sadrik

As we all know, once upon a time, RBC reward flights earned AQMs towards your Altitude Elite status. Then that went awry a couple years ago, but you could still work the system by booking with a "statement of credit" if you could find a flight you wanted that was not available on RBC Travel's booking site. Unfortunately, with the new RBC Travel site, well, looks like all flights (except for maybe Cuba) are bookable there now, no loopholes (that I can find).

So, time to walk away from accruing RBC points on my Avion card. They're of little use to me now, at least as far as I'm concerned.

In some random thread I read a while ago, I saw mention that Amex reward flights still gave AC AQMs. Can anyone confirm?

Any other card recommendations from people who still get AQMs from reward flights?

yyckerr

I use my AMEX platinum points and get full AQM/S/D. Both on the fixed mileage and statement credit (1:100) methods.

YEG USER

Depends on what you categorize as reward flights. Are you looking for something fixed mileage or variable mileage?

The TD First Class visa essentially converts points to cash when you redeem. You book any flight you want via their (Expedia) booking site, and then you get a statement credit for the value of points you convert. I know that there are others that work similarly. I know Amex has fixed mileage rewards, but don't have experience with if those earn AQM/S/D.

sadrik

I'm not sure how to answer, so I'll just go long-winded and hope I cover off your question.

With RBC Avion, they have a redemption schedule that, for instance, saps 65000 Avion points for European flights up to $1300 (before taxes and fees), or $1/50 points. If you do direct non-schedule reward flights, you only get $1/100 points. Is the redemption schedule what you call "fixed mileage"?

Anyway, getting double the flights out of my Avion points was an immense perk, and I was doing 2-3 flights a year with them while also getting AC Elite status, until my elite status AQMs went away.

Justsumguy7

I am wondering myself, as I have A LOT of Avion points saved up (hoarding).

I would love to keep my Altitude 35K or hit 50K for 2021 if possible.

I am currently planning a trip to Croatia and looking at flight options, on the rbcrewards website, it is only selecting the cheapest economy seats available (no AQM based on the ticket class). Is there another way to select Flex seats?

Thanks in advance!

sadrik

Until recently, there was no way to book Flex seats on RBCrewards, which was perfect; you could call in, say you wanted Flex, and they'd give you a statement of credit towards reimbursing you for buying the flights yourself on aircanada.com; that way you could benefit from using your Avion points PLUS get unadulterated AQMs.

But the new RBCrewards site offers you Flex (as well as comfort, etc) seats after you pick your flights. If you can book them there, they WILL NOT give you a statement of credit. I called in this afternoon, and after talking to their supervisor, there is apparently no way for them to generate the ticket reference number if the flight exists in the system.

You can still use your hoarded points to pay towards your card balance at the boring 1:100 rate. You just won't get the 1:50 ratio of Avion fixed rate redemption you would otherwise have counted on.

YEG USER

I don't have Avion, so don't know how things work precisely. If there is indeed a new booking system, that allows higher fare families to be booked (i.e Flex, Comfort), I'd be interested to hear of data points that those bookings don't earn AQM. Is it possible that the AQM blocking only applies to "discounted" fares booked via Avion? The explanation for denial of AQM previously was that Avion had negotiated bulk discount rates, but if the rates you book online are the same as posted elsewhere, there isn't a discount that would warrant excluding the earning of AQM IMHO.

canadiancow

Any PNR can be flagged to not earn miles. Avion clearly does it. Aeroplan Market Fare prevents it, even when booked in full J. 100% discount codes add the flag it. Some of the employee discount codes (I think the 20+% percent ones) as well.

The issue isn't that you bought basic economy, it's that you didn't "buy" it.

Justsumguy7

Thats what I figured. It almost makes it not worth collecting points to travel, at least for individuals looking to gain or maintain elite status travelling.

RangerNS

Some do. Some don't.

The suspicion is that various CCs buy a block of whatevers (tickets, seats, routes, bookings) at some secret rate (which do not qualify). And then, as promised to their customers, also buy tickets one at a time at essentially market rates and restrictions (which do).

Do they buy them Wednesday when Bob gets back from lunch, and Wednesday just before then you should book? Maybe? Calendar quarters? Maybe.

If you want AQD, pay D to get it.

If you want free flights for this weeks version of buying 3 tubs of peanut butters, 6 cans of mayo and 12 pounds of beef, then be happy with your free flights.

Fiordland

In the case of Avion the commercial arrangement is visible when booked on some airlines. If your Avion ticket was issued on an airline other than AC and you log into that airlines portal you can usually see exactly how much Avion paid for the ticket an even the masked credit card number that was used to may the payment. I have found that to be the case on both United and TAP Air Portugal issued tickets that include AC segments. Who knows if Avion gets some backend rebate at the end of the year.

One of the other options is to go over to the dark side, (well lets say more a teal than dark). The WS Avion redemption consistently earn point. Same goes for Delta, Alaska and United.

Adam Smith

Peanut butter, mayo, and beef? What are you making with those ingredients? 🤮

FreedomIsntFree

I switched to AMEX as a result. Are other Star Alliance flights available for AQD/AQM with Avion points? I have 200,000 points waiting to be used.

YEG USER

I realize that. I didn't explain my thought very well. My understanding from the original poster is that now the Avion portal is showing booking options that weren't available before. Previously you couldn't book a Flex ticket on that portal. Now you can. All of the previous data points were from the "old" system. So my question is whether bookings in Flex or above are being flagged as non-earning or not (just because they "can" doesn't necessarily mean they "are"). If the Avion site is offering Flex fares (or above) at the same prices as the Air Canada website, I don't see the rationale for flagging these tickets as these tickets are publicly available fares and not a negotiated bulk discount. But it is also conceivable that anything booked with whoever RBC uses as a TA gets flagged as non-earning.

yvr76

I use the BMO World Elite mastercard, and that books into revenue flight without any restrictions for AQMs etc. at present.