortunately, more often than not, with the delays and need for quick turnarounds, many flights are a general boarding free for all. On my last 4 Rapidair corridor flights that were after 9pm, the gate agent made a preboarding call for those requiring boarding assistance and elite/*A gold/business class, followed 2 minutes later by a general boarding call. This of course did not stop the butinskis from rushing the gate. I'm sure at the start of the day and for the late afternoon flights, and for the Atlantic and Prairie provinces the priority boarding works. However, my flights at other times, and especially in the YYZ-YUL corridor are almost always wild scrums. I don't blame AC, but the PAX can be awfully obnoxious. (And no I'm not from the polite regions of the west or Atlantic Canada.)

Guy Betsy

I'm having second thoughts...

I just realised that I can get SE quite easily .. but wonder if I want to with AC or with UA now...

Given of course that I don't ever fly UA domestically, and having upgrades on them will be useless for me. But their award scheme is good since they don't have YQ.

eUpgrades on AC is nice.. even with the reduced number...

zkzkz

IIRC both security entrances actually enter into the domestic wing and security will allow you to use either one regardless of what your boarding pass says.

The one you're instructed to use for international flights enters just next to the checkpoint leading to the international gates. Once you go through that checkpoint you can't go back to the domestic gates. But when you first enter from security you can still turn right towards the domestic gates and not go through the checkpoint until later.

yvr76

I posted on twitter and they responded that it will work the same way as in the past, along with threshold e-credits. I did the math and a new flyer going to SE for the first time will get 195 credits going to 35k, 50k, 75k and 100k along the way (not including the 73 threshold credits).

As nice as this is for first time elites, it puts ACs regular flyers at a disadvantage and I think needs to be thought through a bit more carefully.

trolly2012

Problem with eupgrades is that a lot of pricing for flights long haul seem to be double the price for tango+ than what they were 2 years ago and the fare code lower (less chance of ug)

kelapstick

I would think that as you advance up the ranks with early recognition you would just get the difference between the achieved status level and the previous, not just have them pile up.

YZF_Elite

Thanks...guess I need to read more carefully! I'm assuming this comes into effect March 1st and not now right?

avmca2050

Not to memtion that LMU will trump status. I've been at the receiving end too many times.

Filmusic

yup, a long haul at twice the cost or half the status....what were they thinking..., now 50 is the old 35...hum, i quit

Max Power

More pragmatically, how about the following:

25K - One free snack
35K - One free snack, and you get to choose what it will be
50K - One free sandwich
75K - One free fresh sandwich
100K - One free fresh sandwich with a non-imported beer...

bluegrinch

Like the new tiers. Reached my goal for the year on another *A carrier and was wondering where to park my miles for the rest of the year. Little enthusiasm for AC as I wasn't sure to reach 100,000 miles, but this changes everything.

Go ask the UA forum what they think. They'll shoot you! Lots of haters over there, convinced the new UA (COdbaUA they say) is out to screw ff's counting on free upgrades because they fly often.

Used domestic checkpoint once by mistake for international flight. No one said a thing. Perhaps because separation between domestic/international is a moving target and they don't keep up with where the line stands at any moment. Try, worst outcome they send you to the other checkpoint.

More or less in the same situation. Only thing to add is less people in the lounge perhaps?

Doesn't Air Canada sell miles to other carriers? Why choke a source of revenue?

Nope. $50 off membership (yes $, not %).

rankourabu

ok, inaccurate. You dont get lounges on purely domestic itineraries within the USA. Anything involving Canada, you get lounges throughout your journey, either coming or going. if you flew LAS-SFO-YVR, you'd get lounges in LAS and SFO... something like YYZ-IAD-ORD-XXX, also you get lounges throughout.

Most people here are based in Canada - as a 50k - they'd never have lounge issues - unless flying purely domestic USA.

Yes, there is a lot of whining on the UA forum from disgruntled domestic flyers (who wouldnt be disgruntled if they ALWAYS had to fly any American airlines domestically). But the fact remains, for a 50k flyer, the benefits to AE are comparable, and where UA wins hands down is the ease and cost of redeeming your hard earned points.
.

Shareholder

Quote:
Originally Posted by Max Power
I would have thought that it would be in Air Canada's best interest to make it more attractive for people to fly specifically on Air Canada, rather than on any Star Alliance carrier.

AC doesn't sell miles, AE sells miles to other carriers when their members fly and credit miles to AE. AC buys miles from AE when we credit our AC flights to our AE account. When we credit AC flights to another program, AC buys those miles from that program. So AC pays someone for miles we earn when flying AC flights, AE or another program. (Not sure how SMs/EQMs are valued, nor how the tier bonus miles work in this respect.)

Of course, AC and AE will do a paper balancing act based on the number of miles AC buys from AE, and the value of AC flight redemptions members make. I suspect there is a quarterly cash "payment" by one or the other party if there is a net balance/deficit.

bluegrinch

Two comments:
a) Must have misunderstood the question. Thought author was comparing 50k on AC vs 50k on UA/US, not perks of AC 50k while flying UA...
b) Star Gold on any carrier except UA/US gets lounge access on domestic itineraries. Some lounge dragons (claim to) ignore it, but it's alliance policy.