SSWU vs. regular SWUs?
May 25, 2004, 6:46 am
#17
At Large
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: oakville Ontario canada;AC*SE
Posts: 16,985
Originally Posted by Academic
With all these SWUs floating around, despite all the cries of how badly done by we were this year with respect to certs, I would worry that AC could feel that they could cut back even further next year. 
In trying to become all things to all pax they have lost some ground to their best customers who will pay a premium but not be raped in doing so. IOW's people do recognize value for services received.
As a so called "apologist"
for AC I don't want to sound too critical but they do need to revise their thinking with regards to their most frequent fliers.
May 25, 2004, 7:59 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 12,074
Parnel,your point on revenue is correct.I spend a lot on tickets that would be upgradeable if Jazz had a J seat around the Great lakes.I have a lot of coupons I could use because of fare paid,but cannot because the seat is not available.A different perspective.
May 25, 2004, 8:26 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: YXU, ON Canada
Programs: AC LT E50K; AC*MM; SPG LT Gold
Posts: 4,665
I wasn't disagreeing with the sentiments. I also have a number of unused SWUs because I refuse to pay the huge difference for upgradeable fares. However, as we all know, AC logic is not the same as ours. They must be losing an awful lot of revenue from those who were willing to pay for V and H fares last year who are now opting for Fun and Econo tickets.
May 25, 2004, 2:41 pm
#20
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,277
FYI I traded all of my SWU's for SSWU's at the ratio of 3:1 earlier this year. For me personally, the SSWU's are the only certs I can really benefit from as I never pay Latitude or full Y. All of my SWU's from past years ended up in the garbage or as donations to other FTers.
May 25, 2004, 4:11 pm
#22
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Canada
Programs: AC SE 2MM, HH Dd, SPG; IC Pl/A; AA; DL
Posts: 14,336
and to add to those leaving in North America from what Academic posted:
and people like me who used to fly transcon on AC on H fare to get to US destinations, now flying on UA in econo plus . . .
and people like me who used to fly transcon on AC on H fare to get to US destinations, now flying on UA in econo plus . . .
May 25, 2004, 4:36 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Chilling with penguins
Posts: 13,043
On the other hand, there are people like me now who are willing to pay a few extra dollars for H instead of V/Q/L class on transatlantics to sit in C (and to milk the C points on the domestic part of the international itin)... So, admittedly, AC is getting a few extra hundred from me this year. But, I still buy the rock bottom fare if I know the chances of getting op-ug are good on the YYZLHR run...
May 25, 2004, 8:44 pm
#24
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Vancouver/Toronto
Posts: 145
AC has stated that they are in essence willing/going to lose domestic market share to their competitors; given that I would have thought that the domestic customers that AC would try to ensure they hang on to would be some of their domestic FF -yet their recent changes to the upgrades and status miles does nothing to reward those travellers. It would seem the way to go about it would be the opposite of what AC has done -on low competition/monopoly international flights there is no reason to give full status miles or such (ex. toronto-delhi) -a business traveller is probably likely to take the flight anyway because it is the most direct, and the price sensetive people who can nearyl earn prestige status on one fairly cheap ticekt arent the customers you are going after.....
...which brings me to AC`s large order for regional jets (which are for domestic/transborder traffic) -these are more expensive to operate than normal widebody jets, so AC`s new business model in part calls on them to be able to achieve a price advantage by frequency-back to targetting slightly less price sensitive customers. IMO, on domestic trunk routes, if AC doesnt offer the domestic business traveller something more than simple frequency (i.e. actual miles, upgrades) the schedule is not going to drive enough high$ -many of us can wait an extra hour and take a westjet flight if it is cheaper.
I think a while ago, perhpas it was Ken(?) who suggested AC award status based upon $$ spent - I think this is may be a real option. I can spend $1000k on an YYZ-YVR "fun" fare and the miles gained are almost the same as booking it on destina and paying with an amex platinum card, thus really not rewarding the actual traveller (and at $1k for that kind of domestic itinerary, probably not a bad yield)
...which brings me to AC`s large order for regional jets (which are for domestic/transborder traffic) -these are more expensive to operate than normal widebody jets, so AC`s new business model in part calls on them to be able to achieve a price advantage by frequency-back to targetting slightly less price sensitive customers. IMO, on domestic trunk routes, if AC doesnt offer the domestic business traveller something more than simple frequency (i.e. actual miles, upgrades) the schedule is not going to drive enough high$ -many of us can wait an extra hour and take a westjet flight if it is cheaper.
I think a while ago, perhpas it was Ken(?) who suggested AC award status based upon $$ spent - I think this is may be a real option. I can spend $1000k on an YYZ-YVR "fun" fare and the miles gained are almost the same as booking it on destina and paying with an amex platinum card, thus really not rewarding the actual traveller (and at $1k for that kind of domestic itinerary, probably not a bad yield)