Urgent: Aeroplan does not honor their ticket
Aug 20, 2016, 5:04 pm
#46
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Aug 20, 2016, 5:12 pm
#47
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Um, we're all good here.
whatchamackallit03 knows I prefer Dude to Bro, so he changed his post last night ^
Aug 20, 2016, 8:51 pm
#49
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: SkyTeam Elite, HH Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 262
No problem to book SkyTeam tickets on MU, FM, CZ and MF, that is true. But, there's a reason why it's so easy.
It's not any better on China Eastern (MU). Every single MU flight to and from HNL, at least, the pilots and crew are always smoking, literally just 2-3 minutes after takeoff, while the plane is still flying over Waikiki, and likewise just before landing, and intermittently throughout. If you are sitting at the front, you'd better get used to the cigarette smoke odor throughout the flight (ugh). Some MU flights have been even worse: full of blue smoke throughout the flight, due to a chain-smoking crew (such as SHA-HKG flight once, I recall; I was in the middle part of the A330 and the blue smoke got all the way to back there).
At least on CA you get proper lie-flats guaranteed on its A330s: product consistency and predictability. With MU there's three configs of A330s, and while 33E and 33H both have a very high quality hard product (among the best of any airline) true lie flats (far superior to Delta, Air France, etc.), the 332 has ancient steeply angled lie flats, and the aircraft are frequently subbed in and out, so you never really know what product you are going to get. You can see the aircraft changing from one type to another in the months before your reservation, having to reselect your seats as a result.
And China Southern (CZ), well, just hope that you do not suffer from any irrops. You'll be left before immigration/transit stuck in no man's land (I'll spare the long story here on that, on how useless CZ is in irrops).
(I think that MF (XiamenAir) is the only real quality Chinese carrier in SkyTeam. At least their long-haul product looks really good.)
It's not any better on China Eastern (MU). Every single MU flight to and from HNL, at least, the pilots and crew are always smoking, literally just 2-3 minutes after takeoff, while the plane is still flying over Waikiki, and likewise just before landing, and intermittently throughout. If you are sitting at the front, you'd better get used to the cigarette smoke odor throughout the flight (ugh). Some MU flights have been even worse: full of blue smoke throughout the flight, due to a chain-smoking crew (such as SHA-HKG flight once, I recall; I was in the middle part of the A330 and the blue smoke got all the way to back there).
At least on CA you get proper lie-flats guaranteed on its A330s: product consistency and predictability. With MU there's three configs of A330s, and while 33E and 33H both have a very high quality hard product (among the best of any airline) true lie flats (far superior to Delta, Air France, etc.), the 332 has ancient steeply angled lie flats, and the aircraft are frequently subbed in and out, so you never really know what product you are going to get. You can see the aircraft changing from one type to another in the months before your reservation, having to reselect your seats as a result.
And China Southern (CZ), well, just hope that you do not suffer from any irrops. You'll be left before immigration/transit stuck in no man's land (I'll spare the long story here on that, on how useless CZ is in irrops).
(I think that MF (XiamenAir) is the only real quality Chinese carrier in SkyTeam. At least their long-haul product looks really good.)
I fly the first week of Oct on MU and I'll be sitting at the front of the plane. I'll be doing Shanghai to HK on them and I'm a little worried as I am allergic to cigarette smoke. If it is coming out from their cabin door, I'll take some pictures of it, as that really isn't acceptable.
Xiamen Air is a dream airline for China. New metal, good service and even their counter staff is a lot more professional in their CS approach.
I would have flown CA but I needed to grab a few more Skyteam miles to keep my status.
Regarding the OP and having problems with CA rewards through Aeroplan. I stock miles into Aeroplan with the intention to use CA rewards. Last summer I had my wife and daughter use CA tickets through Aeroplan points to go PEK to Europe. There were some layovers, but overall we had zero problems.
I don't want to think of how much I would have lost it on Aeroplan if those tickets weren't fully booked. I would have had to take them to court as we were going to Europe to take a cruise which was non refundable.
Anyways...I'm sad to see people are having problems with AEROPLAN points being used on CA. I had thought to use my next 150000 miles on going PEK to AU/NZ most likely on CA metal...
Aug 20, 2016, 8:56 pm
#50
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
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I keep hearing about MU pilots smoking on their flights.
I fly the first week of Oct on MU and I'll be sitting at the front of the plane. I'll be doing Shanghai to HK on them and I'm a little worried as I am allergic to cigarette smoke. If it is coming out from their cabin door, I'll take some pictures of it, as that really isn't acceptable.
I fly the first week of Oct on MU and I'll be sitting at the front of the plane. I'll be doing Shanghai to HK on them and I'm a little worried as I am allergic to cigarette smoke. If it is coming out from their cabin door, I'll take some pictures of it, as that really isn't acceptable.
I thought that MU had put a lid on that practice, but no, it still continues to this day.
As for redeeming CA awards, if you want to do that, then transfer/put some miles on UA. UA MP is the only FFP, that I know of, which can successfully and properly issue CA awards at this moment.
Aug 20, 2016, 8:59 pm
#51
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Spatially speaking or metaphysically speaking?
Programs: Aeropain: Zirconia Status; Altitude: Marianas Trench Status; UA MP: 1 Kick to the curb status
Posts: 623
Definitely, and please do take some photos, if it's visible.
I thought that MU had put a lid on that practice, but no, it still continues to this day.
As for redeeming CA awards, if you want to do that, then transfer/put some miles on UA. UA MP is the only FFP, that I know of, which can successfully and properly issue CA awards at this moment.
I thought that MU had put a lid on that practice, but no, it still continues to this day.
As for redeeming CA awards, if you want to do that, then transfer/put some miles on UA. UA MP is the only FFP, that I know of, which can successfully and properly issue CA awards at this moment.
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...-crew-smoking/
Aug 20, 2016, 9:29 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,844
In China non smoking signs are like continuous lines in Naples. Merely a suggestion, at least as far as the crew is concerned.
Aug 23, 2016, 4:58 pm
#53
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
For those who think that United has fixed the problem with ticketing CA award flights, here is a sobering thread that recently emerged in the United forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...llation-2.html
I don't think that anything's been fixed at a fundamental level.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...llation-2.html
I don't think that anything's been fixed at a fundamental level.
Aug 23, 2016, 6:14 pm
#54
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
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For those who think that United has fixed the problem with ticketing CA award flights, here is a sobering thread that recently emerged in the United forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...llation-2.html
I don't think that anything's been fixed at a fundamental level.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...llation-2.html
I don't think that anything's been fixed at a fundamental level.
It's a separate issue from CA awards not being properly ticketed (namely, CA end PNR not being created).
It's not a very high chance of this happening, BUT, it definitely CAN and DOES happen, based on reports on FT.
Result is the same, but it's two separate problems. Both show just how endemic the problems with honoring other carrier tickets are within CA, though..
Aug 23, 2016, 6:51 pm
#55
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
That is a different and long ongoing issue. CA has a habit of going in and canceling award tix (or simply not honoring it) if a flight is oversold. That is a long standing practice, has been going on so for years, well before the more recent issues w/ ticketing CA awards.
It's a separate issue from CA awards not being properly ticketed (namely, CA end PNR not being created).
It's not a very high chance of this happening, BUT, it definitely CAN and DOES happen, based on reports on FT.
Result is the same, but it's two separate problems. Both show just how endemic the problems with honoring other carrier tickets are within CA, though..
It's a separate issue from CA awards not being properly ticketed (namely, CA end PNR not being created).
It's not a very high chance of this happening, BUT, it definitely CAN and DOES happen, based on reports on FT.
Result is the same, but it's two separate problems. Both show just how endemic the problems with honoring other carrier tickets are within CA, though..
Aug 23, 2016, 7:01 pm
#56
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,222
I take your point that there are different mechanisms at work causing the same problem - unpredictable cancellation of award ticket bookings. But there two points in common through the variation in procedures: Air China , and cancelled award bookings. Anybody who is thinking about booking award travel on Air China needs to understand that there is a much higher risk of cancellation on these awards than any other *A carrier.
It really is a shame that Star Alliance leadership (if there is even such) doesn't step in and bring their member CA in-line, as this type of behavior just is totally unacceptable, not to mention highly unethical, and likely violates the Contract of Carriage. IMO, given how long this has been going on, CA should be told that they either fix this and honor other airline tickets on CA, or that they are being booted out of *A. But, not going to happen, as *A needs CA more than CA needs *A, I suspect.