Snow Goose

I'm interested to know your personal reasons for making that choice. We are all aware of the massive cutbacks to the AC FF program over the past five years and the breathtaking acceleration in cutbacks this year. I also know of many long time SE members on this board who have either switched to UA already and joined the vocal AC bashing club, or are at least expanding to two FF flier programs. I'm not interested in rehashing the reasons for leaving, so please leave those comments out of this thread.

For those who have made the (potentially) difficult decision to stay, what are your reasons? I'm based in YYZ and have flirted with other FF programs, but I will finish the year with more than 250k status miles on AC and I will re-qualify for SE next year. My key reasons for wanting to keep SE are:

• I generally like flying AC and prefer them for all NA flying over all but the newest U.S. fleet. I also appreciate and respect AC's safety record.
• I generally receive excellent service from AC and the SE 100k concierges.
• IKK, even in its heavily neutered form. I have an immediate family of five and like to travel on vacation twice a year, plus I am quite generous with gifting travel to friends and family. Having access to last seat economy bookings at any time plus 5+ business class award seats on a subset of flights is THE key factor that keeps me loyal to AC. If this feature ever disappears, I would jump ship in an instant.
• AC also receives kudos for running the best promo that I have ever participated in (the original Earn Your Wings).
• Finally, I enjoy paying too much money and being taken advantage of (just kidding on the last point).

If anyone else is left in the room and plans to re-qualify in 2014, what are your reasons?

SG

canadiancow

I haven't made up my mind yet, but some of my reasons for staying, if I stay are:

• Almost all the routes I fly only have Flex fares, so none of the Tango nonsense applies to me
• AC hard product is, IMO, better than UA or US
• My upgrade record is pretty damn good
• Earn Your Wings v1 left me with so many AP miles that I need IKK

djjaguar64

Left last year

joeags

Pretty easy for us. Wife's schedule is to fly from YYZ-SFO 1-2 times per month, and there are no other options for flying non-stop besides AC metal.
There's no real benefit to credit miles to United, since she gets 5 or so upgrades per year (which she loves). Fees for reward travel cashing is no doubt better, but for the couple hundred we pay for scam charges, the upgrades are much more beneficial.

alc

First of all, can I be one of your friend that you gift travel to

I am also not 100% sure if I will be staying or not yet. As mentioned on a few posts over the last few months, I had been switching my mind between UA MP. As of today, I am actually 70% sure staying with AP, compare to my 50% yesterday.

Here are the reasons for me if I stay:

- I fly Domestic most of the time, AC is the only airline that is in an alliance that I can earn status.
- You normally should get status for the airline that you fly the most. Also AC seems to trick AC elite better overall, this is just a personal feeling.
- I also feel AC hard product overall are better than the US carriers.
- I earn a lot of miles/points via Credit Cards and they all seems to go to Aeroplan naturally
- First time SE100K this year and really notice the power of IKK. So, if I end up flying a lot again next year, SE100K might get me more benefits over 1K
- *G actually does not get the 70lb/32kg with AC flights, while even an E35K *S can
- All Tango fare now gain status (both AQM & AQS)
- No Qualify Segment on AC Tango fare with UA MP
- Been reading and studying the Aeroplan to AA via points.com and RBC, which could be at a ratio of 1 AP to 0.8x AA, so even if I earn AP, I can spend them via AA/OW flights (i.e. CX). Also, this method allow me to group all my family Aeroplan points together into a single AA account.

It is the 3rd and 2nd last points move me from 90% switch to UA MP back down to 50%, then the last point that move me to 70% staying with AC.

Overall, I do need to thank all the FlyerTalk members as I learned most of the points above from here.

canolakid

Am staying with AC as I will return to SE for 2014. I travel long haul so eups and privacy of pods are the key reasons AC stays in the mix. Assuming R games disappear in exchange for spread of tango-itis, I should be happy in flight.
I am struggling with NA flights- probably 6 of them not including positioning for long haul that will probably go to DL. Their Skybonus program makes it a winner for small business folks like us.
The last thing my family wants is more travel so mileage accumulation is not a factor for us in choosing a FF program.

jlisi984

I prefer to fly AC Y than UA F for N.A., and prefer to fly AC J to UA J TATL/TPAC.

Because my travel is for "business", I do not like connecting in many places and prefer to fly a familiar product that can let me rest.

And I think factor #1 is that you should have status with the airline you fly most (especially if you fly 100K+ a year).

Many of my trips are paid Z fares (in some form or another - sales, combinations, etc.) and Flight Passes are awesome within North America (Europe would be very useless for me).

Anyways, I'm staying - for now.

YYJForever

Mostly as above but briefly:

my travel is (by miles) 60% TATL, 25% in country and 15% to US so,

- eUps on TATL - 80% of my loyalty here
- no other airline meet all my travel needs, of not AC, then who?
- better hard and soft product than other NA airlines

YOWzer

Great posts! I agree with all of OPs reasons. A few to add unique to my situation:
-I mainly do YOW-YVR, so direct is highly preferred
-Westjet does not have J class
-I enjoy the pods (YYZ-YVR)
-Miles sure add up fast (J bonus, SE bonus, random bonus)
-Great service from the staff - I realize I may have rosy glasses (concierge + J class), so I may not get the same frustration as the majority of folks when flying.

KenHamer

Sticking with?

Or are stuck with?

KenHamer

Five years?

Try thirteen.

ramsfan

1. Almost 100% success on upgrades, either within Canada/ US or trans Atlantic or trans pacific. This has always been the case and despite "enhancements" year to year continues to be so.

2. concierge service when I need it has generally been exceptional, in Canada and globally, with only disappointment being Frankfurt

3. IKK in NA has been useful

4. 100% SE bonus miles useful and sufficient for building points for family travel and some *A upgrades, so I can use credit card spending for SPG.

5. Looking to get to 2MM in several years so I can lifetime gift at least lounge access and maybe more to daughter

6. Think AC business class product is pretty good and have compared with many others including SQ.

7. Despite it seemingly being more difficult each year to stay SE due to "enhancement" I still seem every year to stay at SE , through business and personal / family travel and think i can continue to do so even after I retire in a year or so by spending $10 to 13,000 on AC. Of course I fear that may change as enhancements continue. If I cannot stat SE not sure it's worth it to stay.

8. Not keen on going through US

9. do not know enough about other programs to know if I could play the game as well

3.

nowinyow

I'm staying. SE status now, will have SE again for next year.

Reasons for staying? Though I do travel to the US a fair bit, from my home it's UAExpress. EMB 145, no J. No upgrades. Once in ORD, most of my flights are again on the Express routes. No J cabin. So, the whole thing of free domestic upgrades is mostly moot.

I enjoy the AC experience over the UA experience hard product.

I use flight credits a fair bit. Even with the Flex pass (not latitude) and with a bit of flexibility in my travel times, I'm always able to book upgrade able flights for only a few credits.

I like the IKK, limited as it is. Also the priority AE bookings. It's rare I can't get a flight in my preferred cabin on my preferred travel dates.

Do I wish things were better? Yeah. Could they be worse? Yup!

As for switching to another program...AC was one of the first airlines in NA with a rewards program. It was one of the first to introduce no smoking flights. One of the first to join the "internet" with on-line bookings, then on-line check-in, then boarding pass to personal phone. It's been first, or one of the first, on so many other aspects. I wonder if in fact they're just the first in NA to really gut their rewards program and if so, how long until UA and other airlines follow?

rehoult

My wife and I are both staying.

1) We love the flight pass products. A fair, preset price and 98% upgrade success make them invaluable.

2) We, with very few exception, have a great time with the staff and crew, and at this point have developed a good relationship with many of them

3) While acknowledging that product is plane specific, with very few exception we prefer the AC product to the NA alternatives.

4) Having said all of that, we're also stuck. With 70% domestic flying, 10% overseas and 20% US, it's tough to justify switching to a US carrier at all. Add in about an 80% upgrade rate on AC and UA RDUs being readily available for <$100, switching to a US carrier would result in significantly more time in Y.

supatight80

Already achieved status, so I'm stuck until Feb. 2015.

If AC communicated all their 'enhancements' January of this year, I would have kept my options open as 100% of my flights are international, thus more choices.

Flying to YVR via USA is and will never be an option and that's the positive that I can only think of and getting 100% upgrades so far, except for 1 YVR-YYZ segment from HKG-LIM of June this year.