airbus320

There is an old French saying "La nuit porte conseil" (meaning that night bring other insights).
I posted in another thread that I was happy with the restoration of the 50% on discounted fares. I still am and congratulate Air Canada for this move.
However, I still am unhappy about MLL access for Elites. Give me back access as in 2001. Your 2002 MLL clawback insults me as a top tier member.I can't bring in a guest. Most of my flying is domestic and transborder...that is why I am only Elite. And what insults me even more is the fact that you will sell access to the MLL and open up more access through other cards (DC et al.) Admit that this restriction is a pure and simple cash grab. I guess that you really don't value Elites and their flying patterns across Canada and the USA. I don't need to bring in a guest on international flights...I don't fly that pattern. Big deal...you threw me a bone that I can't even chew!
Well AC. I appreciate the 50% restoration but that was given to everyone regardless of status. What's my reward for being Elite? Up to now, cutbacks on my benefits.
Lest you brand me a malcontent, answer one question, what are you going to do for us Elites to keep us from bolting to the competition? Your changes have not told me that Elites are valued as customers.
Mr Duchesne...I await your answer on 7 Feb on the FT live chat.




[This message has been edited by airbus320 (edited 01-31-2002).]

Shareholder

I think you have hit on one of several ingenuous aspects of yesterday's annoucement. I have often posted my thesis -- supported by the likes of RD and MT at Aeroplan -- that Elite is indeed to top tier for those who fly primarily within NAmerica. Except for a small percentage of SEs who fly exclusively on full fares in the front cabin almost weekly across the country or into the US, it is impossible to achieve any higher status confining oneself to our continent. So Elites have lost the benefit of one guest -- SE's keep this one -- on the trips then tend to take the most. And it seems also the two guest MLL passes. [SEs get just two this year, rather than four as in the past.]

Well, there could be a lot of same gender partners trying to get into AC MLLs after March 1st, under the guise of spouse and family members.

NeverAtHome

I did 106 segments, 96K miles last year, so I made SE by flying without a single overseas flight. And that's 96K Q miles on alot of 50% discounted mileage fares, so it can be done, but more easily done if you can fly UA metal for the full Q miles.

I for one will be going exclusively for my 1K status on UA this year and give up on AC. Goodbye SE status!

airbus320

Never at Home: I presume a lot of your flying was done in the USA which , even on a discounted fare, gives 100% Q miles.

Tax Dude

I guess this is a reasonable thread to post this info in: I asked Aeroplan to clarify whether Elites could bring their family into the MLL when travelling domestic and NA. The new benefits chart says no, the press release says yes.

According to AP the answer is yes!

Here's their response:

As mentioned in our press release, Aeroplan Elite members may invite their immediate family whenever and wherever they travel. We apologize if the "Benefit chart" seems unclear.

Ew/oQ

Law of unintended consequences...
Previously spent about 30-45 minutes in the MLL each trip.

I only fly discounted fares and always book the last flight of the day home to make sure if meetings run long I won't be stranded (or have to pay more). 80% of the time I get to the airport early enough to catch an earlier flight.

With the restriction on "same day" standby I will be spending a LOT more time eating cheese and crackers. Hope they expand the lounge to accomodate 2x,3x or 4x the time per visit. Example:
- 5 hours in the lounge first trip in January
- 1/4 hour 2nd trip (They kindly allowed me to leave on the earlier flight).

Hussar

This clawback really bothers me.

When I travel, I rarely go alone. I usually visit suppliers with an Engineer or other technical staff. These guys tend not to travel as much as we do in Purchasing.

So now, I can't even ask them in. It puts me in an akward spot, as I'm not a rude guy. Now I'm selfish if I say 'See ya. I've got work to do (gin and tonic to drink)'. But I'm doing AC a favour if I don't go in.

As I mentioned in another post, my Manger didn't re-qual last years so I can't even impress him.

I'm also in the same position as EW/oQ. When I am alone, I'll be in longer. Did you know there are sub-divisions of M Class fares? I had an M class on Monday that wouldn't allow me to leave earlier without paying a $100 delta. It was a non-sequiter as the earlier flight was cancelled, but I learned something.

[This message has been edited by Hussar (edited 01-31-2002).]

After Burner

Hussar, I ran into that M class thing last year. I couldn't believe it. They wanted to charge me $145 to make a change. But I found a way to avoid the fee. All M class fares are refundable. Simply cancel and refund the ticket and then buy another one.

Hussar

After Burner:

Smart thinking. But does it work at the gate for an earlier flight?

Wouldn't the delta to Y be greater than the change fee in most cases?

Can you get an M class for the same day?

Hussar

duplicate.


[This message has been edited by Hussar (edited 01-31-2002).]

Andrew Yiu

Why do they want to charge you for a same day standby on M fare or are you talking about a confirmed change?

After Burner

Yes. No advance purchase restrictions on most M class tickets. As I recall, the M class with the penalty was a 2 or 3 day advance purchase ticket. The unrestricted M was slightly more expensive, but not as much as the change fee. As it turned out, when I got to the counter at the airport they just laughed when I explained why I was cancelling and buying a new ticket. They just let me use the existing ticket without charging the fee.


[This message has been edited by After Burner (edited 01-31-2002).]

Hussar

Empress: I don't have my tickets in front of me, but it was called MCOS or MCA3 I belive. My TA at work explained that it was refundable but not changeable. It required 3 day purchase as Afterburner explained. The fare was less than regular M but more than H.

Thanks for the tip Afterburner. Either way I can win, b/c on our expense reports, I'd have to justify to reimburse a fare change, but the ticket change would be transparent.

If I can get away with nothing the corp saves the cash completely, and I still get home earlier.

[This message has been edited by Hussar (edited 01-31-2002).]

Andrew Yiu

But are you talking about agents wanting to charge you the change fee when you ask to go on standby for an earlier flight in the day or are you talking about calling in to make a change for an earlier flight?

After Burner

I'm talking about calling reservations and making a confirmed change. Not standby. Now I remember exactly what happened. They told me that it could be changed without a fee with 3 days advance notice. So I made a completely new one-way reservation (this was for a return segment of a RT flight) and rebooked the original ticket for an arbitrary date more than 3 days in the future. When I got to the airport they just cancelled the new reservation and associated the flight with the original one. No fee was charged.

As a side note, I never really did understand the standby thing. I wouldn't make a trip to the airport without a cofirmed reservation.

[This message has been edited by After Burner (edited 01-31-2002).]