Is Aeroplan blocking Ethiopian business class award seats?
Jun 27, 2017, 6:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,465
Is Aeroplan blocking Ethiopian business class award seats?
I need a specific flight on ET to include in my mini-RTW, but it looks like Aeroplan is blocking it. Here is a screenshot from ANA showing two business class seats available on the flight:
And from LifeMiles:
Aeroplan does not show it in business class:
I cannot take TK flights because I already connect via IST earlier in the itinerary.
Aeroplan shows economy class fine. Same for other European destinations. Economy class is open, while business class is not available on any flight on any date I searched.
Is Aeroplan blocking ET business class award seats?
And from LifeMiles:
Aeroplan does not show it in business class:
I cannot take TK flights because I already connect via IST earlier in the itinerary.
Aeroplan shows economy class fine. Same for other European destinations. Economy class is open, while business class is not available on any flight on any date I searched.
Is Aeroplan blocking ET business class award seats?
Jun 27, 2017, 8:14 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,194
ET generally seems to make 2 I seats per flight available to Aeroplan..
Sometimes when you book economy, an ET business seat does open up about 3hrs before the flight. The bad news is when it happened go me, it was 12:05 to 12:30 AM Toronto time. ET wanted to upgrade me but could not do so unless I called Aeroplan. Aeroplan closes from midnight to 7AM to serve its cust.... err, shareholders, better.
Sometimes when you book economy, an ET business seat does open up about 3hrs before the flight. The bad news is when it happened go me, it was 12:05 to 12:30 AM Toronto time. ET wanted to upgrade me but could not do so unless I called Aeroplan. Aeroplan closes from midnight to 7AM to serve its cust.... err, shareholders, better.
Jun 27, 2017, 8:17 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
ET generally seems to make 2 I seats per flight available to Aeroplan..
Sometimes when you book economy, an ET business seat does open up about 3hrs before the flight. The bad news is when it happened go me, it was 12:05 to 12:30 AM Toronto time. ET wanted to upgrade me but could not do so unless I called Aeroplan. Aeroplan closes from midnight to 7AM to serve its cust.... err, shareholders, better.
Sometimes when you book economy, an ET business seat does open up about 3hrs before the flight. The bad news is when it happened go me, it was 12:05 to 12:30 AM Toronto time. ET wanted to upgrade me but could not do so unless I called Aeroplan. Aeroplan closes from midnight to 7AM to serve its cust.... err, shareholders, better.
Jun 28, 2017, 8:40 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Accor Diamond, AC 35K, National Exec, Hertz Gold
Posts: 376
The ET availability has been flaky.
I was looking at HKG->NRT on ET in J versus NH on the old 763.
There was 2 seats for a while, and then they vanished. Showed up again a few days later and vanished for a few weeks. Showed up again earlier this week and are now gone again.
I was looking at HKG->NRT on ET in J versus NH on the old 763.
There was 2 seats for a while, and then they vanished. Showed up again a few days later and vanished for a few weeks. Showed up again earlier this week and are now gone again.
Jun 28, 2017, 9:23 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Providence RI
Programs: American Exec Plat, Hyatt Refugeeist, Marriot Gold, Air Canada Cattle Class, Korean Air Morning Plat
Posts: 988
The only thing you can do is call Aeroplan. They have helped me get seats not 'showing' in the online inventory.
Jun 29, 2017, 4:18 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: MEX/YVR/YYF
Programs: AS MVP/AC75K/AM Gold/UA*S/SPG-Marriott Lifetime Titanium/Accor-FPC Gold/HHDiamond/Hyatt Exp
Posts: 5,035
Not according to Aeroplan and their marketing geniuses (and senior management)
Jun 29, 2017, 9:33 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Providence RI
Programs: American Exec Plat, Hyatt Refugeeist, Marriot Gold, Air Canada Cattle Class, Korean Air Morning Plat
Posts: 988
https://www5.aeroplan.com/Myths.do?currentLanguage=en
Not according to Aeroplan and their marketing geniuses (and senior management)
Not according to Aeroplan and their marketing geniuses (and senior management)
Then they put a big "some exceptions apply"
CALL AEROPLAN
Jun 30, 2017, 5:38 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,465
Called Aeroplan.
Talked to a very knowledgeable agent. He confirmed that at the moment there are NO business class award seats available on any ET flights in the Aeroplan system. He called "another department" and then told me they can see that the seats are actually available by direct booking in the starnet, but said that those seats cannot be booked because they were not released to Aeroplan and they are not allowed to do a direct booking.
So yes, in effect, Aeroplan blocks all ET business class awards seats at the moment.
Talked to a very knowledgeable agent. He confirmed that at the moment there are NO business class award seats available on any ET flights in the Aeroplan system. He called "another department" and then told me they can see that the seats are actually available by direct booking in the starnet, but said that those seats cannot be booked because they were not released to Aeroplan and they are not allowed to do a direct booking.
So yes, in effect, Aeroplan blocks all ET business class awards seats at the moment.
Jul 18, 2017, 12:38 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,465
Update: Aeroplan is still blocking all Ethiopian business class award space. Example:
Two business class award seats available ARN-ADD-VFA on June 13 via LifeMiles:
Two business class award seats available ARN-ADD-VFA on June 13 via ANA:
Those seats are NOT available via Aeroplan:
Economy class is available via Aeroplan, but not business, on any ET flights.
I need ET flights to be within MPM for my routing. Is there any solution?
Two business class award seats available ARN-ADD-VFA on June 13 via LifeMiles:
Two business class award seats available ARN-ADD-VFA on June 13 via ANA:
Those seats are NOT available via Aeroplan:
Economy class is available via Aeroplan, but not business, on any ET flights.
I need ET flights to be within MPM for my routing. Is there any solution?
Jul 18, 2017, 9:25 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
If it saves your booking I'd just take the hit and sit Y, but that sucks.
I'd call and see what they say. I had a whole routing ready with availability on the UA search/EF and AP. I called Singapore to book it...they basically told me none of the flights were available.
I fed them the flights one by one and suddenly all the flights were available...EXCEPT Air Canada, I saw like 8 flights with all "regular" award space, not priority, and the SQ rep could only see 1. She said what each airline gives to another as availability is different, which we all know. But maybe its a case of AC giving bad J availability to ET so they do the same in return?
Of course this could all be moot, they could just be blocking it lol.
I'd call and see what they say. I had a whole routing ready with availability on the UA search/EF and AP. I called Singapore to book it...they basically told me none of the flights were available.
I fed them the flights one by one and suddenly all the flights were available...EXCEPT Air Canada, I saw like 8 flights with all "regular" award space, not priority, and the SQ rep could only see 1. She said what each airline gives to another as availability is different, which we all know. But maybe its a case of AC giving bad J availability to ET so they do the same in return?
Of course this could all be moot, they could just be blocking it lol.
Jul 18, 2017, 9:37 pm
#13
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: 44,329
If it saves your booking I'd just take the hit and sit Y, but that sucks.
I'd call and see what they say. I had a whole routing ready with availability on the UA search/EF and AP. I called Singapore to book it...they basically told me none of the flights were available.
I fed them the flights one by one and suddenly all the flights were available...EXCEPT Air Canada, I saw like 8 flights with all "regular" award space, not priority, and the SQ rep could only see 1. She said what each airline gives to another as availability is different, which we all know. But maybe its a case of AC giving bad J availability to ET so they do the same in return?
Of course this could all be moot, they could just be blocking it lol.
I'd call and see what they say. I had a whole routing ready with availability on the UA search/EF and AP. I called Singapore to book it...they basically told me none of the flights were available.
I fed them the flights one by one and suddenly all the flights were available...EXCEPT Air Canada, I saw like 8 flights with all "regular" award space, not priority, and the SQ rep could only see 1. She said what each airline gives to another as availability is different, which we all know. But maybe its a case of AC giving bad J availability to ET so they do the same in return?
Of course this could all be moot, they could just be blocking it lol.
But Aeroplan has greater availability.
Aug 1, 2017, 8:10 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 52
Has anyone have any luck booking ET in business class? Does anyone know when was the last time business class was available for Aeroplan? I need it to complete a journey and I can see availability on ANA/Copa but it isn't showing in Aeroplan. I'm not traveling until May so not sure if I should wait and hope availability will ever come back or just settle for economy. Thanks
Aug 8, 2017, 8:39 am
#15
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 154
Aeroplan: I can only see ET Y seats
United: I do not see ANY ET awards seats
ANA: I see both ET Y and J seats.
I called Aeroplan and asked the rep to check for ET J seats, and as expected she said there was no availability, I then mentioned that I am also an ANA member, and I can see and book ET J seats at the ANA website. But before I could escalate to ask for a supervisor to do a direct booking, she said that others have been asking about this and had been instructed to inform me that UNLESS it shows up on Aeroplan's systems, they can NOT book ET J for me. She was very curt and blunt, so I didn't push for a supervisor.
I haven't called back to try with another rep yet.
United: I do not see ANY ET awards seats
ANA: I see both ET Y and J seats.
I called Aeroplan and asked the rep to check for ET J seats, and as expected she said there was no availability, I then mentioned that I am also an ANA member, and I can see and book ET J seats at the ANA website. But before I could escalate to ask for a supervisor to do a direct booking, she said that others have been asking about this and had been instructed to inform me that UNLESS it shows up on Aeroplan's systems, they can NOT book ET J for me. She was very curt and blunt, so I didn't push for a supervisor.
I haven't called back to try with another rep yet.