Staniel

Hi fellow frequent flyers. I've been observing and reading FlyerTalk for a while, but this is my first time posting. So please be patient ..

I have been flying Air Canada for the last 3 years and using Aeroplan credit cards, so I was able to rack up points quickly and redeeming flights often. I travel between Vancouver and Toronto a lot for family visits, and selections of flights have been great, until the beginning of 2017.. I notice that reward flight options between YYZ and YVR have greatly diminished. While flights are still available, most, if not all, are in the morning before 9am in the morning going from YYZ to YVR, or connecting flights with stops in YUL, YYC, YWG, or YEG.

Just want to know what everyone thinks and you experiences!

RoutingWonk

I think that it's just a matter of loads getting higher so award availability is going down. You're looking at a very popular non-stop route so filled planes at preferable times isn't surprising.

Im doing more transatlantic J awards. I've found that I can find something around what I'm looking for but that's single connections and I don't care about the connection point.

Stranger

I don't think it works like that between AC and AE. More likely, there are more people getting rewards earlier.

Adam Smith

Welcome to (posting on) FT!

Are you looking for J or Y rewards? How far out do you usually book (or try to book)?

Staniel

I have considered that. But I only notice the change in availability pretty much immediately after the new year. So I can only assume that the program structure in the backend has changed.

As they now start selling Premium econ for the YYZ-YVR route, the reward fights are even worse. Just an observation.

Staniel

I typically book a week to a month ahead. Never had problems (very rarely) finding reward flights. But since Jan 2017, reward flight choices were just not even close to what it was like just two months ago.

Staniel

I've had both, and again, choices were plenty before Jan 2017. Now it's mostly early morning flights or with convoluted connections.

If they change it they change it. It's nothing much I can do. But I just want to know if others also see the trend.

ylwae

I've also had some struggles getting award flights, even with IKK. Not sure what's behind it. It may be that loads are higher, but I've noticed that on at least one route I fly relatively frequently, capacity has been cut (which may be in part why loads are higher).

Altaflyer

I personally don't EXPECT award seats to be open a month out. Great if they are but i would not be upset if they were not available.

Staniel

I've booked seats as late as on the same day as the flight.

All I am saying is I've notice the availability of reward flights have drastically gone down since the beginning of 2017. It's very obvious to me, and I am just curious if anyone else feel the same.

eigenvector

I haven't noticed any difference but I am mostly looking at J to Asia on Star Alliance partners. AC availability actually looks great but I would never book it because of YQ.

canadiancow

What do you mean?

There is a contractual obligation to release 8% of seats, per route, per month (I think that's accurate?).

That doesn't mean a 100 seat plane will have 8 seats available. It means that a 10,000 seat/month route will have 800 seats available.

That being said, I recently booked a six segment weekend (one day out), and most segments were booked with a fare basis of IBP00. Only a few required my SE IJBP00 (i.e. IKK).

Yes, the YVR-YYZ required IKK.

AC may have improved their RM systems such that popular flights are less likely to be released, but they are under very strict contractual terms with Aeroplan.

Stranger

Precisely. If AC provides the same number of seats but more people get rewards, result is that it gets harder to get a reward late in time.

canadiancow

Ah, yes, agreed.

Though AC also tends to release seats closer to departure if they know they won't sell them, although that tends to be Y, not J.

longtimeflyin

There are several airlines for Aeroplan redemptions where I expect award seats about a month out.