"Free" J class YYZ-LHR tickets cost $1136
May 1, 2013, 7:28 am
#46
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NYC, YYZ
Programs: AC SE100K, SPG Gold, UA MP
Posts: 1,002
Yes, AC and LH get charged lots of scamcharges on AE reward. Unfortunately for those who want to be SE or E75K you will still clock >100K on AE points so you'll have to burn them somehow every year anyway.
May 1, 2013, 7:29 am
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
May 1, 2013, 7:54 am
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Toronto
Programs: Aeroplan E50k, MM
Posts: 224
So is the best thing then to join UA MP and then use that FF number for accumulating points when flying AC? I will still be flying AC as I go to London at least once a quarter and the only other option is BA which doesn't seem any better when it comes to Scamcharges.
Is there any downside to accumulating my points on UA MP rather than Aeroplan?
Is there any downside to accumulating my points on UA MP rather than Aeroplan?
May 1, 2013, 7:57 am
#49
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Canada
Programs: Virtuoso TA, Four Seasons Pref Partner, Rosewood Elite TA, Ritz Carlton STARS TA
Posts: 4,737
May 1, 2013, 8:16 am
#50
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NYC, YYZ
Programs: AC SE100K, SPG Gold, UA MP
Posts: 1,002
Agreed. UA status is not worth it in my opinion unless you're 1K member since there're so many US travellers with UA status that your status is really diluted both in terms of domestic and international upgrades on UA metal flights, which are in my opinion not worth pursuing. However, if you want to minimize tax surcharges on reward travel and have access to a US-based credit card, go for the Chase Sapphire Preferred VISA which gets you 1:1 transfer to your UA MP account and can be used to redeem upgrades and flight rewards. I would say keep your SE status and the concierge service access, and spill any extra miles after 100K to UA MP for reward redemption and UA upgrade purposes.
May 1, 2013, 8:38 am
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
There are a lot of other Chase cards for accumulating UA miles without having to fly UA, plus 30K to 75K mile sign up/first or minimal spend bonuses and bonus miles for category spending (5x office supplies and telco/cell/cable). I have 5 Chase cards (Mrs. SFO has 3) and in the past 12 months, we've added over 700K to our UA accounts with only 10K from actual UA flights.
May 1, 2013, 9:00 am
#52
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NYC, YYZ
Programs: AC SE100K, SPG Gold, UA MP
Posts: 1,002
If you have access to US-based credit cards, that opens up a whole new world.
There are a lot of other Chase cards for accumulating UA miles without having to fly UA, plus 30K to 75K mile sign up/first or minimal spend bonuses and bonus miles for category spending (5x office supplies and telco/cell/cable). I have 5 Chase cards (Mrs. SFO has 3) and in the past 12 months, we've added over 700K to our UA accounts with only 10K from actual UA flights.
There are a lot of other Chase cards for accumulating UA miles without having to fly UA, plus 30K to 75K mile sign up/first or minimal spend bonuses and bonus miles for category spending (5x office supplies and telco/cell/cable). I have 5 Chase cards (Mrs. SFO has 3) and in the past 12 months, we've added over 700K to our UA accounts with only 10K from actual UA flights.
My wallet is also not that big to fit 5 Chase cards.
May 1, 2013, 9:18 am
#53
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YYZ
Posts: 622
I have SE status, and accidentally got UA 1K status as well last year. (I flew close to 300K revenue miles last year and decided to not put all my eggs in one basket.) Lucky me after the latest round of enhancements announced in Oct 2012!
OP, just so you fully grasp how much AC is ripping you off (sorry but there is no other way to say it), I did a quick search on UA. I have no idea what your travel dates are so I just picked 2 days where there was availability on AC in J class.
Oct 15 AC856 YYZ-LHR
Oct 19 AC869 LHR-YYZ
To book this ticket would cost you 100K Mileage Plus miles + $318.60. And as you've noted earlier, most of this amount is because of LHR's exorbitant fees. So do you think UA is absorbing the extra $800 that AE wants to charge you or do you think those fuel surcharges are something AC dreamed up to pad the bottom line?
I will really miss AC but I've had enough of them sticking their hand in my wallet. I am neither wealthy nor on an expense account, which is why this will be my last year as SE. Sniff.
OP, just so you fully grasp how much AC is ripping you off (sorry but there is no other way to say it), I did a quick search on UA. I have no idea what your travel dates are so I just picked 2 days where there was availability on AC in J class.
Oct 15 AC856 YYZ-LHR
Oct 19 AC869 LHR-YYZ
To book this ticket would cost you 100K Mileage Plus miles + $318.60. And as you've noted earlier, most of this amount is because of LHR's exorbitant fees. So do you think UA is absorbing the extra $800 that AE wants to charge you or do you think those fuel surcharges are something AC dreamed up to pad the bottom line?
I will really miss AC but I've had enough of them sticking their hand in my wallet. I am neither wealthy nor on an expense account, which is why this will be my last year as SE. Sniff.
May 1, 2013, 9:27 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,297
It makes ZERO sense for those of us who pay for their own flights and/or fly 100k+ for vacations in a year, to stay with AC... Absolutely ZERO. Paying double for flex just to earn miles and have a chance of an upgrade, only for it not to clear later - makes zero sense.
May 1, 2013, 9:32 am
#55
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: YWG
Programs: Aeroplan, MileagePlus, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 2,159
If I could get a UA-affiliated credit card here in Canada, I'd leave AE in a heartbeat.
But I guess there is a reason you can get umpteen different airline affiliated credit cards in Canada except UA.
But I guess there is a reason you can get umpteen different airline affiliated credit cards in Canada except UA.
May 1, 2013, 9:36 am
#56
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YYZ
Posts: 622
It makes ZERO sense for those of us who pay for their own flights and/or fly 100k+ for vacations in a year, to stay with AC... Absolutely ZERO. Paying double for flex just to earn miles and have a chance of an upgrade, only for it not to clear later - makes zero sense.
I travel in F once a year on a reward ticket with my wife - so I guess status doesn't matter for those flights since I get all the benefits anyways.
However, my situation has changed - I won't be travelling for work as much, and will need to rely on CC churning to accumulate miles. I should start accumulating in a different program now I guess...
I just hate flying through the States for international travel, so I would only use UA for award redemptions... and the selling factor for me with AC is the flexibility of the stop-overs and the routing... I'm flying YYZ-WAW-FRA (stop) - VIE (dest) - WAW (stop) - YYZ on my next ticket. Not sure you can do that with UA?
My parents (with my booking help of course), are flying YEG-YYZ-FRA (stop) - IST (dest) - FRA - YYZ (stop) - YEG all on one ticket as well.
May 1, 2013, 9:40 am
#57
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 67
I hear the US Airways programme is good and Starwood does a 1:1 transfer to that programme.
May 1, 2013, 9:43 am
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
As long as you are using *A airlines, UA can do it.
May 1, 2013, 9:51 am
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,297
I just hate flying through the States for international travel, so I would only use UA for award redemptions... and the selling factor for me with AC is the flexibility of the stop-overs and the routing... I'm flying YYZ-WAW-FRA (stop) - VIE (dest) - WAW (stop) - YYZ on my next ticket. Not sure you can do that with UA?
My parents (with my booking help of course), are flying YEG-YYZ-FRA (stop) - IST (dest) - FRA - YYZ (stop) - YEG all on one ticket as well.
My parents (with my booking help of course), are flying YEG-YYZ-FRA (stop) - IST (dest) - FRA - YYZ (stop) - YEG all on one ticket as well.
Flying thru the States is no big deal with GE.
You can do 1 stopover + 2 open jaws with UA
You can do one ways for half mileage - and if you know how - add stopovers to one way awards
Your ticket probabl cost upwards of $900 in J in scamcharges - and would have cost about $200 with UA. That is a HUGE differencfe. One that cannot be justified.
May 1, 2013, 10:15 am
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Everyone has different circumstances, but as a purely leisure flier who pays for all her own tickets, AC no longer makes sense for me.