NEVER use your lifemiles on Air canada
Aug 27, 2016, 4:41 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3
NEVER use your lifemiles on Air canada
Well, just a kind reminder for reader, this post would tell you an unsolved real story between ME and Air Canada. Just treat it as a movie and you will feel what I felt.
On Dec. 12rd, 2015, I redeemed my lifemiles for a ticket of AC32 from Beijing to Toronto at Aug. 1st, 2016. Yep, I like to plan my trip earlier.
Soon, I got the reservation number and use that numbers find an e-ticket with the beginning of 202 at checkmytrip.com. I knew it would be OK for my trip in the summer.
However, I was wrong!!!
At Aug. 1st, 2016, I went to the airport and inputed my reservation number at the machine. Machine told me no such number. A kind girl told me to ask for help at Air Canada's counter.
I went there and told the issue to the staff. The kind staff told me they can't find my name and asked me to talk to another staff.
OK, I went to another side of the counter and find the guy. He saw my e-ticket and said: I don't know where is the source of this ticket. Maybe Lufthansa. Go for your ticket agent and this ticket has been canceled due to unknown source. Also we have overselling and such ticket would be canceled first.
WHAT? I bought a ticket and Air Canada just canceled it at the departure date due to unknown source? I though star alliance would not have such low-level communication error.
Anyway, call avianca might be the first choice. Well you might not know the website of avianca and google were blocked in China. I just can't find a line number...
For I must go to Canada due to urgent business, I ordered un-cancelled another ticket and see ac32 get off at the airport. No one from air canada even tried to contact me. Of course, my name is not in their list.
Then I just find a hotel and use my friend's VPN to find the line numbers. Then avianca told me my ticket is normal in their system.
WHAT, if the ticket is normal, I should be on the AC32! Then avianca told me to contact the customer service of Air Canada.
OK, after I told my story to air canada, they searched for a long time and told me: yes, they don't know the source of the ticket and they have sent the message to the ticket agent. I should ask avianca why they don't tell me the cancellation.
OK, I dialed avianca. After retelling my stroy (another operator), they just found they get the message today. Then avianca told me it is ridiculous to inform a cancellation at the departure date. They just got the same information as me.
OK, here I got the point: air canada canceled my ticket due to unknown source at Aug 1st, 2016. However, there are more than half a year since I redeemed the ticket! Why they just choose the departure date? Overselling? I don't think so. They are totally different issues.
Then I contacted air canada again and told my story again(Yep, I have to tell this story again and again). This operator said it could not happen and suggested me upload the issue at the website.
OK, finally I had the chance to write it down as a draft. I wrote the email and soon air canada contact me and said if I could go on another day. I said I had bought another ticket. They said OK then no contact to me since then.
For avianca, after they said I should go for air canada, they suddenly sent an email and told me they would try to apply for compensation for me. Then after a few days, I just got my lifemiles for that ticket back.
OK, I would not blame avianca. They might know as much as I knew. However, I don't think air canada is free from any responsibilitied.
On August 16, I wrote another email and still get no response.
On August 27, I called air canada again. This time the operator told me something I thought really ridiculous:
they found the ticket had been revoked by avianca, so they said the ticket were canceled by avianca.
Well, totally different things, I thought after avianca return my lifemiles, they added such sigh. However, there must be the record I called air canada before. Their custom service said the ticket was canceled due to unknown source and sent the message to the ticket agent.
I asked how long they would find an answer to my issue. They said they were VERY VERY VERY busy and it depends .
OK, all I could do is waiting.
I also write an email to star alliance and they just transferred it to air canada.
I will definitely ask for compensations for the cancellation. However, from my stroy, you might find the following facts:
In some place like China, air canada's staff would not recognize the ticket from other star alliance's arilines. Lufthansa? it is a joke for air canada.
They might cancel your redeem ticket first due to overselling. I came to airport 4 hours before ac32 departed. However, I missed it.
Their custom line is always busy and they like to pass the buck.
Try to make a record when you dealt with air canada's staff, they might say the records are hard to get.
For me, I will never trust air canada again. They just like to play word games for their passenger and I will update the results of my issue in this post.
On Dec. 12rd, 2015, I redeemed my lifemiles for a ticket of AC32 from Beijing to Toronto at Aug. 1st, 2016. Yep, I like to plan my trip earlier.
Soon, I got the reservation number and use that numbers find an e-ticket with the beginning of 202 at checkmytrip.com. I knew it would be OK for my trip in the summer.
However, I was wrong!!!
At Aug. 1st, 2016, I went to the airport and inputed my reservation number at the machine. Machine told me no such number. A kind girl told me to ask for help at Air Canada's counter.
I went there and told the issue to the staff. The kind staff told me they can't find my name and asked me to talk to another staff.
OK, I went to another side of the counter and find the guy. He saw my e-ticket and said: I don't know where is the source of this ticket. Maybe Lufthansa. Go for your ticket agent and this ticket has been canceled due to unknown source. Also we have overselling and such ticket would be canceled first.
WHAT? I bought a ticket and Air Canada just canceled it at the departure date due to unknown source? I though star alliance would not have such low-level communication error.
Anyway, call avianca might be the first choice. Well you might not know the website of avianca and google were blocked in China. I just can't find a line number...
For I must go to Canada due to urgent business, I ordered un-cancelled another ticket and see ac32 get off at the airport. No one from air canada even tried to contact me. Of course, my name is not in their list.
Then I just find a hotel and use my friend's VPN to find the line numbers. Then avianca told me my ticket is normal in their system.
WHAT, if the ticket is normal, I should be on the AC32! Then avianca told me to contact the customer service of Air Canada.
OK, after I told my story to air canada, they searched for a long time and told me: yes, they don't know the source of the ticket and they have sent the message to the ticket agent. I should ask avianca why they don't tell me the cancellation.
OK, I dialed avianca. After retelling my stroy (another operator), they just found they get the message today. Then avianca told me it is ridiculous to inform a cancellation at the departure date. They just got the same information as me.
OK, here I got the point: air canada canceled my ticket due to unknown source at Aug 1st, 2016. However, there are more than half a year since I redeemed the ticket! Why they just choose the departure date? Overselling? I don't think so. They are totally different issues.
Then I contacted air canada again and told my story again(Yep, I have to tell this story again and again). This operator said it could not happen and suggested me upload the issue at the website.
OK, finally I had the chance to write it down as a draft. I wrote the email and soon air canada contact me and said if I could go on another day. I said I had bought another ticket. They said OK then no contact to me since then.
For avianca, after they said I should go for air canada, they suddenly sent an email and told me they would try to apply for compensation for me. Then after a few days, I just got my lifemiles for that ticket back.
OK, I would not blame avianca. They might know as much as I knew. However, I don't think air canada is free from any responsibilitied.
On August 16, I wrote another email and still get no response.
On August 27, I called air canada again. This time the operator told me something I thought really ridiculous:
they found the ticket had been revoked by avianca, so they said the ticket were canceled by avianca.
Well, totally different things, I thought after avianca return my lifemiles, they added such sigh. However, there must be the record I called air canada before. Their custom service said the ticket was canceled due to unknown source and sent the message to the ticket agent.
I asked how long they would find an answer to my issue. They said they were VERY VERY VERY busy and it depends .
OK, all I could do is waiting.
I also write an email to star alliance and they just transferred it to air canada.
I will definitely ask for compensations for the cancellation. However, from my stroy, you might find the following facts:
In some place like China, air canada's staff would not recognize the ticket from other star alliance's arilines. Lufthansa? it is a joke for air canada.
They might cancel your redeem ticket first due to overselling. I came to airport 4 hours before ac32 departed. However, I missed it.
Their custom line is always busy and they like to pass the buck.
Try to make a record when you dealt with air canada's staff, they might say the records are hard to get.
For me, I will never trust air canada again. They just like to play word games for their passenger and I will update the results of my issue in this post.
Aug 27, 2016, 5:34 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: Only J via Peasant Points, 777HDPeasant or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance and Narcissism.
Posts: 5,999
We always how awful it is for something like this could happen when redeem on other airlines through Aeroplan... now we know how it is to redeem on AC.
As for compensation... that's like trying to pull a tooth out of AC if you are an non-status, though not sure in your case how it would even work with travel insurance.
As for compensation... that's like trying to pull a tooth out of AC if you are an non-status, though not sure in your case how it would even work with travel insurance.
Aug 27, 2016, 6:00 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: UA-1K MM, AA-Gold, DL-Silver, AS-MVP
Posts: 2,518
That is unfortunate of you to have to deal with this mess between 2 airlines on the day of your departure. I'm not sure what the best course of action is besides complaining to both airlines.
I encountered something similar to your situation using UA miles to redeem a TG flight. Fortunately, since I check my reservations every week, I was able to catch that TG dropped my segment a month before departure. I called UA and UA said that TG dropped the segment because the seat was never confirmed, blah blah, even though I had eticket numbers. In the end, I was able to find space on another date and UA gave me a voucher.
I encountered something similar to your situation using UA miles to redeem a TG flight. Fortunately, since I check my reservations every week, I was able to catch that TG dropped my segment a month before departure. I called UA and UA said that TG dropped the segment because the seat was never confirmed, blah blah, even though I had eticket numbers. In the end, I was able to find space on another date and UA gave me a voucher.
Aug 27, 2016, 6:09 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3
We always how awful it is for something like this could happen when redeem on other airlines through Aeroplan... now we know how it is to redeem on AC.
As for compensation... that's like trying to pull a tooth out of AC if you are an non-status, though not sure in your case how it would even work with travel insurance.
As for compensation... that's like trying to pull a tooth out of AC if you are an non-status, though not sure in your case how it would even work with travel insurance.
However, I could vote with my feet.
Aug 27, 2016, 6:12 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3
That is unfortunate of you to have to deal with this mess between 2 airlines on the day of your departure. I'm not sure what the best course of action is besides complaining to both airlines.
I encountered something similar to your situation using UA miles to redeem a TG flight. Fortunately, since I check my reservations every week, I was able to catch that TG dropped my segment a month before departure. I called UA and UA said that TG dropped the segment because the seat was never confirmed, blah blah, even though I had eticket numbers. In the end, I was able to find space on another date and UA gave me a voucher.
I encountered something similar to your situation using UA miles to redeem a TG flight. Fortunately, since I check my reservations every week, I was able to catch that TG dropped my segment a month before departure. I called UA and UA said that TG dropped the segment because the seat was never confirmed, blah blah, even though I had eticket numbers. In the end, I was able to find space on another date and UA gave me a voucher.
Aug 27, 2016, 6:13 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: Only J via Peasant Points, 777HDPeasant or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance and Narcissism.
Posts: 5,999
Aug 28, 2016, 9:34 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: West
Posts: 3,357
I am troubled, however, that as good planner you did not take the time to get the confirmation from AC during this 8 month time. When I book through AP and have several carriers not only do I have the eticket from them on AC stock but also AC confirmation printout and each carriers confirmation printout. And indeed check the booking every so often including days before departure and try to checkin on line so it confirms me for the trip even if I can not print the boarding pass I get it digitally. But your situation may have been different.
Good luck.
Aug 28, 2016, 11:00 am
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: YKF
Programs: AC Elite 50K, Amex AP Plat, Choice Privileges, National Exec Elite, Via Prefrence
Posts: 2,996
Not so much a knock against lifiles but caveat emptornfor those using miles to book an award ticket.
When you book that far out, you need to get confirmation numbers on partner flights. And check on the reservation every once and awhile.
Too many things can happen, as evidenced by ops story.
When you book that far out, you need to get confirmation numbers on partner flights. And check on the reservation every once and awhile.
Too many things can happen, as evidenced by ops story.
Aug 28, 2016, 1:37 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: YYJ
Programs: AC SE*MM, Bonvoy LT Plat, HH Gold, National EE, Sixt Plat, Hz 5*
Posts: 2,455
I've redeemed AE miles for travel on TG and had my first segment mysteriously cancelled the day before departure. Somehow I noticed and actually had a concierge call AP and fix it for me. If I wasn't an experienced traveller (as in I noticed the segment was dropped before heading to the airport) and SE it could have caused me major issues. I was still annoyed though as I lost my window seat (J cabin) on the A380.
I've also booked a trip that did not get ticketed before arriving at the airport on AC for the first segment onto LH. Again my SE status got me quickly through to AE who were able to fix it in time.
I think the takeaway is when redeeming frequent flier miles for flights, keep an eye on the booking and check in early (online the day prior if possible), because they seem to have plenty of issues which are difficult to resolve at the airport. Especially a foreign airport.
I've also booked a trip that did not get ticketed before arriving at the airport on AC for the first segment onto LH. Again my SE status got me quickly through to AE who were able to fix it in time.
I think the takeaway is when redeeming frequent flier miles for flights, keep an eye on the booking and check in early (online the day prior if possible), because they seem to have plenty of issues which are difficult to resolve at the airport. Especially a foreign airport.
Aug 28, 2016, 2:12 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE 2MM
Posts: 16,712
Sorry to hear of your troubles.
As the ticketing carrier, I think your issue is with Lifemiles/Avianca not so much Air Canada.
You should seek compensation from Avianca. If it turns out to be AC's fault, then it is up to Avianca to get compensation from AC.
Good luck!
As the ticketing carrier, I think your issue is with Lifemiles/Avianca not so much Air Canada.
You should seek compensation from Avianca. If it turns out to be AC's fault, then it is up to Avianca to get compensation from AC.
Good luck!
Aug 28, 2016, 3:34 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,865
By that measure, indeed the OP should start with the ticekting airline, at least until proven otherwise.
It does seem, though, that Star Alliance is really falling apart. With a bunch of airlines introducing requirement such as AC's AQD for instance, what alliance is that?
Aug 28, 2016, 11:01 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: Aeroplan, BA Executive Club, Asia Miles
Posts: 218
Bummer.
As was said before - one thing I always do when I've booked a rewards on a code share is to get the booking number from the partner airline so I can look it up on their website.
I'm also currently waiting on AC to reply with a mixed up ticket on a Star Alliance code share. Makes me wonder how integrated the Star Alliance network is? In my case I had a boarding pass printed by AC in YVR only for it not to register when boarding an ANA plane in NRT...
As was said before - one thing I always do when I've booked a rewards on a code share is to get the booking number from the partner airline so I can look it up on their website.
I'm also currently waiting on AC to reply with a mixed up ticket on a Star Alliance code share. Makes me wonder how integrated the Star Alliance network is? In my case I had a boarding pass printed by AC in YVR only for it not to register when boarding an ANA plane in NRT...