2019 Aeroplan Reward Changes - one stop / open jaw
Jul 15, 2019, 8:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Accor Diamond, Hilton Gold
Posts: 417
2019 Aeroplan Reward Changes - one stop / open jaw
As of September 1, 2019, members will be limited to one stopover or one open jaw on a roundtrip award. Furthermore, as of today travel within the same continent (except for travel wholly within North America) is limited to one open jaw, with no stopovers permitted.
Jul 15, 2019, 8:31 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Jul 15, 2019, 8:33 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Accor Diamond, Hilton Gold
Posts: 417
Jul 15, 2019, 8:35 am
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Jul 15, 2019, 8:46 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Accor Diamond, Hilton Gold
Posts: 417
Cool. Update posted in other one, although @aeroman380 beat me to it 
Not sure how to delete this one.
Not sure how to delete this one.
Jul 15, 2019, 9:56 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,342
I actually think this is more appropriate.
This is a change to the current Aeroplan program. The other thread is about a new program.
Given that the endgame is barely even a new program (more of just a growing set of changes to Aeroplan), I'm not even sure it makes sense to keep that thread open. The whole premise was a new program to replace Aeroplan, but I'm not sure "Aeroplan" can actually replace Aeroplan.
This is a change to the current Aeroplan program. The other thread is about a new program.
Given that the endgame is barely even a new program (more of just a growing set of changes to Aeroplan), I'm not even sure it makes sense to keep that thread open. The whole premise was a new program to replace Aeroplan, but I'm not sure "Aeroplan" can actually replace Aeroplan.
Jul 15, 2019, 10:30 am
#9
Join Date: May 2017
Location: YEG, SFO, VCA, JR JY-13
Programs: hahaha
Posts: 921
There's a DP from a blog that the old routing rules will be grandfathered if you need to make routing changes from Sept. 1 @Vaguswarrior
https://princeoftravel.com/blog/big-...-mini-rtws-now
Brief update: I called Aeroplan to confirm that 24-hour layovers and custom routings will remain in place after September 1 (for now). Only the stopover policies have changed. Furthermore, any itineraries ticketed before September 1 will remain subject to the old rules, even if you make changes after that date.
Jul 15, 2019, 10:45 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 31
There's a DP from a blog that the old routing rules will be grandfathered if you need to make routing changes from Sept. 1 @Vaguswarrior
https://princeoftravel.com/blog/big-...-mini-rtws-now
https://princeoftravel.com/blog/big-...-mini-rtws-now
Jul 15, 2019, 11:44 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,342
Interesting attitude. The negative changes are called out as "temporary" for "system upgrades", and the fee waivers for SE are what certain members have always used to tout why UA is better.
As someone who's only used two stopovers once, and one of them was only 36 hours, I'm extremely pleased with these changes.
As someone who's only used two stopovers once, and one of them was only 36 hours, I'm extremely pleased with these changes.
Jul 15, 2019, 12:07 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
Interesting attitude. The negative changes are called out as "temporary" for "system upgrades", and the fee waivers for SE are what certain members have always used to tout why UA is better.
As someone who's only used two stopovers once, and one of them was only 36 hours, I'm extremely pleased with these changes.
As someone who's only used two stopovers once, and one of them was only 36 hours, I'm extremely pleased with these changes.
As for the changes being temporary, we've all seen 'temporary IT issues' (e.g. phantom inventory, some carriers being blocked on AE) drag on for years without resolution. I'm not holding out much hope for the old stopover rules ever being restored - in the current Aeroplan program or in the coming Air Canada one. Aeroplan had, to my knowledge, the most generous stopover rules of any *A program, and all that has been committed to in this announcement is that there will be stopovers in some form in the new program.
I've personally never seen a "new, more flexible" FF program launch that wasn't just marketing speak for devaluation. Kudos to AC if they manage it but I'm not holding my breath.
Jul 15, 2019, 12:18 pm
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,342
There's certainly some positive changes, but as someone who doesn't accumulate a huge amount of award miles I don't book a lot of award tickets - just high-value ones. To me, losing mini-RTW in J for 150K vs. saving $25 on refunding a ticket is more of a downgrade than an upgrade. This has long been one of the distinguishing features of the Aeroplan program.
As for the changes being temporary, we've all seen 'temporary IT issues' (e.g. phantom inventory, some carriers being blocked on AE) drag on for years without resolution. I'm not holding out much hope for the old stopover rules ever being restored - in the current Aeroplan program or in the coming Air Canada one. Aeroplan had, to my knowledge, the most generous stopover rules of any *A program, and all that has been committed to in this announcement is that there will be stopovers in some form in the new program.
I've personally never seen a "new, more flexible" FF program launch that wasn't just marketing speak for devaluation. Kudos to AC if they manage it but I'm not holding my breath.
As for the changes being temporary, we've all seen 'temporary IT issues' (e.g. phantom inventory, some carriers being blocked on AE) drag on for years without resolution. I'm not holding out much hope for the old stopover rules ever being restored - in the current Aeroplan program or in the coming Air Canada one. Aeroplan had, to my knowledge, the most generous stopover rules of any *A program, and all that has been committed to in this announcement is that there will be stopovers in some form in the new program.
I've personally never seen a "new, more flexible" FF program launch that wasn't just marketing speak for devaluation. Kudos to AC if they manage it but I'm not holding my breath.
1. We know there are technical changes coming due to Amadeus
2. We can assume there's going to be an overhaul of other components of the system to relaunch under AC
3. They chose to use the word "temporary"
While obviously things can change, I have no doubt in my mind that their intent is for this to be temporary. Mark Nasr is a big fan of transparency (the announcement even mentions a 0.3% statistic, data that is completely unnecessary to share - it also mentions routing to Asia via Europe, which I'm surprised they'd be so willing to advertise), and I just can't see anyone under him putting out an intentionally false statement.
On another matter, I just realized SEs don't get the phone fee waived.
But we can book online for free, and then call for a free change.
Jul 15, 2019, 12:29 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2017
Location: YEG, SFO, VCA, JR JY-13
Programs: hahaha
Posts: 921
Holding out to see how this affects intra-continental reward stopovers (North America) because the wording isn't too clear in my opinion/understanding:
red highlight emphasis mine
So North America retains the stopover, per the existing terms and conditions (excerpt below)??
One takeaway to speculate from today's release is that they're lumping in Can/USA48/Hawaii/Mexico/Central America/Caribbean as "North America" from the news release's bullet points. Not sure if the writer did that for convenience, a shakeup to "North America" as defined in the T&C is coming, or something else entirely. I'm just really confused!
That's hilarious lol
Please note that, as today, for travel within the same continent (except for travel wholly within North America*), one open jaw is permitted but stopovers are not permitted.
* Travel wholly within North America includes:
* Travel wholly within North America includes:
- Within Canada and Continental USA
- Between Canada/Continental USA and Hawaii/Puerto Rico/Mexico/Central America/Caribbean
So North America retains the stopover, per the existing terms and conditions (excerpt below)??
28.1. Travel within Canada or between Canada and the Continental USA (not including Hawaii/Puerto Rico): One stopover permitted in addition to the point of turn . One open jaw is permitted in lieu of the one stopover.
28.2. Between Canada/Cont. USA and Hawaii/Puerto Rico/Mexico/Central America/Caribbean:
28.2.1. Rule for rewards containing only Air Canada flight: Two stopovers are permitted in addition to the point of turnaround. One open jaw is permitted in lieu of one stopover.
28.2.2. Rule for rewards containing a minimum of one flight on a Star Alliance partner other than Air Canada: One stopover is permitted in addition to the point of turnaround. One open jaw is permitted in addition to the one stopover.
28.4. Intracontinental travel (travel within the same continent) except for travel within Canada/Continental USA, or between Canada/Cont. USA and Hawaii/Puerto Rico/Mexico/Central America/Caribbean: Stopovers are not permitted. One open jaw is permitted.
28.2. Between Canada/Cont. USA and Hawaii/Puerto Rico/Mexico/Central America/Caribbean:
28.2.1. Rule for rewards containing only Air Canada flight: Two stopovers are permitted in addition to the point of turnaround. One open jaw is permitted in lieu of one stopover.
28.2.2. Rule for rewards containing a minimum of one flight on a Star Alliance partner other than Air Canada: One stopover is permitted in addition to the point of turnaround. One open jaw is permitted in addition to the one stopover.
28.4. Intracontinental travel (travel within the same continent) except for travel within Canada/Continental USA, or between Canada/Cont. USA and Hawaii/Puerto Rico/Mexico/Central America/Caribbean: Stopovers are not permitted. One open jaw is permitted.
That's hilarious lol