AP really doesn't have a choice in the matter. They have to deny an exception otherwise every single person who has lost points in the past will be seeking the same consideration.
On a couple of occasions I've helped informed infrequent travelers of the rule and helped them keep their AP points. I suggest an AP credit card. It's not bad for a reward card and always ensures you keep your points providing you use it once a year. |
Originally Posted by lcohen999
(Post 31085290)
Looks like CTV is jumping on the CBC train
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Originally Posted by jc94
(Post 31085562)
Do AE email people when the deadline looms? Just curious. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d55d54e9a3.jpg |
All my Aeroplan miles expired at the end of February because of the upcoming devaluation, I only transfer AMEX for immediate redeeming.
All 20 of them. There were at least 4 warning emails from what I remember. if this guy gets his miles back, I want my sizeable stash back too! |
I did this with United miles. I had been a CO platinum and then GS for many years, had 400k miles. Switched to AC/AE and then came back 14 months later to book a YYZ-EWR united flight with points and, poof, they were all gone.
That really really sucked. UA redemptions on short haul were easy and saver points made them super cheap back then. |
Outstanding miles represent an enormous cost to all loyalty programs. They're considered currency, so program operators are legally required to maintain sizable cash reserves against them. The more miles in circulation, the higher the reserve they need. In the case of Aeroplan, that's likely billions of dollars locked up in reserve funds.
No question Aeroplan is hoping to *poof* as many of these outstanding miles as possible to lower the reserve requirement, especially with AC's new FF program coming down the pipe. As the date draws near I almost wonder if they will begin offering incentives for people to redeem. Depending on their cash situation, it could be possible, I suppose. Had AC and the banks not bought Aeroplan, I think it would have been a virtual certainty. |
Originally Posted by pitz
(Post 31085993)
Hard-expiring the points after 1 year, especially large accounts, is illogical. AP got paid for the points, and they presumably got to invest the funds. A modest re-instatement fee, sure, charge $100, but to charge thousands of dollars to have an account reinstated is just abusive, IMHO. The amount of negative goodwill created by cancelling points just doesn't make cancelling points 'worth' it.
We're looking at this one instance of someone who lost 370,000. Meanwhile, how many millions of members does Aeroplan need to consider? If 370 other members had 1,000 miles each expire, that's the same value of "lost" miles as Mr. French... you can see how the size of the user base affects the financials which forces the introduction of these kinds of expiry clauses.
Originally Posted by Symmetre
(Post 31086718)
Outstanding miles represent an enormous cost to all loyalty programs. They're considered currency, so program operators are legally required to maintain sizable cash reserves against them. The more miles in circulation, the higher the reserve they need. In the case of Aeroplan, that's likely billions of dollars locked up in reserve funds.
No question Aeroplan is hoping to *poof* as many of these outstanding miles as possible to lower the reserve requirement, especially with AC's new FF program coming down the pipe. As the date draws near I almost wonder if they will begin offering incentives for people to redeem. Depending on their cash situation, it could be possible, I suppose. Had AC and the banks not bought Aeroplan, I think it would have been a virtual certainty. |
Although it probably doesn't apply to anyone here, should someone be looking for a free method to avoid AP point expiry you can earn them by participating in on-line polls from Leger Opinion. Sign up, specify AP points as your reward and make sure you redeem your points every few months. They don't offer that many points for survey participation but it is free and doesn't take much of your time.
https://www.legeropinion.com/en/ (Disclaimer: I am not associated with Leger in any fashion.) |
FFP's in general, do their pricing making assumptions about the miles/points left on the table. There is a cost to everything and thus, if one wants a longer redemption period, something else has to give.
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Originally Posted by Badenoch
(Post 31086316)
I have no sympathy for him too but he may have some recourse. The story is from CTV Toronto so assuming he is in Ontario there are protections from expiring points. It would depend whether AC closed his account entirely or just wiped out the points.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/reward-points#section-2 |
Originally Posted by CanadaDH
(Post 31085312)
I find it difficult to have sympathy for him. How can somebody who has flown over a million miles with Air Canada, who was actively saving miles in the program for retirement use, not know about the rule to have account activity each year.
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
(Post 31087470)
They can't expire based on the date you EARNED them, but that's not the same as expiring based on account activity.
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Originally Posted by jc94
(Post 31085562)
Do AE email people when the deadline looms? Just curious. |
Originally Posted by Symmetre
(Post 31086718)
Outstanding miles represent an enormous cost to all loyalty programs. They're considered currency, so program operators are legally required to maintain sizable cash reserves against them. The more miles in circulation, the higher the reserve they need. In the case of Aeroplan, that's likely billions of dollars locked up in reserve funds.
These points have basically, to many Canadians, become currency, a savings plan. They no longer have much of any relationship with loyalty to a specific organization. And businesses have mostly cracked down on any ability for their staff to game the system, fares, etc., for such programs to even be effective in influencing travel decisions as a subtle form of (otherwise prohibited) bribery. |
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