gnof

For the longest time, I thought that stopover means > 24 hours between end of one flight to the beginning of next on a single ticket (going the same direction). Anything < 24 hr is a connection.

Recently, AC canceled a direct flight A-B and they automatically rebooked me on an unfavorable itinerary A-X-B.
It is an aeroplan redemption so I called in, asking if I can do A-X-B but staying in X overnight (< 24 hours on the ground in X). I don't mind the overnight - I just need to fly outside work hours.

I was denied this request; the agent said that anything > 12 hrs on a North America-only itinerary is considered a stopover. As much as I wanted to push back, I couldn't stand to be put on hold any longer.

When did the > 12 hr = stopover on N.A. itineraries start?

canadiancow

Unsure. I believe it was historically 4 hours.

But for an involuntary schedule change, they should be able to accommodate your request.

Jebby_ca

It was a max of 4 hours within North America I believe - 4 hours between arrival of previous flight to departure of next flight, unless the next scheduled flight is > 4 hrs away. International has been less than 24hrs.

zappy312

The AP Flight Reward Policy is pretty clear about a 4 hour connection, unless otherwise permitted. https://www.aircanada.com/content/da...-policy-en.pdf

Bartolo

I was informed several months ago that the rule is different for revenue tx — extra confusion. AE also told me that >4 hrs I only if there’s no connecting flight within the 4 hrs.meaning first scheduled flight.

I was permitted a stopover greater than 4 hrs on a rebooked tx due to original (direct) flight being cancelled by AC (Aeroplan tx). My recollection is it had to be done manually and initially agent was skeptical.

asovse1

I've never really internalized the 4-hour CAN/US<-->CAN/US maximum connection time until now. In that case, I don't think booking through the website will enforce the rule consistently (not sure if it'll help you to try that, OP, if a desireable routing exists on the website and telling a phone rep about it)

Maybe the following award flights fall under "unless otherwise permitted", whatever that means?

I'm always on a morning YEG-YVR flight, hang out with friends in YVR for the day, then onward to the last SFO or SJC flight. That's always a layover >4 hours and there was an earlier AC YVR-SFBA I could have booked on but the website offered me a longer layover ("stopover" I guess) and I gladly accepted.

I even deliberately booked ~6 hour layovers for upcoming YEG-YYC-HNL-YVR-YEG, rejecting the 60-90 minute layovers on the shorter duration journeys offered...

gnof

Yeah, I tried giving my preferred itinerary but the AE phone agent was firm. Tried HUACA but the next agents had in their notes that I had already called...

My big issue with it was that I had booked the direct, which would've worked out perfectly, but was put onto a connection that overlaps with 9-5 work hours. I tried explaining that I want to be put on flights after work hours but agent just referenced the rules and said it was policy and if I didn't like it, I can cancel it / reprice (which of course would have increased the costs).

Pretty disappointing given it's an involuntary schedule change with a cancellation of a direct. Enhancements, I guess

yyzgigi

During the height of COVID when there were very few flights they were a lot more liberal with connection windows. Sounds like they are back to the old hard rules, although with involuntary changes they have tended to be more flexible historically. Sounds like you may have got a difficult agent who went out of their way to document it so it stuck.

Stranger

While some rules may indeed differ, I believe the exception to the 4 hours limit also applies for paid tickets if there is no flight within the four hours window.

Bartolo

I specifically queried this “rule” a few months ago because AE search did not pull up the same connecting options as AC revenue search.. I was informed by an agent that it was 12 hrs for revenue and 4 for AE tx unless there was no connection possible within the 4 hrs. In that case, first available flight beyond 4 hrs. Didn’t seem reasonable to me but I’m only a customer.

Stranger

12 hours for revenue? Pretty sure it used to be 4 hours...

Bartolo

Positive because I booked it. Longer connection gave me a 787 and more time in the hotel to sleep. On this particular route, there was a shorter connection but did not give me these benefits. Also, the agent specifically mentioned the 4 hr vs 12 rule difference when I queried it.

i was looking the other day at something similar for next fall. I was surprised to see an AE tx with the longer connection, despite a shorter connection (just within the 4 hr window) in the schedule. I don’t want to be specific about the route and other details here for obvious reasons. I’m booking it now in case it disappears.