yscleo

Just got an email about the dStinktion enhancements coming for 2016.


The following benefits will no longer be available as of 2016
• Distinction Flights
• The redemption bonus on stays at Starwood Hotels & Resorts©: To ensure that you receive your 2015 Distinction bonus, book by December 31st, 2015, and complete your stay at participating Hotels & Resorts through December 31st, 2016.


All other benefits remain unchanged, and are there for you to enjoy whenever you want. This includes your favorite and most appreciated benefits like up to 35% off Market Fare Flight Rewards™ and Distinction bonus miles on stays at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Marriott and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

We continue to evolve our program with the best interest of you, our valued members, in mind, and we hope that you continue to enjoy your exclusive benefits.

YOWgary

Did anyone actually use the distinction flights?

Diabeetus

I didn't. I felt the did a bad job of marketing them. I was generally unaware as to when they were happening.

Plumber

I did not use them...nor do I know anybody that did.

Given that they are canning them, my guess is that they were not successful at all.

yscleo

I didn't.

The trips to Florida were offered at a time not coinciding with school breaks, but part of it. If we wanted to take our kids, they'd have to miss 1/2 week of school. Fine for little children, but can be a challenge when kids are in high school.

Don't know anyone that could take those trips either.

canadiancow

No, hence why they're removing them

And they were mid-week to mid-week, flying out of major hubs only, with, as I understood it, no option to connect.

kwflyer

Actually the distinction flights were quite successful (sold out in record time). Especially given the (2) free checked luggage, classic fixed mileage, and free hot meals/drinks onboard on a non stop flight. There was a special hotline you have to call to book these flights, and it was often busy, although if you were Ddiamond you got to leap frog everyone else.

I suspect the reason has more to do with AC's upping the reimbursement costs, and AP would be hard pressed to offer this at the classic market rate.

Airmiles face a similar situation where you are now seeing more dynamic point pricing for AC flights (that has migrated over to others airline partners including WS) as their reimbursements costs have been re negotiated.

Premiere Elite - YEG

Since inception I have had net zero use for all aspects of Distinction. For now their promotions and advertising just irritate me. I suspect this will change when I no longer have access to SE100K priority awards. Am I alone here?

canadiancow

You're not alone, but I find the "zero use" hard to believe.

I've received a bunch of free dining credit on Fairmont stays with the dDiamond code.

I've received several thousand bonus Aeroplan miles from being dDiamond.

It's certainly not something I'd go out of my way to get, but I have benefitted from it.

Bartolo

I, too, have had several thousand (non status) miles from distinction. Also benefitted from a small reduction in points needed for short haul reward tx. Understood from AC staff the FL flights sold out very quickly. Distinction flights never went anywhere I wanted to go at a time I wanted to travel.

yscleo

I have Diamond but the only benefit I got was shorter wait calling to ae.

I don't stay at Fairmont hotels, too expensive.

I had not redeemed on market fare. I had not received any bonus points for anything.

So I also didn't find the Diamond status that useful (other than skipping the line on ae calls).

canadiancow

Here are benefits I have used without doing anything special:

1. 1500 mile getaway bonus (a couple of these)
2. Extra miles on Fairmont stays (I was staying there anyway)
3. shop.ca bonus miles (not many, but still effectively free)
4. Call centre priority
5. Fairmont benefits (the ones I used were daily complimentary breakfast and $25 hotel credit)

If I were at 90k AQM, I'd do a MR. If I were at 90k Distinction qualifying miles, I wouldn't. But I'll take the free hotel credit and bonus miles as long as they're willing to offer it.

Far Siren

I used the discounted market fares a couple of times. Saved a few thousand miles.

Rushfan1

Not related to any changes for 2016 but I still find it ridiculous that if the destination bonus is applicable for consecutive years(e.g. 2014
& 2015 & now even 2016 such as Sao Paulo), a December outbound and January return does not qualify for it. The return flight has to be in the same calendar year even though I have the same Distinction status for all the years.

King Chung Huang

As an E50K, I quite like the discount on Market Fare awards, since that often comes in lower than the double miles for Priority Rewards. In all my years as an Elite, I've actually never used Priority Rewards. But, Market Fare has been an ok option at times.