Question: Does AC/AE limit bookings on domestic 787 flights?
Jul 19, 2016, 9:31 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: ACMM SE100K; *G
Posts: 1,526
Does AC/AE limit bookings on domestic 787 flights?
Hi all. I don't book a ton of reward flights so I generally don't know all the ins and outs, but I noticed that there's a 788 on Aug 5th from YYC to YYZ (AC1150). The J cabin shows no seats selected yet, but Aeroplan is not showing the flight when I search on that date.
Having never flown on that model, I'd like to try it. Any tips? Or am I out of luck?
Thanks!
Having never flown on that model, I'd like to try it. Any tips? Or am I out of luck?
Thanks!
Jul 19, 2016, 9:40 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K, AC-3MM, Marriott- LT Titanium, SPG RIP
Posts: 2,958
I have seen that flight available recently (ie last 6 weeks) in Business by using Priority Rewards.
Right now it is:
J9 C9 D9 Z9 P9 R0 Y9 B9 M9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 G9 S9 T0 L0 A0 K0
I would keep checking or set an alert if you have EF or some other service. Look for R>0 and then you should see it in priority rewards.
There are 12 other direct flights that day, all with Priority Rewards availability. But I understand you are asking specifically about the 787.
Good luck!
Right now it is:
J9 C9 D9 Z9 P9 R0 Y9 B9 M9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 G9 S9 T0 L0 A0 K0
I would keep checking or set an alert if you have EF or some other service. Look for R>0 and then you should see it in priority rewards.
There are 12 other direct flights that day, all with Priority Rewards availability. But I understand you are asking specifically about the 787.
Good luck!
Jul 19, 2016, 12:22 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,302
Jul 19, 2016, 12:29 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 3,396
It is really a consequence of AC's two tiered upgrade system (P and R) and their desire to limit upgrades on domestic 787 to latitude fares only until gate processing. This has had the (un)intended consequence of eliminating the IKK benefit on those flights and routes.
Jul 19, 2016, 12:33 pm
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,302
The same logic could be applied to prohibit all rewards booked at greater than T-1 (because the might take a seat from a revenue pax).
It is really a consequence of AC's two tiered upgrade system (P and R) and their desire to limit upgrades on domestic 787 to latitude fares only until gate processing. This has had the (un)intended consequence of eliminating the IKK benefit on those flights and routes.
It is really a consequence of AC's two tiered upgrade system (P and R) and their desire to limit upgrades on domestic 787 to latitude fares only until gate processing. This has had the (un)intended consequence of eliminating the IKK benefit on those flights and routes.
If they make it R0 and it's J9 at check-in, they've screwed up. If it's R0 and J2, they have not.
Jul 19, 2016, 8:04 pm
#8
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,742
I flew on 1150 on an AE reward last Thursday, booked using priority rewards. But my experience would more likely lend some support to your theory that 787 rewards are limited, since I monitored other options on the route for quite some time afterwards and 1150 was almost never available, whereas the other flights almost always were. For whatever that's worth.
Jul 20, 2016, 11:02 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K, AC-3MM, Marriott- LT Titanium, SPG RIP
Posts: 2,958
Jul 20, 2016, 3:46 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: Accor ALL Diamond, AC Aeroplan 25K, Nexus/GE
Posts: 2,729
I've been able to grab the 787 three times on a transcon Aeroplan ticket in the last few months. I typically book my seats a long time out, and have frequently had schedule changes alter the time of the flight, and I book a flight with available seats fairly near to the schedule of the flight I prefer. I call Aeroplan, say the new flight time doesn't work, and just tell them the AC flight number I prefer, and they've just put me on it. I haven't been told 'no' because there were no "I" seats available. Maybe I've just been lucky?
It's also worked the other way, when I had a 787 booked, and it was pulled from the route entirely that day, so not much I could do about that one.
It's also worked the other way, when I had a 787 booked, and it was pulled from the route entirely that day, so not much I could do about that one.
Jul 20, 2016, 7:02 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: YXE
Posts: 3,050
In Y, the flights tend to be priced at a premium, presumably due to demand. Remember, the whole idea of Aeroplan is never to give away a seat that they could have sold for revenue. Hence, the domestic widebody flights gravitate towards less availability. Combined with a preference for 'airplane nerds' to try out the latest/greatest hardware, its perfectly reasonable that its harder to snag seats on such aircraft versus a boring old 320.