Aeroplan is a Disappointment
 

Every year since AC acquired Canadian Airlines in 2001 until now I have been either an Elite or Super Elite member of Aeroplan including the present year except for one year that followed my retirement. During that period in many years I flew well in excess of 100,00 miles.

Now that I am only a Silver Aeroplan member using miles is very disappointing. Let me illustrate with two examples. First, my wife and I planned a trip from YYZ to YWG to visit our grandchildren. One going to the Aeroplan web site show that tickets in Economy are 25,000 point each but one can only go at 6:30 or 22:00. If one calls Aeroplan you can get seats at other times for a premium of 10,000 points each.

I needed to go YYZ to PEK and once again went to the Aeroplan web site and put in that I wanted Executive Class seats. The best alternative seemed to be flying YYZ to YVR and then YVR to PEK going out and returning PEK to NRT (on Air China) and then NRT to YYZ. For this the charge was 150,000 points. I selected this and booked these flights.

After confirming the booking, I realized that despite the fact that I had selected Executive Class on the web page and that the two initial flights starting in Toronto and Beijing were indeed executive class, the long hall flights were economy. While I realize that the error is mine, I don't think I is unreasonable to assume that if one request a certain class of ticket and the first flight in each direction is that class, the second would be the same unless highlighted in each case.

What really annoys me is that if points were given the same value as one pays to purchase such points, $0.03 per point, I could have purchased these tickets at either Latitude fares in the case of the Winnipeg flights or Elite in the case of the Chinese itinerary.

Unless one is Super Elite, the benefits that come with the membership are virtually worthless. It is not how loyal to AC one has been over a long period but "What have you done for me lately?'

Comments?

Welcome.

I think your post will serve as a reality check for the 0.1% of flyers here, about how the other 99.9% feel about Aeroplan.

Air Canada and Aeroplan have created a convoluted system of earning and redeeming, reduced IKK, fake fees, scamcharges, mixed class trickery, classic vs market, website that prefers certain combos of flights - you need a PhD in Aeroplan to decipher it all.

Unfortunately most people have no idea - I deal with these clients all the time - and end up getting screwed over like you did.

You couldve booked your China trip without having to pay hundereds in fees (which you did) - and in business class all the way. But 99% wont know how. Your story just reminds us of that.

I dont understand what SE has to do with your China trip - you would have gotten screwed the same way as an SE.

As for Winnipeg - domestic availability is limited - you were lucky to find seats at 25000 (+$150) - the market fares at 35000 sound like the redemption was pegged to a revenue ticket at the time.

I also dont understand why you would expect AC to be loyal to you for all the years you flew them for work? Assuming you for 10+ years flew 100,000+ miles - you should be a million miler now - they have rewarded you with E50. What else do you want?

just cancel within 24 hours

To answer the question how I could fly as much as I did and not become a million miler, a lot of my mileage was on round the world itineraries with many flights being on Star Alliance partners. I did Vancouver Beijing HK Singapore Kolkata Frankfurt and home. Later the same itinerary only starting in Toronto.

Explain how I could have got direct flights as you suggest?

sure, for $102.
Aeroplan ticket.

:confused:

That policy does NOT apply to Aeroplan redemptions and never has.

There are agents that will make a 'one-time' exception but that is a crapshoot, depending on what agent answers the line when you call.

Yes, it's harder to derive value from Aeroplan now compared to even a year ago (forget even 5 years ago). On the Aeroplan website, if it's all in business, it'll say Business. If it's got some economy legs, it'll say Mixed Cabins. I'm sure you know that by now.

Putting that aside, state your travel dates (and flexibility) and perhaps people would help you at least get the long haul into business class. Be productive.

Precisely.

BTW, where have you been, how come it took you so long to figure this out.

And then, there is the co-pay hidden as a tax, which you seem not to have noticed?

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YYZ-YWG is 15k return as it's short haul.

I do feel for you. I am SE, but once upon a time was a lowly Elite, and even with *G status then it was difficult to get a couple of seats on a simple YYZ to YVR route at a reasonable time, for a reasonable amount of miles. While I'm pretty happy now, I know that when I no longer travel as extensively for work, I will be back in your shoes with MM status in the next month or so. Sucks, and they should fix it. IF it makes you feel better, I have a lot of miles on Delta, and it used to be pretty easy to get almost any flight, but last time I tried there, it was hard as well just to go YYZ CVG without spending a ton of miles.

Any wonder Aeroplan|AIMIA doesn't have a lurker or official respondent in this forum as does AC.

Actually, it currently says "Business and Economy", not Mixed Cabins. It does not mention up front that the Economy is for the long-haul portion (typically), but clicking on "Details" does highlight this.

There must be lurkers by aeropeso. But what would they say, "we're so successful in making lots of profits for our shareholders..."

We are not customers, but mere suckers.

You can cancel for $90 + tax per ticket and get all your points back to try to re-book.

You can standby for business at check in and hope you're lucky.

Use up your Aeroplan points and forget about the programme. Unless one travels enough to be SE, Aeroplan/Altitude are waste of time. Just shop for the cheapest fare for the class of travel within your budget. I have frequently found discount business class fare on other airlines to be cheaper than AC's economy class.