Sep 15, 2021, 4:27 pm
Last edit by: Bohemian1
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.
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 prove 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.
My status pass expires December 31 2023. What does that mean?
The status pass must be applied before the expiry date. The actual travel can take place any time in the future.
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.
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) and Cafés, prior to your departing flight
- Priority boarding (Zone 2)
- Priority standby
- Unpublished benefit: the STPA seems to confer eUp priority similar to 50K status
- More details in the FAQ here
What DOESN'T a status pass get you?
- Access to 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 prove 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.
My status pass expires December 31 2023. What does that mean?
The status pass must be applied before the expiry date. The actual travel can take place any time in the future.
Do they work for award and cash bookings?
They can be applied to both.
Status Passes - what are they and how to use them?
Aug 12, 2020, 10:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 1,844
Status Passes - what are they and how to use them?
A clarification on the Status Pass: some blogs appear to be indicating this is valid just for one day, eg day of departure, perhaps due to Aeroplan head Mark Nasr during the briefings handily describing the perks as equivalent to being “50K for a day”.
AC has clarified this and confirmed to me that because the Status Pass is attached to an itinerary it covers the entire itinerary, and therefore both legs of a journey - so if the recipient of the pass is flying YVR-LHR return for example, they enjoy those “50K for a day” benefits on both the YVR-LHR and LHR-YVR legs.
AC has clarified this and confirmed to me that because the Status Pass is attached to an itinerary it covers the entire itinerary, and therefore both legs of a journey - so if the recipient of the pass is flying YVR-LHR return for example, they enjoy those “50K for a day” benefits on both the YVR-LHR and LHR-YVR legs.
Aug 12, 2020, 2:09 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 4,604
A clarification on the Status Pass: some blogs appear to be indicating this is valid just for one day, eg day of departure, perhaps due to Aeroplan head Mark Nasr during the briefings handily describing the perks as equivalent to being “50K for a day”.
AC has clarified this and confirmed to me that because the Status Pass is attached to an itinerary it covers the entire itinerary, and therefore both legs of a journey - so if the recipient of the pass is flying YVR-LHR return for example, they enjoy those “50K for a day” benefits on both the YVR-LHR and LHR-YVR legs.
AC has clarified this and confirmed to me that because the Status Pass is attached to an itinerary it covers the entire itinerary, and therefore both legs of a journey - so if the recipient of the pass is flying YVR-LHR return for example, they enjoy those “50K for a day” benefits on both the YVR-LHR and LHR-YVR legs.
Last edited by Adam Smith; Aug 8, 2021 at 8:44 pm Reason: Edit to reflect thread move
Aug 25, 2020, 10:33 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan 50K/Star Alliance Gold, Accor Gold, base level Marriott/Hyatt/Hilton
Posts: 657
Does the status pass option apply to *A partners? i.e. if I, a SE grant my friend who is flying YYZ-MUC-ZRH in Y a status pass, will he/she be allowed to use the LH Senator lounge in MUC, have priority boarding on that flight, etc?
This new program sounds amazing. There are definitely some disadvantages but overall these are great and very welcome improvements. This is obviously very unimportant but judging the commercials it looks like 25K cards and luggage tags are back
This new program sounds amazing. There are definitely some disadvantages but overall these are great and very welcome improvements. This is obviously very unimportant but judging the commercials it looks like 25K cards and luggage tags are back
Aug 25, 2020, 10:45 pm
#4
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: 44,323
The same goes for priority boarding.
They can easily throw an AC*CC on a BP for benefits on AC flights and in AC lounges, but they can't change how the *A system works.
Aug 25, 2020, 10:48 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan 50K/Star Alliance Gold, Accor Gold, base level Marriott/Hyatt/Hilton
Posts: 657
Extremely unlikely. You can't make someone *G on a PNR. Either their number is *G or it isn't. So that precludes Senator lounges. And if they're in Y, they're not getting into business lounges.
The same goes for priority boarding.
They can easily throw an AC*CC on a BP for benefits on AC flights and in AC lounges, but they can't change how the *A system works.
The same goes for priority boarding.
They can easily throw an AC*CC on a BP for benefits on AC flights and in AC lounges, but they can't change how the *A system works.
Mar 19, 2021, 6:02 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,603
Status Pass; Has anyone used these yet?
Has anyone used these yet? I appear to have 4 despite not having chosen it as a select benefit. Did they give everyone over E50 a chance to try them out?
Mar 24, 2021, 5:04 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
I have one of these and tried to give it to a friend who is traveling a week from now. I entered her PNR and last name, and hit SEND. The envelope closed, then reopened and nothing happened. Anyone else have any luck?
Edit: I may have found the problem. Seems there was a schedule change. Waiting for friend to accept it and will try again. Would have been nice if AC/AE had told me what the issue was.
Edit: I may have found the problem. Seems there was a schedule change. Waiting for friend to accept it and will try again. Would have been nice if AC/AE had told me what the issue was.
Last edited by margarita girl; Mar 24, 2021 at 5:31 am
Mar 25, 2021, 5:30 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
I called AC and they accepted the change on my friend’s reservation, but I still couldn’t apply the Status Pass. Agent said it was probably due to the fact it was an award ticket, but I see no such restrictions on the website. Does anyone have any idea if this is correct? Or any experience in applying these status passes?
BTW, like the other posters, I don’t recall selecting this as a choice benefit but there is 1 in my account.
TIA
BTW, like the other posters, I don’t recall selecting this as a choice benefit but there is 1 in my account.
TIA
Mar 25, 2021, 5:44 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: YKZ
Programs: AC MM SE, Marriott Titanium - Lifetime Plat 2nd Class, National Executive, Avis PP
Posts: 681
I am not sure of the answer to your first question, but in terms of the mystery of the unchosen benefit in your account, I have the same and believe it was AC/AP providing E50/E75 with 1 pass each to try the benefit out. SE's received more, but cannot recall how many.
Hopefully they will iron out the bugs before your try and use again
CC
Hopefully they will iron out the bugs before your try and use again
CC
Mar 25, 2021, 8:28 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Well, I couldn’t make it work, but I called AE (not AC) and agent was able to apply the status pass (and it has now been removed from my account). Apparently, they are valid with revenue and reward tickets.
Hope this helps someone else.
Hope this helps someone else.
Mar 27, 2021, 4:56 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Platinum, hhonors Gold
Posts: 3,421
As an SE MM I ended up with four status passes without selecting them.
This OMAT blog talks about the one one free for E50 this year. https://onemileatatime.com/air-canad...n-status-pass/
This OMAT blog talks about the one one free for E50 this year. https://onemileatatime.com/air-canad...n-status-pass/
Mar 28, 2021, 12:54 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: YUL
Programs: Aeroplan 50K, Accor Diamond
Posts: 253
I applied a status pass to a colleague that needed to travel for death in her family. It worked immediately and was applied to everyone in her reservation (4pax). Will report back when she’s back in a couple of weeks
Mar 29, 2021, 8:27 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan SE AND 1MM, HHonors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum , L'Accor Platinum
Posts: 9,580
I thought the status pass was limited to one passenger? I thought status pass was valid for only 1 day?
Do the status pass T and C's state that status pass applies to i passenger or I pnr/reservation?
If the latter, it would apply to return flights as well as the outgoing flights?
Do the status pass T and C's state that status pass applies to i passenger or I pnr/reservation?
If the latter, it would apply to return flights as well as the outgoing flights?