As many of you know, and as discussed in last year’s thread regarding improving forum organization, the existing AC forum FAQ thread is very long in the tooth and probably not very useful at this point.

Since last year’s organization discussion, a couple of different FTers have volunteered to work on a new one, but for various reasons, have not been able to deliver.

As a result, I’ve been chipping away at it for a while, but it’s time-consuming to try to pull all of this stuff together, so I thought now that a decent chunk of it is done, I could throw it out there for feedback and for assistance in fleshing it out. I'm sure there are still a bunch of things that should make the list (e.g. I haven't got any credit card stuff in there yet)

A few thoughts on where I was trying to go with this:

• The group that participated in last year’s discussion seemed to feel that the BA forum dashboard was a great example of what such a thread should be like, so that’s generally the goal here, I think
• While the BA thread is basically all images, there are a couple of points where I thought it might be helpful to have a general introduction to the topic in this thread. For example, upgrades. The old “How to Upgrade on Air Canada” thread was littered with all sorts of information that might have been better off in the eUp thread, the LMU thread, etc, and conversations were often duplicated between the two
• The image-heavy nature of the BA dashboard thread was praised, and I’d like to get there for the AC thread too, but it’s a bit of a process, so let’s focus on getting the right threads and links selected and then worry about making it pretty later.
• This thread can’t be a directory of every thread on the AC board; the idea is to highlight the key topics that people most often want to learn about or discuss.

Input and assistance from ALL MEMBERS OF THE FT COMMUNITY is welcome here in trying to get this built, whether you have 10,000 posts or 10. So if you have a suggestion, please post. If you want to suggest more threads to be added, the best way to do so would be to grab the URL and write a short text description, as has been done below, so that I can just copy and paste it.

Earning Status

Qualifying for Aeroplan Elite Status - overview/FAQ

Calculator for SQM, Aeroplan points, & SQD – allows you to calculate the status credit and points that you will earn from any given flight(s)

Missing / incorrect flight activity (SQM/LQM, SQS, SQD, and Aeroplan points)

Annual mileage run thread

Everyday Status Qualification (earn 25K status with no SQD)


Elite Status Benefits (other than upgrades)

Annual overview of benefits

Lounge Passes

Status Passes

Threshold gifts (including threshold eUpgrades)

Super Elite Free Beverage/Snack



Upgrades

Air Canada has several ways to upgrade from the Economy and Premium Economy cabins to Premium Economy and Business cabins. This post provides a quick overview of the different options, but each type of upgrade has its own dedicated thread.

eUpgrades are available to those who have status in the Aeroplan program.

Bid Upgrades allow anyone (regardless of status) to bid on upgrades using either cash or Aeroplan points. Bid Upgrades close 48 hours before departure and are awarded shortly thereafter. Bids may or may not be successful.

Last-Minute Upgrades ("LMUs") allow anyone (regardless of status) to purchase an upgrade at check-in for a fixed price. Barring last-minute operational issues, bid upgrades are guaranteed.

Star Alliance Upgrade Awards ("SAUAs") allow anyone to use points from a Star Alliance loyalty program to upgrade AC flights, or allow Aeroplan members to upgrade flights on other Star Alliance carriers (currently unavailable).

SAUAs apply only to cash tickets. Other types of upgrade can be used with both revenue and points tickets.


AC Website/Apps

Website experiences/complaints/issues –includes items that affect both the app and website

Mobile app

Flight pass app

Seats & Other In-Flight Amenities

Airbus A330-300 (333)

Mitsubishi (formerly Bombardier) CRJ-900 (CR9)

Amenity kits

On-Board WiFi

Meals

International

• Business/Signature
• Premium Economy
• Economy

North America

• Business/Signature
• Premium Economy
• Economy

Meal priority

Special meals



Lounges

Lounge Locations & Access Rules

Maple Leaf Lounges (MLLs)

Signature Suites

Caf�

Lounge meet-ups


General Venting About Air Canada

I work at the airport/for the airline. You're wrong. – tales of woefully incorrect information provided by AC staff

Long call centre wait times


Fleet Information

Master fleet changes thread

Re-painting in the new (2017) livery

Note: the aircraft threads here are meant to be for general discussion about the fleet – acquiring the aircraft (or getting rid of them), refurbishing cabins, interior fixtures, etc. For information on seating, e.g. which is the best seat, which seats are preferred by couples, etc, please see the seating threads above

Boeing 787-8 & 787-9 (788 & 789)

Airbus A330-300 (333) refurbishments

Boeing 737-8 (7M8)

Airbus A220-300 (223)


Common Points Booking Questions, Issues & Information

Complaints/rants about Aeroplan 2.0 dynamic pricing

Complex Multi-City Bookings, Stopovers & Adding Segments After Booking

If you're talking about the images in the first 9 posts of https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...dashboard.html, I'm not sure what the point is.

The images are, at best, only loosely related to their labels. They don't seem to add much value. They just take up A LOT of space.

For example, this one (I've cut off the label):


What AC thread would that apply to?
Air Canada Over the Wing In-flight photos/videos
You MUST put your window shades down!
Or could it be more of a pun, and apply to something like cancellation windows, eUpgrade clearance windows, etc.?

Because on the BA forum, it's actually https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...2-edition.html

Not at all intuitive.

During the big discussion last year, many people indicated they quite liked them. Not everyone will, and there's a text version at the end of that thread for that reason.

But for now, the main focus would be on making sure we have the right content.

No feedback whatsoever? For anyone who has complained about information being hard to find, this is a golden opportunity to provide input on how that can be changed.

Latest draft:

Earning Status

Qualifying for Aeroplan Elite Status - overview/FAQ

Calculator for SQM, Aeroplan points, & SQD – allows you to calculate the status credit and points that you will earn from any given flight(s)

Missing / incorrect flight activity (SQM/LQM, SQS, SQD, and Aeroplan points)

Annual mileage run thread

Everyday Status Qualification (earn 25K status with no SQD)


Elite Status Benefits (other than upgrades)

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-canada-aeroplan/2098902-2023-aeroplan-elite-status-benefits.html]Annual overview of benefits[/url]

Lounge Passes

Status Passes

Threshold gifts (including threshold eUpgrades)

Super Elite Free Beverage/Snack



Upgrades

Air Canada has several ways to upgrade from the Economy and Premium Economy cabins to Premium Economy and Business cabins. This post provides a quick overview of the different options, but each type of upgrade has its own dedicated thread.

eUpgrades are available to those who have status in the Aeroplan program.

Bid Upgrades allow anyone (regardless of status) to bid on upgrades using either cash or Aeroplan points. Bid Upgrades close 48 hours before departure and are awarded shortly thereafter. Bids may or may not be successful.

Last-Minute Upgrades ("LMUs") allow anyone (regardless of status) to purchase an upgrade at check-in for a fixed price. Barring last-minute operational issues, bid upgrades are guaranteed.

Star Alliance Upgrade Awards ("SAUAs") allow anyone to use points from a Star Alliance loyalty program to upgrade AC flights, or allow Aeroplan members to upgrade flights on other Star Alliance carriers (currently unavailable).

SAUAs apply only to cash tickets. Other types of upgrade can be used with both revenue and points tickets.


AC Website/Apps

Website experiences/complaints/issues –includes items that affect both the app and website

Mobile app

Flight pass app

Seats & Other In-Flight Amenities

Questions and information about aircraft interiors – general information on seats, which seats are best, IFE, overhead bins, etc
Boeing 787-9 (789)
Boeing 787-8 (788)
Airbus A330-300 (333)
Boeing 737-8 (7M8)
Mitsubishi (formerly Bombardier) CRJ-900 (CR9)


Other in-flight amenities
Amenity kits
On-Board WiFi

Meals

International

• Business/Signature
• Premium Economy
• Economy

North America

• Business/Signature
• Premium Economy
• Economy

Meal priority

Special meals



Lounges

Lounge Locations & Access Rules – this is the ONLY thread for discussion of lounge access

Maple Leaf Lounges (MLLs)

Signature Suites

Caf�

Lounge meet-ups


General Venting About Air Canada

I work at the airport/for the airline. You're wrong. – tales of woefully incorrect information provided by AC staff

Long call centre wait times


Fleet Information

Master fleet changes thread

Re-painting in the new (2017) livery

Note: the aircraft threads here are meant to be for general discussion about the fleet – acquiring the aircraft (or getting rid of them), refurbishing cabins, interior fixtures, etc. For information on seating, e.g. which is the best seat, which seats are preferred by couples, etc, please see the seating threads above

Boeing 787-8 & 787-9 (788 & 789)

Airbus A330-300 (333) refurbishments

Boeing 737-8 (7M8)

Airbus A220-300 (223)


Common Points Booking Questions, Issues & Information

Basic questions about redemptions in Aeroplan 2.0 (post-2020)

Basic "help me with this trip" Aeroplan planning/availability questions

Complaints/rants about Aeroplan 2.0 dynamic pricing

Complex Multi-City Bookings, Stopovers & Adding Segments After Booking

I'll add to this FAQ following my latest search.

Looks pretty extensive to me. Almost everything I care about is here.

Only things I can think of are:
(1) same day standby/change;
(2) AC-specific connection and baggage through check on separate tickets.

But both could be niche and of less interest to general public.

I love the Wiki details on Eupgrades, for all of the above, similar summary of the known knowledge base would be useful. Digging through a 100's post threads to figure out an issue is painful.

Also, I would added Wiki sections on Buddy Pass and Companion pass since those are 2 common benefits which people ask questions about.

I dont think this is covered anywhere- happened to me at least 3 times past year:

1)What to do if you have paid for preferred seating, there is an aircraft change and you lose your pref seat and
you dont receive the refund automatically
2) What to do if you are upgraded using an e-upgrade , you have paid for preferred seating in Y and
you dont receive the refund
3) What to do if you use e-ups and pay the add-on to get J and are downgraded to PY
and dont receive the refund of the e-up credits and/or part of the add-on.

Many folks wont know/or cant find the link or place on the website to contact AC for these screwups as its kind of buried.

If you genericized the "venting" topic, you could include threads like "bad behaviour on the plane" and "annoying lounge patrons". Maybe a "social" category to cover meetups (Do's and lounge) and the lounge thread. Good/bad concierge reports could be under "Elite Status Benefits" or its own category (which could include the free drink/snack as "Super Elite Benefits" or something. MM roll-call under "Earning Status"?

I'm definitely a less vocal member here in FT but I am an active reader of FT, especially the AC forums every day. I wanted to offer my 2 cents to the matter. I agree with The Macker and think that the Wikis have been a crucial part of the my learning whilst here on FT.

I also like the idea of something akin to the BA image menu that was mentioned above. Whilst its value may not significant for the expert users, it does provide an interface that makes it much easier for those who are new to FT to explore new and different topics (though, of course, it won't do much to solve the issue of people coming in, not reading the wiki or the existing threads, and asking questions that have been repeatedly asked before (I am guilty)).

You've mentioned the images versus text topic so clearly that's the only thing we should now spend all our energy bikeshedding over now....

Fwiw I think the section heading images in the BA thread are pretty pointless and excessively large. Sometimes small images can be helpful even if they're content free since it makes it easy to skim quickly to a point you keep referring back to -- you can remember it visually and skim to it. But the ones in the BA thread are over the top.

The one place the images are actually quite useful is the pictorial guide to navigating the tunnels in Heathrow. And we don't have things like that in the AC forum. And not that they wouldn't be useful either. I've gotten lost connecting in YYZ in the past. A thread about OSS and the signage to watch for and the different types of connections and how long it takes to make different connections and which lounges are accessible on different connections etc wouldn't be out of place.

I think this is what the real benefit in working on this overview would be. It should help us find gaps where more content would be helpful either because it doesn't exist or its buried in some old threads or spread through many threads.

Updated... Feedback and assistance continue to be welcomed


Air Canada Forum Overview



Earning Status

Qualifying for Aeroplan Elite Status - overview/FAQ
Calculator for SQM, Aeroplan points, & SQD – allows you to calculate the status credit and points that you will earn from any given flight(s)
Missing / incorrect flight activity (SQM/LQM, SQS, SQD, and Aeroplan points)
Annual mileage run thread
Everyday Status Qualification (earn 25K status with no SQD)
Million mile recognition
Million mile roll call


Elite Status Benefits (other than upgrades, which are detailed in a separate section below)

Annual overview of benefits
Lounge Passes
Status Passes
Threshold gifts (including threshold eUpgrades)
Priority Rewards
Super Elite Free Beverage/Snack


Upgrades

Air Canada has several ways to upgrade from the Economy and Premium Economy cabins to Premium Economy and Business cabins. This post provides a quick overview of the different options, but each type of upgrade has its own dedicated thread.

eUpgrades are available to those who have status in the Aeroplan program.

Bid Upgrades allow anyone (regardless of status) to bid on upgrades using either cash or Aeroplan points. Bid Upgrades close 48 hours before departure and are awarded shortly thereafter. Bids may or may not be successful.

Last-Minute Upgrades ("LMUs") allow anyone (regardless of status) to purchase an upgrade at check-in for a fixed price. Barring last-minute operational issues, bid upgrades are guaranteed.

Star Alliance Upgrade Awards ("SAUAs") allow anyone to use points from a Star Alliance loyalty program to upgrade AC flights, or allow Aeroplan members to upgrade flights on other Star Alliance carriers (currently unavailable).

SAUAs apply only to cash tickets. Other types of upgrade can be used with both revenue and points tickets.

Operational upgrades happen when the a cabin is oversold or AC needs to move passengers forward for weight and balance issues. Unlike the US carriers, AC DOES NOT upgrade elite passengers in to any and all empty seats up front. AC is willing to allow staff travelling on passes to sit in J/PY and/or let seats go empty. Op-ups can’t be requested and should never be expected; receiving them is mostly a matter of luck.


Credit Cards

AC has co-branded credit cards with several financial institutions. Each institution’s cards have their own thread for general questions about those cards, sign-up bonuses, etc. For information on benefits common to the various cards, please see the following section.

CIBC credit cards
American Express credit cards
TD credit cards
Chase credit cards (US residents only)

AC also allows points transfers from certain credit card partners’ own rewards currencies. For information about those transfers, please see these threads:
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Amex Membership Rewards


Credit Card Benefits

Rollover benefits (rollover of SQM and eUpgrades)
Companion passes
Buddy passes
Checked baggage


AC Website/Apps

Website experiences/complaints/issues –includes items that affect both the app and website
Mobile app
Flight pass app
I Can't Check In Online / Online Check-In (OLCI) Issues


Seats & Other Interior Information (overhead bins, IFE, etc)

Boeing 777-300ER (77W)
Boeing 777-200LR (77L)
Boeing 787-9 (789)
Boeing 787-8 (788)
Airbus A330-300 (333)
Boeing 737-8 (7M8)
Airbus A321 (321)
Airbus A220-300 (223)
rouge Airbus A321 (321)
rouge Airbus A319 (319)
Embraer 175 (E75)
Mitsubishi (formerly Bombardier) CRJ-900 (CR9)

Other On-Board Amenities

On-Board WiFi

Amenity kits

In-flight entertainment recommendations

Meals

North America – Canada, US (including Hawaii), Caribbean, Central America (up to and including Panama)

• Business/Signature
• Premium Economy
• Economy

International – everything other than North America

• Business/Signature
• Premium Economy
• Economy

Meal priority

Special meals

Meal pre-ordering

Cocktails you can make on board



Lounges

Lounge Locations & Access Rules
Maple Leaf Lounges (MLLs)
Signature Suites
Caf�
Lounge meet-ups


General Venting About Air Canada

I work at the airport/for the airline. You're wrong. – tales of woefully incorrect information provided by AC staff

Long call centre wait times

I would have flown Air Canada but...


Fleet Information

Master fleet changes thread

Re-painting in the new (2017) livery

Note: the aircraft threads in this section are meant to be for general discussion about the fleet – acquiring the aircraft (or getting rid of them), refurbishing cabins, interior fixtures, etc. For information on seating, e.g. which is the best seat, which seats are preferred by couples, etc, please see the seating threads above

Boeing 787-8 & 787-9 (788 & 789)
Airbus A330-300 (333) refurbishments
Airbus A321XLR
Boeing 737-8 (7M8)
Airbus A220-300 (223)


Common Points Booking Questions, Issues & Information

Complaints/rants about Aeroplan 2.0 dynamic pricing
Complex Multi-City Bookings, Stopovers & Adding Segments After Booking
Complaints about lack of partner availability
Aeroplan expiry policies & tips on keeping points alive (2020 onwards)
Family Sharing


Baggage

Carry-on baggage enforcement
List of carry-on bags that fit AC sizers
Checked baggage on long layovers
Through-checking bags on separate tickets (short answer: usually not permitted)
Star Gold / Silver (*G / *S) checked baggage policy
Checked baggage fees
Priority baggage



Problems travelling with AC – schedule changes, IRROPs, baggage, etc

Please review this list and post in the appropriate thread; please do not start new threads on these topics. If you have more than one question, please make posts in each thread that is relevant. For instance, if AC lost your bags on one flight, and you’d like to know about compensation for a very lengthy delay on a different flight, please post about your baggage in the baggage thread, and post about delay compensation in the appropriate compensation thread.

Has AC changed your flight in advance of travel (more than 48 hours from scheduled departure)? AC changed/cancelled my flight. What are my options?

Problems on or about day of travel (within 48 hours of scheduled departure)? (Delays/cancellations/diversions): Flight [AC xxxx] Cancellation / Delay / Diversion etc. on [date] 2022

Lost baggage? Tracing and locating missing baggage

Looking for compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight?
Denied boarding compensation


Threads on Specific Aeroplan Partners

Certain Aeroplan partners have dedicated threads about reward availability, earning Aeroplan/SQx, etc. The main place to ask questions about those airlines remains the forum for that particular airline, but some discussion of AC/Aeroplan-related aspects is permitted in the AC forum.

(list in alphabetical order)

Air Mauritius

Etihad Etihad Airways new Aeroplan partner as of May 1, 2019

EVA

Gulf Air

Virgin Australia

Perhaps a category of �Tips, Tools and Hacks for Newbies� might make sense.

Things like cowtools, how to ensure that we get -014 stock tickets when using an OTA, tools to enhance the AC website for revenue multi
stop trips, EF etc might make sense.

The �Early Status Recognition� thread is where I have learned the most as a new user and it should be highlighted in the Status section in my view.

Adam, should the long-running Flight Pass thread be added here?
Flight Passes - General Questions and Information