Specific Flight Selection
 

Ok, I GUARANTEE there's a thread for this, but after about 6 different searches I clearly wasn't searching the right thing because I came up empty, so if anyone can just link me to the right thread I'll be more than satisfied.

Now, after reading about some more YQ stories and pricing some stuff myself, I'm determined to avoid them. This should be easy enough IF you're allowed to book specific flights. So I would like to know A) can you pick your flights through AP? B) If so, how? C) What kinda point damage are you looking at in that situation?

Here's my hypothetical flight...

NOV 4 YVR-MDE
--AC 996 YVR-MEX
--AV 23 MEX-BOG
--AV9742 BOG-MDE

NOV 14 MDE-YVR
--AV9343 MDE-BOG
--AV 44 BOG-MEX
--AC997 MEX-YVR

Personally I like this flight, as much as I don't wanna fly through MEX (bad experience in the past) I like being on AC and AV more than UA. HOWEVER...

50,000 miles Econo + 381.51$ (way too much)
Taxes = $131.51
YQ Surcharge = $250.00

Sorry AP, no dice.

Now I KNOW I can route differently YVR-IAH-PTY-MDE or YVR-DEN-PTY-MDE etc etc...Copa and United don't charge YQ. But I don't always get offered these routes on AP website. Can I simply call AP and request specific flights? And like my question posted above, am I suddenly going to spike from say 50,000 points to 75-100,000?

Look up the flight separately on AP then you'll have to call and book over the phone. Oh and pay the fee ;)

Yes, you can call in and specify flights (as long as there's availability on them, of course!)

Ok, perhaps dumb follow up...

1) what's the fee? I've always heard on the phone there's a fee, but I've never paid it.

2) I'm assuming determining the availability is as simple as if the flight shows up individually, there's availability.

Lastly, I noticed neither of you had an answer for home many points it'd be? Is that cuz you don't know or because the point value is the same?

I ask that part again cuz I'm curious but also because some routings/dates on this flight are 50,000 some are 60-65 and I think sometimes it's 75,000 if you go YVR-YYZ-BOG-MDE. I'm sure I could call and ask but I'm not actually ready to book this so I don't wanna just burn time on the phone if someone else knows.

So you expect others to "burn" time by answering questions which the answers are CLEARLY found on the AP website... seesh... here you go... you are now on your own.

Canada to Northern South America is 50K in Y

https://www3.aeroplan.com/FlightRewardChart.do

When you call the Aeroplan Centre to book your reward ticket, there’s a service fee of CAD $30 (plus applicable taxes), per reward, per person.

http://www3.aeroplan.com/help.do

The reason I asked if because when I searched at booking each flight individually (which I couldn't do, I guess one of the flights I wanted had no availability) I found YVR-ORD was 12,500 ORD-MDE was another 25,000 then MDE-YVR was 25,000 so that's 62,500. Exactly why I asked, and all the chart says is 50,000 which was what I'd find if I booked it as THEY wanted me to. Again this is why I asked.

After taking the help link, I searched "fee" "call center" "call center fee" "booking fee" and never found the answer, so thanks for begrudgingly answering that, just saying $30 would've sufficed.

What I meant by burning time, is people are CONSTANTLY .....ing about hold times on the AP line, so why would I then a) do that myself and b) create a longer line for the next person behind me who likely has a more legitimate need, when someone here probably knows the answer right off the top of their heads. So no, I'm not trying to waste your time and save mine, I'm trying to save everyone's time.

Doc,

Look up the legs, segment by segment to make an itinerary that suits your liking...if you're going to just use the Aeroplan website then be prepared to not find all the options available, cuz, well...they just don't show you everything. Since it sounds like you're not in favour of the high YQs, then you should be considering other *A carriers to get you from A to B (or even A to C to B). You'll do much better on the YQ if you can substitute some AC flights with UA, but you should also expect the quality of the hard product to change as well, as generally speaking UA < AC for comfort, but YMMV and this is a personal preference for each individual...I'm cheap. I'll fly in less comfort if it saves me several $100's.

Suggest you consider looking for award flights on United.com as well as the ANA website, again, segment by segment. You may be surprised that a Blue Saver award appears at United.com, but never was offered to you during your Aeroplan.com searches. Surprise, surprise!! :rolleyes:

If that's too much work, then just stick to Aeroplan.com and accept their probably higher YQ segments. Disregard the miles required, segment to segment...just get all your segments ready, and read it to the Aero CSR. They will confirm if all of your legs are valid award segments, and whether or not it's still at the same points redemption level that you expected. i.e., you don't add up all the points required, segment by segment, to determine your final overall trip's required points. And if you decide to book, then you'll be paying $30+tax per ticket, to get them issued. Someone suggested that Aeroplan will start charging $30 up front, but I did not find that to be the case when I called them several times in early March to enquire about my MRTW.

Good luck!

Thanks very much, that's helpful I think we're kinda in the same boat, I will always take an extra connection or a longer flight if it's good for my pocket book and reasonably inconvenient. And yea I'm 100% looking to avoid YQ, they're garbage. I'm pretty much all UA/CM on my paid tickets just cuz it's cheaper than AC, though I do prefer the AC product. My ideal route would be YVR-YYZ (red eye) YYZ-BOG-MDE, but the price is always more than I want and from AP the YQ is like $300 rather than $70 on all UA.