chebert999

I have an AE reward in J from LGA toYYZ.
I standby for an earlier flight.
I'm on the waitlist and upgrade list.
I asked my chances and the agent at the MLL told me that they will upgrade ppl that are already on this flight before a SBY with an AE I class ticket that is standing by.
I didn't make it as all flights are full but I wonder if that's true.

canadiancow

That is true. Upgrades have higher priority than standby.

If you want to confirm it, pay the SDC fee.

chebert999

Tks cow. I was not aware of that. I'm on my original flight as all flights are booked now.

Adam Smith

Of course, paid business class fares do offer free SDC. Will be interesting to see whether this gets realigned as AC implements its own loyalty program.

canadiancow

SDC requires positive space though. If it's full and there are two no-shows, you can't SDC, and the upgrades will get it before the standby.

I'd expect Aeroplan change fees for SE to go to $0 long before I'd expect free SDC on I-class.

Adam Smith

Is it not somewhat incongruous that you expect changes, prior to day of travel, to be free, while expecting changes on day of travel to require payment of a fee?

canadiancow

These are expectations based on talking to people from "manager" up to "president".

AC has always been in control of SDC fees, and they are what they are.
​​​​​
Ben Smith once told me he really wished Super Elites didn't have to pay change fees on reward tickets, but it was cheaper and easier to waive YQ than to give us ONE free change.

I expect SE changes on Aeroplan tickets to be free long before 2020, unless Mark Nasr does something unexpected.

Adam Smith

I'm not saying you don't have some valid insights, it just seems oddly inconsistent to offer free changes in advance while still charging for SDC.

P.S. Ben Smith is now running AF-KLM, so...

chebert999

To me all this makes no sense. On UA you can SDC forany flights on any fare with a 24 time frame. That's why I put all my $ business there now.

canadiancow

Only if the same fare class is available. Which is unlikely if you're in I on J0 flight.

pitz

Kicking the credit card points hoarders out of the game didn't end up happening though, ie: there is not going to be a free-standing Altitude that is based exclusively on AC (or Star Alliance) loyalty. That bridge was crossed when AC re-acquired AP with the syndicate of banks.

So they still have to come up with a way to prevent customers from synthesizing cheap tickets by way of points that substitute for high-value revenue reservations.

Might end up being SE's get 10 free changes, just like they get 10 IKK's.

canadiancow

If AC gets all the revenue from credit card points (which they likely will), then it's an entirely different scenario. AC didn't like that Aeroplan would collect $500 from the banks and pay AC $30 for a ticket.

But SE is pretty independent from the credit card game. I do a lot of redemptions, but I won't do 15 changes in 2018 (I did 5 for a 2-person PNR which is why the number's as high as it is).

I could actually see the IKK limit changing, since AC would bank more money for the redemption.

Regardless, I've said numerous times I expect AC's reward fee chart to look more like UA's. I stand by that.

yyznomad

And to be specific, 10 IKKs at the Classic redemption rate.

pitz

Aeroplan paid AC quite generously for the tickets, but the 'payment' was collected up-front in the form of the AP spin-off having value and ultimately delivering cash to AC/ACE due to the endowment of cheap/free redemptions that were provided to AP as part of the deal. Considering Aeroplan did nothing as an entity other than destroy shareholder capital, AC should have been thrilled that they were able to achieve every cheap financing for their business expansion plans such as the 777 and E90 fleet purchases that were backstopped by the proceeds of the spinoff.

A SE that earns 100k points by flying will get a lot less benefit out of being a SE than a SE that earns 100k points by flying, and 200k additional points by spending $4,000 on embedded credit card surcharges at the typical rate of 2%. AC, of course, is hopefully mindful of what loyalty they're really trying to reward with the Altitude SE100k program, and that is not allegiance to a credit card.

(yes, I'm aware that there are bonuses, and all of that, but the SE who goes out and acquires a lot of CC derived points will see their 'loyalty' to AC rewarded a lot more heavily than one who does not if there are no restrictions!).

chebert999

not same fare...only need a seat in the same cabin. I SDC from a P fare to a C fare no problem at T-20.
also all fare bucket open at some point between T-24 and T to permit SDC.