Revenue-based Upgrades (with miles) ?
Mar 11, 2015, 3:23 pm
#16
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Love it 
In all seriousness, there's no reason why this couldn't be done. AC can figure out what that upgrade is worth, then offer it to Aeroplan for a certain cash price.
Aeroplan figures out what that cash is worth in Aeroplan points, including its profit margin, and charges it to you.
Unfortunately, if you look at the yields on non-ClassicFlight Aeroplan redemptions, and what AC charges for LMUs, I suspect it would be pretty expensive. You could see yourself spending 50,000 points for a one-way upgrade within North America.
In all seriousness, there's no reason why this couldn't be done. AC can figure out what that upgrade is worth, then offer it to Aeroplan for a certain cash price.
Aeroplan figures out what that cash is worth in Aeroplan points, including its profit margin, and charges it to you.
Unfortunately, if you look at the yields on non-ClassicFlight Aeroplan redemptions, and what AC charges for LMUs, I suspect it would be pretty expensive. You could see yourself spending 50,000 points for a one-way upgrade within North America.
I posted this thread because I assume if DL can manage to do this, why not AC? (I assumed the answers were either IT or Aeroplan is another company or both)
As we've seen in the LMU thread, some of those prices are silly or insane, or occasionally reasonable.
Here is a screen shot from DL's page (the original on the site is fuzzy)
The quote from The Boarding Area article refers to the box on the left with the upgrade choice:
"Interestingly, at present the example on their website shows miles worth 1 cent apiece towards upgrades. It’s an open question whether that paltry valuation will stick over time, of course."
Mar 11, 2015, 5:29 pm
#17
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
Never done LMU, nor I had used AC Gift card for anything other than Flights and Adv Seating. But I guess one can redeem Aeroplan miles for AC Gift card and then use it for LMU. So, indirectly LMU with Miles. But those LMU is very expensive as noted above.