superangrypenguin

yul36

I don't fly that much AC any more, it was a conscious choice to switch the bulk of my business elsewhere. The airline I fly most is fraught with its own issues, and many top tier flyers there are unhappy, for many of the reasons people here are unhappy with AC. I have little skin in the game with AC so the changes really do not affect me. I will not have status next year for the first time in a decade. I really doubt AC will miss my 12-15K

But what does exist on this forum and no where else, is the participation of Andrew, Ben S, and Ben L. It is something that should be appreciated.
All they seem to be asking for to stay engaged, is a tempering of the personal attacks on them. I don't think that's too much to respect.

Lllahim

I read in the other thread that Andrew and Ben L are on the Loyalty Management team (committee). They are probably very nice gentlemen. However, they appear to have used language that suggests they see us a free loaders and cheap. If they called us that to our face, I shudder what they may call us behind closed doors. Do we have a friend on the team? Is there a way we can forge alliances within the team - with people sympathetic to our view points.

superangrypenguin

They are not on the Altitude team. They have said that already.

Raffles longhaul

I am not an AC elite or a super elite but I feel Cheapened if I have to fly AIR Canadas J class, instead of the other star alliance airlines J class.
Most of the star airlines I fly Tpac or Tatl have better seats, service, food and lounges with real food.

Lllahim

I have not been following the threads closely. Still, I think we need a few friends among the decision makers. Alliances don't hurt.

TehSuigi

Well, they did just overhaul their FFP. Earn rates up to 5% after $4K in spend, plus additional companion vouchers at $10K, $15K, $20K, etc. A nice touch, and enough to convince me to start switching my business flights back to WS.

Just keep in mind that they don't give you full free trips - it's a "companion voucher" for someone to travel with you on the same itinerary, with only fees and taxes to pay.

supatight80

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....-seen-airline/

Seems like this topic is beyond flyertalk now

And another one

http://threadtripping.boardingarea.c...titude-battle/

kwflyer

But allowing AC employees on op ups/very low fares/C1 passes into J doesn't cheapen the J product? That's very rich.

Your tone (as of late) has had negative view of your paying customers (which other independent travel writers have also observed an commented off FT) including comments you made that had a significant (negative) financial impact on customers that took your word on recent promotions (among on other things)

Instead of seeing the customer as the enemy and acting as a customer/FFer advocate at the marketing table (what marketers do best is having a 360 degree view of their customer including their pain points), you have significantly done the opposite. This has included remarking you are afraid that you will get laughed at if you forward some of our comments onwards , a basic leadership trait anyone holding a managerial position should posses. And yet you are are surprised by the pushback.

Claiming that you are not responsible for your actions as company representative of AC while gladly cherry picking your targets you wish to defend is NOT marketing leadership. You can't have it both ways.


Time to revisit the brand management 101 textbooks.

They have accepted the role as company representatives on here which includes the Altitude program. Therefore, they can/should be held accountable for their public actions on FT as per the TOS.

Very nicely said. I've had many clients who have had difficulty not taking their customers for granted. Many foolishly believed acquisition rate is the same as the retention rate (it's not).

The one's who prospered, truly had a paradigm shift (which was not easy, a lot of education required) that they are nothing without their customer, and that while they may run their business in a logical/rational fashion their customers are human beings with emotions. And make decisions based on those emotions. Those they did not embrace the bottom-up customer centric view are still struggling with their EBITDAR.

Marketing is all about the exchange of value between two parties. The only difference now, is that if the customer feels cheated, they can turn the marketing/sales funnel upside down and tell (a lot of) people.

FlyerTalker683455

Thank you for the commentary, all.

As consumer I feel entitled to one thing: complain about my vendor(s). It is hard to believe that in 2014 companies still think they can get away with the type of grand attitude AC executives have been implicitly and now bluntly exhibiting. Buying and selling of goods and services is done as part of a relationship. In this case it's more a ménage a trois gone bad with AC and AP doing more wrestling than making love and us customers standing by watching it unfold and waiting to take the blame for all that's gone wrong.

What is unfortunate is that we have little choice. I spent three days trying to find ways to extricate myself out of the AAC relationship and I simply cannot do it without shooting myself in the foot. To me at least AC has a monopoly on my travel requirements. I will be SE again next year, while AC will get no more than half the current spend. I cannot switch out of Star Alliance.

Therefore, despite the objections of some FTers who think I am going to offend the Bens off this board (kind of funny if one kitchen keyboarder can manage to shake a whole corporation to the bone) I will exercise my right as a consumer and continue to push for answers. If AC want to take offense at being called to task so be it.

Ben S: you are fortunate that FT exists or this story would grow much longer legs in a hurry through traditional media. I am too lazy to contact CBC and The Globe and feel that those media should report on important stuff going on in the world. Doing any more than positing here would elevate your status to even bigger Gods, and perhaps make you believe that AC somehow figures in the world order of things. It doesn't. And it's itrelevant as an entity on the world stage. My tantrums here are just that. And you, Ac and brother in arms Ap are just a toy to be thrown across the sandbox which is FT.

why fly

really? What? AC if you want to keep the J cabin exclusive, then end employee upgrades...

kwflyer

Indeed, and in some cases, the base airfare they pay to play standby J is less than standby Y! (hint: for N. America travel its often less than a buy on board sandwich). Never mind the employees also pay less tax (reduced AIF, no YQ, and no GST) on flights.

industry_killer

Amazing so many people on this board harp about AC employees sitting in J using a company perk, such as a B1. It is almost like no one here has any such perks at their given place of employment. Bringing AC employee travel benefits into this discussion has no bearing on the devaluation of the FFP.

ffsim

Except when said devaluation is justified in large part by having to curtail the number of people sitting in J who did not say J prices for their seat. Not saying I agree with the tangent, but I certainly can't say it has "no bearing" on the discussion.

industry_killer

As a former AC employee I can confirm you have no idea what the costs are or in general what you are talking about. In fact the only thing that is correct in that entire statement is the no YQ.