D582

In a communication sent to travel agents/providers, AC will be introducing Economy Basic on select TATL routes effective 5 June 2018

Summary:

- Being introduced on select TATL markets as of 5 June 2018, along with UA and LH Group (A++ JV)
- No refunds, no changes (including no same day changes), no upgrades (eUp, LMU, or bid-up)
- Seat reservation for a fee (elite seat benefits apply)
- No baggage allowance - first bag is 50EUR / 60USD / 60CAD / 60CHF / 45GBP or equivalent. *G gets 1st bag free
- 25% AQM/Aeroplan accrual
- Zone 6 boarding for non-status pax
- Fare basis codes ending with -LGT

Yul_voyager

It remains to be seen if :
SE get preferred seat or not
SE get zone 1 boarding
E get zone 2 boarding
SE / E get more than one bag (3 bags ?)
If 1 segment still get 1 AQS
If you get AQD as well

If the answer is yes for all of the above then it may be worth it...

pewpew

I'm glad I'm getting out while the going's still good

D582

For boarding and seat selection - same benefits that apply today will apply for these fares (updated my posts). Baggage is unclear at the moment, but assumption would be Elite/Super Elites get their standard allowance on AC operated flights, but only 1 bag as *G on UA or LH Group operated flights.

Fares will get AQD since they get AQM. Should also get 1 AQS, but that is not clear.

jc94

100,000miler

I am thinking of booking a flight in the new Economy fare, the one that only gives 25% AE within Canada.

Question as a SE can I still book a preferred seat at no charge? The website implies I will have to pay. The luggage benefits are clear but not the seating.

Thanks

canadiancow

SE retains all seat selection benefits.

But are you talking abut Basic or Standard?

D582

Standard gives 25% in Canada and what was known as Tango before. It has been a name change only.

Basic is the new type that gives 0% miles in Canada (25% TATL) and also cannot be changed.

km101

I used to accrue miles and would stick with AC on every flight, and star alliance if AC didn't go there. no more. There is no incentive when AC makes it so hard to accrue miles on anything but the highest fares. Using EUPs became so hard/expensive that it was not worth the gamble. now i book business on whatever airline is the most logical. I am off to Egypt next month, on BA, based on their better connection, and not blindly following my aeroplan miles. Congratulations AC on racing to the bottom.

axIguy

Purchased a TATL fare via FlightHub on AC. YYZ-LHR r/t.

FlightHub showed Economy Basic and Economy Standard options. AC.com also showed Economy Basic and Economy Standard options at the same price. AC.com also indicated that the Economy Standard fare would include 1 checked bag. I greedily booked the FlightHub Economy Standard fare assuming 1 checked bag would be included, in order to avail of some cashback through topcashback . Instead, it went through as '-LGT' suffixed Economy Basic fare....even though I paid for the 'upgraded' Economy Standard price.

A closer inspection of FlightHub's site does indeed show that their Economy Basic and Economy Standard fares DO NOT include 1 free checked bag. On AC.com, an Economy Standard fare includes 1 checked bag (for TATL at least...haven't looked into the others). Is AC selling tickets via OTAs with 'different' Economy Standard conditions than what they sell directly (ie without and with a checked bag)?

From FlightHub:

Economy Basic: - Checked bags for a fee - No flight changes

Economy Standard: - Checked bags for a fee - Flight changes for a fee - Up to 50% Aeroplan Miles

From AC.com:

Economy Basic: - Checked bags for a fee - No flight changes

Economy Standard: - 1st checked bag free - changes for a fee - Up to 50% Aeroplan Miles

vernonc

Go to ac.com, Mange my bookings, enter your AC booking ref and it will show you your baggage allowance. In case your OTA is wrong which is a possibility with the change to branded fares

axIguy

According to AC.com, after entering the booking reference, the first checked bag is $60...(and it is an Economy Standard)

unbelievable: there were 6 different fares on FlightHub priced according to the following categories (showing the outbound pricing only below)

• Basic $357
• Standard $382
• Flex $634
• Latitude $1,819
• Premium (flex) $1,877
• Business (flex) $6,216

I chose the second (Standard for $382). Not sure what I did wrong here as I wasn't going to buy Flex for $252 more just to get a free bag. I guess what I did wrong was book an OTA...

Stranger

Not just an OTA, but this particular one...

Were the prices very different at aircanada.com?

axIguy

Correct - this particular one.

The pricing on AC.com is the same.

Other OTAs are showing pricing that is $50 higher than AC.com and FlightHub (the OTA I booked with). Must be some weird inventory thing going on

Anyway, FlightHub has graciously agreed to only charge me $25 per pax to cancel the booking. They are laying the blame at Air Canada's feet for not populating the fares properly in the GDS. So I'll eat the fees and just go and book on AC.com just like AC wanted me to in the first place.

EDIT: Just rebooked on AC.com. Same choices (economy standard both ways) and same price as the original OTA. Manage my booking now correctly shows that I booked what I purchased (economy standard) and that the 1st bag is complimentary both ways.

tecate55

Although it was wrong for them to charge you $25 to cancel for their mistake, there have been worse horror stories with FH.

Glad you were able to sort it out with them.