Ontario man loses 370,000 Aeroplan miles saved for retirement
May 9, 2019, 8:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: I'm From Here
Programs: AC*SE & MM/*Wood Gold/HHonors Diamond/Marriott Silver/AirMiles Gold
Posts: 4,567
Ontario man loses 370,000 Aeroplan miles saved for retirement
May 9, 2019, 8:07 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,016
From the link
.
<snip>
French booked a trip earlier this year, but when he checked his Aeroplan account, the miles were gone. He had missed the company’s deadline to use the miles by two weeks.
“I was fuming,” he said. “I just thought that I spent all my time accumulating these miles for my retirement and now they are gone.”
A spokesperson for Aeroplan told CTV News Toronto that their 12-month policy has been in effect for more than 10 years and those members must earn or use their miles in some way within that period, or risk losing them all.
“Members must have at least one qualifying activity by either earning or using their miles (redemption, donation, sharing or transferring) within a 12-month period to ensure their account stays active,” the spokesperson said.
The company also said that there are safeguards to help members claim their miles. Notifications are sent after six months of account inactivity and 10 to 12 weeks before miles are set to expire
<snip>
French booked a trip earlier this year, but when he checked his Aeroplan account, the miles were gone. He had missed the company’s deadline to use the miles by two weeks.
“I was fuming,” he said. “I just thought that I spent all my time accumulating these miles for my retirement and now they are gone.”
A spokesperson for Aeroplan told CTV News Toronto that their 12-month policy has been in effect for more than 10 years and those members must earn or use their miles in some way within that period, or risk losing them all.
“Members must have at least one qualifying activity by either earning or using their miles (redemption, donation, sharing or transferring) within a 12-month period to ensure their account stays active,” the spokesperson said.
The company also said that there are safeguards to help members claim their miles. Notifications are sent after six months of account inactivity and 10 to 12 weeks before miles are set to expire
<snip>
May 9, 2019, 8:11 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: Accor ALL Diamond, AC Aeroplan 25K, Nexus/GE
Posts: 2,732
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.
May 9, 2019, 8:13 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: I'm From Here
Programs: AC*SE & MM/*Wood Gold/HHonors Diamond/Marriott Silver/AirMiles Gold
Posts: 4,567
I am sure he did know, forgot, called AE, they told him no. He wanted an exception, they told him no. He went to the media hoping for an exception, they said no.
May 9, 2019, 8:17 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
Posts: 5,691
I’ve been pretty vocal about my disdain for victim-blaming on this board, but Mr. French has no one to blame but himself. It’s our responsibility as users of any service or product to understand the ins and outs of that service or product. And while companies are experts are burying and obfuscating some of the finer points of their programs, Aeroplan’s points expiry policy has been as clear as day for a decade.
Sorry... if Mr. French believes he could put those miles to use, he should bite the bullet and pay the $3700 fee.
Sorry... if Mr. French believes he could put those miles to use, he should bite the bullet and pay the $3700 fee.
May 9, 2019, 8:24 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,016
I would say many people just add there FFN in the reservation (or had the corporate TA do that) and yet have zero understanding of how the programs works. I used to work with people like that. At times they wondered why they were getting a new shiny card (top status) and what it could for them. One well travelled manager did not know that he could get domestic lounge access (QF) with a QF gold/plat card.
May 9, 2019, 8:31 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime PE, AC Altitude SE100K-1MM
Posts: 308
I don't understand the article describing "French booked a trip earlier this year, but when he checked his Aeroplan account, the miles were gone. He had missed the company’s deadline to use the miles by two weeks."
How did he book a trip before using the miles? Don't you have to have miles in order to book? It's not something you do after the fact.
And if he had booked a different trip earlier this year, then his miles should not have expired due to recent activity.
I'm confused...
How did he book a trip before using the miles? Don't you have to have miles in order to book? It's not something you do after the fact.
And if he had booked a different trip earlier this year, then his miles should not have expired due to recent activity.
I'm confused...
May 9, 2019, 9:57 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
I don't understand the article describing "French booked a trip earlier this year, but when he checked his Aeroplan account, the miles were gone. He had missed the company’s deadline to use the miles by two weeks."
How did he book a trip before using the miles? Don't you have to have miles in order to book? It's not something you do after the fact.
And if he had booked a different trip earlier this year, then his miles should not have expired due to recent activity.
I'm confused...
How did he book a trip before using the miles? Don't you have to have miles in order to book? It's not something you do after the fact.
And if he had booked a different trip earlier this year, then his miles should not have expired due to recent activity.
I'm confused...
Paying $3,700 to reclaim those points is still a good deal because he can get 2 roundtrip business class tickets to Asia at 150,000 points each which will cost well over $10,000 to buy, that is assuming that he can find seats.
May 9, 2019, 10:26 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,193
article reminded me I have been meaning to login and check 10yroldsuperelite's Aeroplan expiration.
Edit: Phew. Still good for......a while.
1yr expiration is for amateurs.
Edit: Phew. Still good for......a while.
1yr expiration is for amateurs.
May 10, 2019, 2:40 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: YXE
Posts: 3,050
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.
Having said that, there's probably an Aeroplan partner out there who would be willing to push through a retroactively dated transaction.
Having said that, there's probably an Aeroplan partner out there who would be willing to push through a retroactively dated transaction.
May 10, 2019, 5:27 am
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
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
https://www.ontario.ca/page/reward-points#section-2
New rules: Some points can’t expire
On January 1, 2018, new rules came into effect that stops the expiration of reward points based only on the amount of time that has passed since they were earned. The rules are not an all-out ban on expiring points.
In some cases your reward points may still expire, including, if:
On January 1, 2018, new rules came into effect that stops the expiration of reward points based only on the amount of time that has passed since they were earned. The rules are not an all-out ban on expiring points.
In some cases your reward points may still expire, including, if:
- the reward program closes accounts when a member is inactive (does not earn or redeem any points) for a long period of time and this is stated in the membership agreement.
- the program issues a voucher as a reward (for example a discount on a purchase), that is considered a gift card and cannot expire
- the reward points can’t be redeemed for any single item over $50.
May 10, 2019, 5:40 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Programs: AC 75K, Hertz President’s Circle, Accor Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 10,068
One year is a very short time period and as we can see people are caught by it. Most programs have 18 month or longer periods and also have much kinder reinstatement policies. While rules are rules....this circumstance is especially unfortunate.
May 10, 2019, 5:53 am
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Maybe it would be better if the expiration were at 18 or 24 months. But, it is not. It is 12 months. None of us can account for why this particular individual let the deadline pass and why he ignored what AE says would have been two warnings. But, he apparently did. The result seems fair as does the recovery method which still gets the consumer tickets at what seems to be a decent price, if not more than he had planned.