Beating the clock on eUpgrade devaluations
Mar 2, 2015 | 10:54 am
#46
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This whole thing brings to mind the old phrase "if it ain't broke..."
I think AC had a pretty decent system going which satisfied their customer base. But some geniuses decided they need to fix the system in an attempt to squeeze more revenue out of J class. I somehow think this is not going to work out well at all.
AC should
- reinstate additional eUP threshold credits
- make IKK unconditional but not unlimited
- leave YQ as they just fixed it. In this case they actually fixed something that was quite rotten.
And finally, AC should show some bloody appreciation for their customer base instead of lambasting anyone who doesn't shell out for full list price on fares. It's an insulting and inappropriate attack on those who pay premium
Dollars for fares already (at least since eUP lottery Flex requirements).
At the moment, empty J cabins, backtracking on PY and their obsessive guarding of eUP credits (including the Feb 28 expiration of recently earned ones) is showing that AC is operating somewhat in panic mode.
They should focus their attention on clean planes, friendly crews, on time performance and better IROP handling.
Shareholders will ultimately benefit and meanwhile shareholders are not the only, nor the most important, stakeholder in AC.
I think AC had a pretty decent system going which satisfied their customer base. But some geniuses decided they need to fix the system in an attempt to squeeze more revenue out of J class. I somehow think this is not going to work out well at all.
AC should
- reinstate additional eUP threshold credits
- make IKK unconditional but not unlimited
- leave YQ as they just fixed it. In this case they actually fixed something that was quite rotten.
And finally, AC should show some bloody appreciation for their customer base instead of lambasting anyone who doesn't shell out for full list price on fares. It's an insulting and inappropriate attack on those who pay premium
Dollars for fares already (at least since eUP lottery Flex requirements).
At the moment, empty J cabins, backtracking on PY and their obsessive guarding of eUP credits (including the Feb 28 expiration of recently earned ones) is showing that AC is operating somewhat in panic mode.
They should focus their attention on clean planes, friendly crews, on time performance and better IROP handling.
Shareholders will ultimately benefit and meanwhile shareholders are not the only, nor the most important, stakeholder in AC.
Mar 2, 2015 | 11:51 am
#47
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This is usually the case. The rules keep changing (usually for the worse) but creative minds will find ways to maximize the benefits associated with the changes. I was already in the minority in that the e-up changes don't affect me particularly, whereas the elimination of YQ on reward tickets will save me $2k+.
SG
SG
I don't know if I can save the YQ elimination will "save me" any money, because I simply wouldn't have booked those flights last year.
Mar 2, 2015 | 2:36 pm
#48
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To get an all friendly cast of crews will be like getting the TTC quality of service to improve. Pulling teeth.
AC quality of FAs will never be like their Asian counterparts... or heck, even European counterparts.
Mar 2, 2015 | 2:58 pm
#49
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AC has one major problem matching there Asian counterparts. A little thing call labour laws.
Mar 2, 2015 | 3:01 pm
#50
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Mar 2, 2015 | 3:29 pm
#51
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Good service is about culture, not labour laws (or more specifically, the adversarial Union/mgmt relationship in north america). SQ, EK, MH, Asiana, KL etc. all manage to have great service. or remember the old Wardair ?
Mar 2, 2015 | 3:38 pm
#52
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Labour laws in Singapore, UAE and Korea are quite different. And, ironically, the culture of most (all?) of those countries includes little or no middle class...
And I believe Wardair went bankrupt.
Mar 2, 2015 | 4:38 pm
#53
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So I got an EF notification that my SFO-YVR flight had Z space (the YVR-YYZ was already upgraded).
I cancelled the SFO-YVR, and re-requested. It took 2 more eUps, because now the whole route is 4
Oh well, guess I have even more of a reason to call in at T-48
I cancelled the SFO-YVR, and re-requested. It took 2 more eUps, because now the whole route is 4
Oh well, guess I have even more of a reason to call in at T-48
Mar 2, 2015 | 5:00 pm
#54
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BTW Singapore, Korea have significant Middle class. service culture is something else. even the 3 star hotels in Bangkok and Hong Kong have excellent customer service.
Mar 2, 2015 | 5:04 pm
#55
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Korea... yes. Singapore... not sure they have a lower class. Or the middle class IS the the lower class. As a country, they are an outlier. 10M people on an island ⅔ the size of Montreal... not exactly easy to recreate the model when their domestic arm is operated by taxis....
Mar 2, 2015 | 7:56 pm
#56
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Korea... yes. Singapore... not sure they have a lower class. Or the middle class IS the the lower class. As a country, they are an outlier. 10M people on an island ⅔ the size of Montreal... not exactly easy to recreate the model when their domestic arm is operated by taxis....
btw population of Singapore is about 5 million.
Mar 2, 2015 | 8:09 pm
#57
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No, you're right. I forgot to post all of my experiences here on FT.
I found out, to the eUp gifter's horror as well as my own horror, that any upgrades I wanted to be processed as a Nominee came out of the generous Nominator's 2015 (expiring 2016) eUps... only one booking pre-Feb 28 came out of the Nominator's 2014 eUps... he only found out after the fact and didn't want to retract the flights he had upgraded for me....
I found out, to the eUp gifter's horror as well as my own horror, that any upgrades I wanted to be processed as a Nominee came out of the generous Nominator's 2015 (expiring 2016) eUps... only one booking pre-Feb 28 came out of the Nominator's 2014 eUps... he only found out after the fact and didn't want to retract the flights he had upgraded for me....
Mar 2, 2015 | 8:14 pm
#58
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I have friends who live there and have visited them. They live outside the tourist area so I did go off the reservation. Indeed, like any big city there are a wide range of people, but as a 'country' I still stand behind the concept that Singapore is an outlier and difficult to compare to any other place in the world.
Mar 3, 2015 | 5:35 am
#59
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No, you're right. I forgot to post all of my experiences here on FT.
I found out, to the eUp gifter's horror as well as my own horror, that any upgrades I wanted to be processed as a Nominee came out of the generous Nominator's 2015 (expiring 2016) eUps... only one booking pre-Feb 28 came out of the Nominator's 2014 eUps... he only found out after the fact and didn't want to retract the flights he had upgraded for me...
BUT, the point of my (this) thread was not about which bucket of eUps my upgrades came from... it was about using up as many eUps as I could at the current lower rate, pre-devaluation doubling.
I found out, to the eUp gifter's horror as well as my own horror, that any upgrades I wanted to be processed as a Nominee came out of the generous Nominator's 2015 (expiring 2016) eUps... only one booking pre-Feb 28 came out of the Nominator's 2014 eUps... he only found out after the fact and didn't want to retract the flights he had upgraded for me...
BUT, the point of my (this) thread was not about which bucket of eUps my upgrades came from... it was about using up as many eUps as I could at the current lower rate, pre-devaluation doubling.
Mar 3, 2015 | 5:42 am
#60
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Umm. Cathays flight attendants are unionized and paid relatively similar (keeping in mind cost of living differences). So no, I don't agree with the labor laws comment