Aug 12, 2020, 12:02 am
Last edit by: Adam Smith
You must call in for stopovers, multi-city, or complicated routings, until the new booking system launches in 2021.
I hope others will significantly improve this wiki!
There are four zones: North America (inc Central), South America, Atlantic (including India and Western Russia), Pacific (inc Eastern Russia) and the chart is based which one you start from and which one you end up in, there's ten of these.
Cost is based on distance, which zone pair your flight is in, which class you are flying in.
Partner airlines (again) are a better deal because while Air Canada will calculate cost on a wide ranges but partner airlines are fixed to the bottom of the range.
YQ is eliminated. There's a 39 CAD fee for booking a ticket which contains a flight on a partner airline. Aside from this, there's no incentive any more to book a return flight it seems and every incentive not to.
Note: The partner booking fee is refundable, so it's basically a YQ, rather than a booking fee.
Most flights are devalued. However, the elimination of YQ sweetens this significantly. Within North America, a lot of flights became cheaper, YVR-HNL very significantly. YVR-TYO is much cheaper while YVR-AKL is a little cheaper.
A vastly more powerful booking system is promised for 2021.
There are a lot of new tricks to be learned. https://princeoftravel.com/blog/new-aeroplan-flight-rewards/ is a good start.
Information that is harder to find:
I hope others will significantly improve this wiki!
There are four zones: North America (inc Central), South America, Atlantic (including India and Western Russia), Pacific (inc Eastern Russia) and the chart is based which one you start from and which one you end up in, there's ten of these.
Cost is based on distance, which zone pair your flight is in, which class you are flying in.
Partner airlines (again) are a better deal because while Air Canada will calculate cost on a wide ranges but partner airlines are fixed to the bottom of the range.
YQ is eliminated. There's a 39 CAD fee for booking a ticket which contains a flight on a partner airline. Aside from this, there's no incentive any more to book a return flight it seems and every incentive not to.
Note: The partner booking fee is refundable, so it's basically a YQ, rather than a booking fee.
Most flights are devalued. However, the elimination of YQ sweetens this significantly. Within North America, a lot of flights became cheaper, YVR-HNL very significantly. YVR-TYO is much cheaper while YVR-AKL is a little cheaper.
A vastly more powerful booking system is promised for 2021.
There are a lot of new tricks to be learned. https://princeoftravel.com/blog/new-aeroplan-flight-rewards/ is a good start.
Information that is harder to find:
- SE IKK redemption from the old program can be changed ("within reason") without repricing. Dates, routings, no problem. Origin/destination should be fine. But nothing that would have required a repricing under the old program. This is from Mark Nasr in https://www.facebook.com/pointsmiles...44878252851420
- The "Activity" page only shows you the most recent ~48 transactions. See this post for information on how to get older data.
- A partial refund may not be possible (e.g. if you book RT and outbound flight is cancelled by you or AC, to delete the first flight segment, you have to cancel the entire ticket and rebook the inbound at a potentially higher fare. It seems supervisor can grant exceptions.)
2020 Air Canada Aeroplan Program
Aug 11, 2020, 9:00 am
#91
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Toronto, ON, CANADA
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Bonvoy LTE
Posts: 1,881
More interesting would be how someone that is MM but not a credit card holder stacks up against someone that is a credit card holder, but not MM.
Aug 11, 2020, 9:07 am
#92
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,736
A redemption pulls miles from each account, so a redemption counts as activity for each member, but if there's no activity in an account, that account's miles will expire. Earning miles in one account does nothing to extend the expiry of any of the others.
Last edited by Adam Smith; Aug 11, 2020 at 9:13 am Reason: Corrected typo
Aug 11, 2020, 9:13 am
#93
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,341
Looks like it's a pretty big devaluation for domestic J rewards, especially for the longer domestic trips. A YVR-YYT is currently 50K points return in J. The points predictor tool gives a range of between 70-140K for a round trip J ticket, so that's an increase of between 40%-180%. That's likely an outlier on the upper range, but that's a huge devaluation for domestic J trips.
It's also pretty annoying that the priority awards don't apply to domestic J rewards except for SE's. I would have thought they might offer some domestic J priority rewards to E50/E75 level.
It's also pretty annoying that the priority awards don't apply to domestic J rewards except for SE's. I would have thought they might offer some domestic J priority rewards to E50/E75 level.
Aug 11, 2020, 9:15 am
#94
Join Date: May 2013
Location: west coast best coast
Programs: TINDER GOLD, STARBUCKS GOLD, COSTCO EXECUTIVE!!
Posts: 3,989
RIP Altitude.
New program reads extremely mediocre to me, especially if you are a SE
New program reads extremely mediocre to me, especially if you are a SE
Aug 11, 2020, 9:20 am
#95
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: トロント
Programs: IHG Gold
Posts: 4,817
For those who want to see changes to the TD VIsa Infinite, they are here. This is for the non-privilege card
https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-ba...sainfiniteFAQ/
I like they will reimburse for Nexus and there is some improvement on the minor insurance stuff. Nominal cost increase of $19 per year, and still free if you are a TD All inclusive account holder
https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-ba...sainfiniteFAQ/
I like they will reimburse for Nexus and there is some improvement on the minor insurance stuff. Nominal cost increase of $19 per year, and still free if you are a TD All inclusive account holder
Aug 11, 2020, 9:30 am
#96
Join Date: May 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Accor Diamond, Hilton Gold
Posts: 415
For those who want to see changes to the TD VIsa Infinite, they are here. This is for the non-privilege card
https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-ba...sainfiniteFAQ/
I like they will reimburse for Nexus and there is some improvement on the minor insurance stuff. Nominal cost increase of $19 per year, and still free if you are a TD All inclusive account holder
https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-ba...sainfiniteFAQ/
I like they will reimburse for Nexus and there is some improvement on the minor insurance stuff. Nominal cost increase of $19 per year, and still free if you are a TD All inclusive account holder
- 1 point for every $1 spent on all other Purchases, including Drugstore Purchases
Aug 11, 2020, 9:34 am
#97
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,736
They're really not changing the earn rates for QMs, other than perhaps simplifying a bit at the bottom. This continues to leave AC's program as a joke when it comes to elite credit for premium fares, relative to many of its peers.
Aug 11, 2020, 9:40 am
#98
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Calgary,AB
Programs: Aeroplan 25K , UA ,WJ, HA, AMEX AP Reserve
Posts: 1,287
Waiting for AMEX to drop their info. Right now I have The AMEX Aeroplat, the TD Infinite (not privilege) and the BMO World Elite card (No AC status). At first blush, it would appear
that the BMO card will be toast (wont need the Priority lounge passes if I can get the missus into MLL for free) and prob even look at ditching AMEX if I upgrade to the
Infinite Privilege. Total fees should come out the same (depending if AMEX hikes the fee) or even a bit lower plus would no longer have to worry about merchants that dont take AMEX.
Question is- do I apply for the upgrade from Infinite to Privilege now (before Nov 8) or wait until after? Might be able to wangle the signup points if I do it before.
Waiting on AMEX.....
that the BMO card will be toast (wont need the Priority lounge passes if I can get the missus into MLL for free) and prob even look at ditching AMEX if I upgrade to the
Infinite Privilege. Total fees should come out the same (depending if AMEX hikes the fee) or even a bit lower plus would no longer have to worry about merchants that dont take AMEX.
Question is- do I apply for the upgrade from Infinite to Privilege now (before Nov 8) or wait until after? Might be able to wangle the signup points if I do it before.
Waiting on AMEX.....
Aug 11, 2020, 9:43 am
#99
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC 35K, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 21
Massive devaluation? LOL. More fake news.
110/115 to 140 for J and 140/160 to 200 for F on Europe partners with the elimination of YQ is reasonable considering UA is already at 242K for RT First.
Considering LH YQ can be as much as US$1,200-$1,300 RT, Aeroplan has actually reduced award prices in many cases.
110/115 to 140 for J and 140/160 to 200 for F on Europe partners with the elimination of YQ is reasonable considering UA is already at 242K for RT First.
Considering LH YQ can be as much as US$1,200-$1,300 RT, Aeroplan has actually reduced award prices in many cases.
Aug 11, 2020, 9:43 am
#100
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 6,211
Taking my first pass through all of this, I can't say I'm too surprised given the trend with other similar programs. And Aeroplan domestic rewards were never that great a use of points for me. But the IKK change has me really conflicted.
My typical reward pattern is that several times a year, I book two pax in J, somewhere across an ocean, and book as early as possible.
So given that, when using my IKK privileges, I was 'competing' with other SEs who were similarly proactive. But the inventory was often very limited, and often booked the outbound and return as separate PNRs which burned through my PRs faster. And sometimes this meant getting mixed class flights which required ongoing monitoring and a call back later. Thankfully, I never had to chance showing up at the airport hoping for available J space.
But soon, I will have access to more J seats, but possibly requiring many more points, and the occasional 'discount' if I am lucky. But I will have a very, very limited number of discounts, even if booking round trips. And I will be competing with more pax than just SEs.
Given the current turmoil with long term schedules, maybe speculation is pointless. But I guess I will have to see how this works out in reality.
My typical reward pattern is that several times a year, I book two pax in J, somewhere across an ocean, and book as early as possible.
So given that, when using my IKK privileges, I was 'competing' with other SEs who were similarly proactive. But the inventory was often very limited, and often booked the outbound and return as separate PNRs which burned through my PRs faster. And sometimes this meant getting mixed class flights which required ongoing monitoring and a call back later. Thankfully, I never had to chance showing up at the airport hoping for available J space.
But soon, I will have access to more J seats, but possibly requiring many more points, and the occasional 'discount' if I am lucky. But I will have a very, very limited number of discounts, even if booking round trips. And I will be competing with more pax than just SEs.
Given the current turmoil with long term schedules, maybe speculation is pointless. But I guess I will have to see how this works out in reality.
Aug 11, 2020, 9:44 am
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE 2MM
Posts: 16,625
Some initial observations:
- What are they going to offer to SE's to avoid this being seen as a particularly massive devaluation to that group? trading IKK for a few vouchers likely isn't going to cut it. YQ has now gone away for everybody - great for non-SE's but it is now a lost differentiator.
- It will be interesting to see how often (rarely) awards are available at the lower end of the value range. If those are generally available, then the higher cost may be worth the trade. If as I expect the odds of finding the low priced options are like winning the lottery, then this becomes an even bigger devaluation.
- Have they published the future earning chart that will launch in late 2021? I suspect long-haul non-J travellers will be earning less than they do now.
- Will they still track million mile total flying distance or will that be wound down with existing beneficiaries possibly grandfathered?
Aug 11, 2020, 9:44 am
#102
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: YOW
Programs: AC SE, FOTSG Platinum
Posts: 5,725
I haven't found any detail on what happens when you book, say, YOW-ORD-TYO-SIN-TPE-YYZ-YOW, with everything but YYZ-YOW on partner metal.
Does that get charged dynamically as an AC award, or fixed-price as a partner award?
What about TPE-HKG-YYZ, with the short leg on EVA and the long leg on AC?
EDIT: I see this from Gary Leff:
Does that get charged dynamically as an AC award, or fixed-price as a partner award?
What about TPE-HKG-YYZ, with the short leg on EVA and the long leg on AC?
EDIT: I see this from Gary Leff:
"If you’re booking a partner award that includes an Air Canada segment, and the Air Canada flight you want isn’t available as a saver award, that won’t require pricing the whole itinerary more expensively. Instead booking a more expensive Air Canada segment increases the price of the award proportional to distance of that segment."
Last edited by YOWgary; Aug 11, 2020 at 9:52 am
Aug 11, 2020, 9:46 am
#103
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE 2MM
Posts: 16,625
Aug 11, 2020, 9:46 am
#104
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 495
Maybe noted already, but I saw that earning and status year will both be calendar based. And that COVID extension is to end of 2021 not end of Feb 2022.
Aug 11, 2020, 9:47 am
#105
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE, HH Gold, Marriott Titanium, National EE, Sixt Platinum, Hertz PC, AVIS PC
Posts: 1,907
Massive devaluation? LOL. More fake news.
110/115 to 140 for J and 140/160 to 200 for F on Europe partners with the elimination of YQ is reasonable considering UA is already at 242K for RT First.
Considering LH YQ can be as much as US$1,200-$1,300 RT, Aeroplan has actually reduced award prices in many cases.
110/115 to 140 for J and 140/160 to 200 for F on Europe partners with the elimination of YQ is reasonable considering UA is already at 242K for RT First.
Considering LH YQ can be as much as US$1,200-$1,300 RT, Aeroplan has actually reduced award prices in many cases.
Are they not charging YQ on 3rd party carriers? Or just AC metal?
Ron.
