Sep 15, 21, 4:27 pm
Last edit by: canopus27
A STATUS PASS DOES NOT CONFER YOUR STATUS TO THE RECIPIENT!
SO FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU ARE SUPER ELITE, YOUR BENEFICIARY DOES NOT GET OR HAVE SUPER ELITE PRIVILEGES! THEY DO NOT GET ANY KIND OF STAR ALLIANCE GOLD PRIVILEGES!
SEE WIKI BELOW!
What is a status pass?
A status pass (sometimes abbreviated as "STPA") grants passengers many of the benefits of elite status (detailed below). One status pass is applied to a booking and extends benefits to all passengers (up to 9), on all flights, on that booking.
The benefits of the STPA don't exactly correspond to any elite tier.
The status pass must be applied before travel commences. It cannot be applied after any flights have been taken. It is unclear whether there is a deadline to apply the pass. A pass can be removed from a booking up to 6 hours before travel commences.
What does a status pass get you?
What DOESN'T a status pass get you?
How does a status pass get added to a reservation?
The pass must be applied by the person with elite status (E50K, E75K, Super Elite). It can be done through the AC app or via the AC website.
In order to apply the pass, you will need the PNR (booking reference) and last name of any of the passengers on the PNR.
How do I know if the Status Pass actually was added? How can the PAX show to Airport staff that they have one?
The person granting the pass should see the pass applied in their Benefits section under Status Pass. Look at sent passes.
COWTOOL PNR lookup will indicate "A status pass has been applied" for reservations where it has been successfully applied.
The PAX should have "STPA" on their boarding pass.
Are status passes different depending on the status of the person giving the pass?
No. All status passes are the same. Whether the pass was given by an 50K or a Super Elite is irrelevant.
The AC website says "travel must occur within the current benefit year". What does that mean?
The recipient's trip must start before the end of the benefit year, which is also the calendar year, i.e. the first flight must be taken on or before December 31.
However, if there are additional flights on the PNR in the following year, the status pass will also be valid for those flights (not explained on the AC site, but verified in practice by FTers for bookings straddling 2021 and 2022).
Do they work for award and cash bookings?
They can be applied to both
SO FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU ARE SUPER ELITE, YOUR BENEFICIARY DOES NOT GET OR HAVE SUPER ELITE PRIVILEGES! THEY DO NOT GET ANY KIND OF STAR ALLIANCE GOLD PRIVILEGES!
SEE WIKI BELOW!
What is a status pass?
A status pass (sometimes abbreviated as "STPA") grants passengers many of the benefits of elite status (detailed below). One status pass is applied to a booking and extends benefits to all passengers (up to 9), on all flights, on that booking.
The benefits of the STPA don't exactly correspond to any elite tier.
The status pass must be applied before travel commences. It cannot be applied after any flights have been taken. It is unclear whether there is a deadline to apply the pass. A pass can be removed from a booking up to 6 hours before travel commences.
What does a status pass get you?
- Priority check-in
- Free checked bags (3 per passenger), with priority baggage handling
- Priority security
- Access to Maple Leaf Lounges ("MLL"), including international lounges, prior to your departing flight
- Priority boarding (Zone 2)
- Priority standby
What DOESN'T a status pass get you?
- Access to non-MLL AC lounges (i.e. Cafe and Signature Suites)
- Access to lounges not operated by AC
- Free seat selection
- MLL guesting privileges
- E50K status (some of the status pass benefits are similar, but are certainly not comprehensively equivalent to E50K)
- *G status
How does a status pass get added to a reservation?
The pass must be applied by the person with elite status (E50K, E75K, Super Elite). It can be done through the AC app or via the AC website.
In order to apply the pass, you will need the PNR (booking reference) and last name of any of the passengers on the PNR.
How do I know if the Status Pass actually was added? How can the PAX show to Airport staff that they have one?
The person granting the pass should see the pass applied in their Benefits section under Status Pass. Look at sent passes.
COWTOOL PNR lookup will indicate "A status pass has been applied" for reservations where it has been successfully applied.
The PAX should have "STPA" on their boarding pass.
Are status passes different depending on the status of the person giving the pass?
No. All status passes are the same. Whether the pass was given by an 50K or a Super Elite is irrelevant.
The AC website says "travel must occur within the current benefit year". What does that mean?
The recipient's trip must start before the end of the benefit year, which is also the calendar year, i.e. the first flight must be taken on or before December 31.
However, if there are additional flights on the PNR in the following year, the status pass will also be valid for those flights (not explained on the AC site, but verified in practice by FTers for bookings straddling 2021 and 2022).
Do they work for award and cash bookings?
They can be applied to both
Status Passes - what are they and how to use them?
Jan 7, 22, 8:24 pm
#256
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: LAX
Programs: AC SE, UA Silver, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 236
Originally Posted by tracon
Status pass issued 2021.
Segment 1 successfully used 2021, segment 2 in the new year also had STPA.
Worked this way for two that I gifted.
Segment 1 successfully used 2021, segment 2 in the new year also had STPA.
Worked this way for two that I gifted.
Jan 8, 22, 2:20 am
#257
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, DL PM, WS Silver, BA Bronze, Marriott Titanium, Hilton/Radisson Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 15,124
Since we now have a few data points on the bookings that straddle year end, I've updated the wiki to reflect that it works.
Jan 8, 22, 2:28 am
#258
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, UA Gold, Bonvoy Tit LT Sil, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Accor Silver
Posts: 41,492
So the wiki says you don't get "Free seat selection".
Would there be benefit in distinguish between that and preferred seats?
SEs get "free seat selection".
All elites get some form of free or discounted "preferred seats".
So there's definitely a distinction that might matter for someone who thinks they can use the SE check-in.
Would there be benefit in distinguish between that and preferred seats?
SEs get "free seat selection".
All elites get some form of free or discounted "preferred seats".
So there's definitely a distinction that might matter for someone who thinks they can use the SE check-in.
Jan 13, 22, 7:31 am
#259
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 1
Aeroplan Status Pass
I would like to know if the status pass will work if I add it to a reservation that has a transit "layover" with the first leg the flight is operated by Air Canada and the other leg is operated by another Star Alliance carrier. For example:Flight from Montreal to Munich via Toronto (YUL - YYZ - MUC)YUL - YYZ operated by Air CanadaYYZ - MUC operated by Lufthansa Will the status pass applied to the booking? Getting the three complimentary bags and accessing the Mable Leaf Lounge at Toronto Airport?
I couldn't find any detailed terms and conditions on the Aeroplan website
I couldn't find any detailed terms and conditions on the Aeroplan website
Feb 20, 22, 8:02 am
#261
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan SE AND 1MM, HHonors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum , L'Accor Platinum
Posts: 9,480
Originally Posted by MillennialMiles
I can confirm this. My STPA recipient was successfully able to access the DOM MLL on arrival (after coaching her through nonetheless!)
My sister-in-law has a status pass. She will be going on a YUL-YYZ flight today. Let us see if she has effortless access to the AC domestic lounge at T1 on arrival this afternoon.
Feb 21, 22, 3:43 pm
#262
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan SE AND 1MM, HHonors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum , L'Accor Platinum
Posts: 9,480
Originally Posted by FlyerGoldII
My sister-in-law has a status pass. She will be going on a YUL-YYZ flight today. Let us see if she has effortless access to the AC domestic lounge at T1 on arrival this afternoon.
My sister-in-law tried unsuccessfully to get into YYZ T1 domestic lounge on arrival.
She was told by lounge agent that status pass would only let her in with a boarding pass for departure.
Feb 21, 22, 3:46 pm
#263
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: YYJ
Programs: AC SE100K MM; Bonvoy Tit; Accor Dia
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by FlyerGoldII
My sister-in-law tried unsuccessfully to get into YYZ T1 domestic lounge on arrival.
She was told by lounge agent that status pass would only let her in with a boarding pass for departure.
She was told by lounge agent that status pass would only let her in with a boarding pass for departure.
Post-flight lounge access is an SE benefit. Status Pass doesn't bestow SE level.
Feb 21, 22, 3:53 pm
#264
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, UA Gold, Bonvoy Tit LT Sil, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Accor Silver
Posts: 41,492
Originally Posted by FlyingFiasco
That would be correct.
Post-flight lounge access is an SE benefit. Status Pass doesn't bestow SE level.
Post-flight lounge access is an SE benefit. Status Pass doesn't bestow SE level.
Feb 21, 22, 9:57 pm
#266
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan SE AND 1MM, HHonors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum , L'Accor Platinum
Posts: 9,480
Originally Posted by FlyingFiasco
Right you are. And here I always thought that was an eclectic SE feature.
And I thought that the status pass gave "some" E50K benefits- I was hoping lounge access (to Canadian and US lounges) on arrival was one such benefit.
Feb 21, 22, 10:09 pm
#267
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: YYJ
Programs: AC SE100K MM; Bonvoy Tit; Accor Dia
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by FlyerGoldII
And I thought that the status pass gave "some" E50K benefits- I was hoping lounge access (to Canadian and US lounges) on arrival was one such benefit.
But, all said, it's still a neat little package.
Feb 21, 22, 11:06 pm
#268
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, DL PM, WS Silver, BA Bronze, Marriott Titanium, Hilton/Radisson Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 15,124
Originally Posted by FlyerGoldII
And I thought that the status pass gave "some" E50K benefits- I was hoping lounge access (to Canadian and US lounges) on arrival was one such benefit.
The benefits of the STPA don't exactly correspond to any elite tier, though. For instance, STPA gets access to all MLLs, but not Cafe. 50Ks get all MLLs plus Cafe. 35Ks get only domestic/TB/US MLLs. So the STPA benefit is in between what 35K and 50K get.
Feb 26, 22, 11:50 am
#269
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*S100K ACMM / HH Diamond
Posts: 2,878
Originally Posted by xX Hope Xx
I would like to know if the status pass will work if I add it to a reservation that has a transit "layover" with the first leg the flight is operated by Air Canada and the other leg is operated by another Star Alliance carrier. For example:Flight from Montreal to Munich via Toronto (YUL - YYZ - MUC)YUL - YYZ operated by Air CanadaYYZ - MUC operated by Lufthansa Will the status pass applied to the booking? Getting the three complimentary bags and accessing the Mable Leaf Lounge at Toronto Airport?
I couldn't find any detailed terms and conditions on the Aeroplan website
I couldn't find any detailed terms and conditions on the Aeroplan website
I know that the status pass will get her into the YYC lounge, but it's unclear if it will also get her into the FRA lounge during her layover (which would obviously be a huge bonus, to have a shower after the overnight flight). It's kinda a middle ground from the above posts, because she will have a departing flight (operated by LH but booked as an AC reward on 014 stock), so it's not really "access on arrival" ... and the FRA lounge is an MLL lounge, so the status pass should be valid for that ...
What do you think? I don't see any posts of similar experiences above (the quoted post is the same state, but there were no responses to that).
If there's no way for her to get FRA access, then I'll probably just give her an MLL guest pass for YYC ... but if it's possible to get into FRA during the layover, then that warrants the status pass ...
Feb 26, 22, 12:54 pm
#270
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, UA Gold, Bonvoy Tit LT Sil, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Accor Silver
Posts: 41,492
Per all the written documentation on status passes, I'd expect it to work.
But based on how it's actually implemented (everything codes on the BP), I don't see how any of it would work for a flight not operated by AC.
But based on how it's actually implemented (everything codes on the BP), I don't see how any of it would work for a flight not operated by AC.
