Aeroplan - does calling in open more options?
Jan 29, 2019, 10:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 18
Aeroplan - does calling in open more options?
A quick question.... will calling into Aeroplan make a difference in terms of the available flights compared to the ones shown online? Trying to book a business class flight. Was available two days ago but plans have only been solidified yesterday and when I checked again the flight I was hoping to book was no longer available. Would calling in make a difference with respect to availability?
Jan 29, 2019, 10:34 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,309
Not, the inventory is the same point to point.
The only time calling in helps is if you are putting together a complex route (like 3+ stops) that doesnt show up online.
The only time calling in helps is if you are putting together a complex route (like 3+ stops) that doesnt show up online.
Jan 29, 2019, 10:40 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: YVR
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 15
I second this. I've even tried calling to Aeroplan on a few occasions in the past to test this. There's no extra availability that you don't see on the app or online. OP can always try calling and asking for peace of mind.
Jan 29, 2019, 2:26 pm
#5
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Join Date: Sep 2012
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Also, I'm shown WAY more non-direct options on non-AC airlines when I click the IKK checkbox, which wouldn't be possible if you have no status. They aren't IKK, they just only show up in the IKK search.
Jan 29, 2019, 2:44 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,469
That's very interesting. I guess it's important to note that, while in most cases all the segments should be visible on AP, that doesn't mean the lousy search engine will return all those segments together as a routing option.
Jan 29, 2019, 4:03 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 4,604
Ran into something similar with YVR-FRA-LNZ. Individually it was all J, but together I was only able to book YVR-FRA in J and FRA-LNZ in Y. Second segment is only a 1 hour flight, so no biggie.
Jan 29, 2019, 4:12 pm
#9
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I've done that when PY was available, but the site only let me book Y with another J segment, so I immediately called in to get the Y bumped to PY.
Jan 29, 2019, 4:59 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 18
That's not strictly true. CX won't show up online. One time I could see TG online, but when I called in, they couldn't see TG, but could see a CX flight leaving 10 minutes later, so it all worked out.
Also, I'm shown WAY more non-direct options on non-AC airlines when I click the IKK checkbox, which wouldn't be possible if you have no status. They aren't IKK, they just only show up in the IKK search.
Also, I'm shown WAY more non-direct options on non-AC airlines when I click the IKK checkbox, which wouldn't be possible if you have no status. They aren't IKK, they just only show up in the IKK search.
Jan 29, 2019, 9:08 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: Accor ALL Diamond, AC Aeroplan 25K, Nexus/GE
Posts: 2,733
I've also run into the opposite, coming across married segment logic on reward tickets. Wanting to go YYZ-IST-MRU, there was no availability on YYZ-IST when searching individual segments, but when searching YYZ-MRU, all of a sudden the segment was available and I booked it. I'd always developed the habit of searching segments individually, but have since learned that I need to search both individually and the complete trip in order to be sure of what's available.
Jan 30, 2019, 9:15 am
#14
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Location: Canada
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Posts: 23,309
When you search ZRH-YYZ, Swiss will almost never come up connecting to AC in YUL. Always AC optons, even if the TATL is in Y or PY. Understandingly as this makes most money for AC when they can take a few hundred $ from you.
Searh ZRH-YTZ - voila - all of a sudden, the LX shows up.
Searh ZRH-YTZ - voila - all of a sudden, the LX shows up.
Jan 30, 2019, 3:07 pm
#15
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I was recently looking for SFO-WAW. The only thing that came up was SFO-IST (Y) -WAW (J).
But SFO-YYZ-LHR/MUC/etc-WAW were all bookable by calling in, all in J.
Sometimes the engine just won't show longer routings if it thinks it's given you a reasonable (and shorter) set of options.
But SFO-YYZ-LHR/MUC/etc-WAW were all bookable by calling in, all in J.
Sometimes the engine just won't show longer routings if it thinks it's given you a reasonable (and shorter) set of options.