DrunkCargo

I'm curious, what would be the best IKK value one can derive with a single IKK PNR. That is, additional benefit for priority reward IKK vs regular inventory on AE?

LHR-YYZ-SYD-LHR last minute in Y?

What about maximizing saved YQ on AC metal?

If these are nonsensical questions, help me make them sensible... =)

HerpaYvr

in Y? Did AC do something to you during your...you know?

canadiancow

I think the question is more about a practical redemption than "theoretical" maximum.

That's a hard route to IKK in J

And it costs over $10k in Y (at least, for a last minute booking).

Jasper2009

Redeeming miles for LHR-SYD in Y would most likely be poor value since one can usually get reasonably priced revenue tickets on dozens of airlines, even at short notice.

Depending on whether you use the price of a revenue ticket as the basis for your calculation or some other metric, the following awards tend to be good value:

1. NA and international J (especially last-minute bookings with no Sat night stay)

2. Routes where AC has a (quasi-)monopoly (e.g. YGK-YZP) or some of the smaller towns up North

3. last-minute (short-haul) awards within NA such as YYZ-DTW

DrunkCargo

Let's say I want to eat up my 10 IKKs, and force it through AC metal to do so? Assume unlimited AE account, but each AE point still holds "value"

AtlanticXpat

As someone who has never hit the heady heights of SE100k can someone tell me what this mysterious IKK is?

mikeymikd

https://altitude.aircanada.com/status/priority-rewards

canopus27

Also, see this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...nstant-kk.html

Adam Smith

As Jasper said, it depends on what metric you use, but I think his list is quite solid. Also, are you looking to maximise the number of dollars saved or maximise the per-point value of the Aeroplan points?

The trouble here is the gap between the theoretical and the practical. Obviously with up to 9 seats per PNR, to maximise the value of IKK, you should be booking 9-person PNRs. But doing so in J would require flights to be R9, which I think is pretty rare.

The maximum theoretical value (i.e. comparing to cash cost of ticket) would probably be to do some 9-person Europe-SYD last-minute J reward on a ticket that would not qualify for any discounted business fares and therefore cost $10K+ per seat. This would maximise absolute dollars.

But on a per-point basis, you may find that a last-minute short-haul Y redemption on a very expensive destination could exceed long-haul J.

You may also find greater ability to put 9 seats on a PNR on a Y itinerary (where you only need unsold Y seats) instead of a J itinerary (requires R space).

DrunkCargo

AE site only allows up to 8 per itinerary, so I'll assume 8 max for IKK without involving the call centre.

R8 last minute is highly unlikely, however 8Y IKK could run the dollars up on most routes. But in this case, the goal is to maximize the dollar value of IKK, vs. non-IKK, rather than optimize for dollars per AE point. I've done last minute AE point YYZ-DCA type flights that worked out to almost 20cpm redemption, but it wasted a whole IKK and really only was worth about C$3k for the IKK (per pax).

Adam Smith

In that case, you're probably looking at finding a last-minute international J IKK for 1 or 2 people where you can find R=1/2 and last-minute J fares are $10K+ apiece return.

Even doing 8 Y fares, probably fairly hard to compete with that, although maybe if you found a long-haul that was down to Y8 M0 or something like that it might be close.

DrunkCargo

No, I don't know... my prostate exam?

Just thinking that IKK Y last minute would probably price way higher than say IKK R? Finding R8 on a pricey route is unlikely.

dyzs

Sounds more along the lines of a full cavity search the likes of which one would receive going to jail. Perhaps this was a go to jail, do not pass go, do not collect SE 2016...