I've just made E, but have a *A RTW planned for this June. A few questions:

1. As I live in NZ, what are the odds of getting my E package before 9 June? Any chance I can get AP to 'hurry it up'?

2. Assuming I don't get it, will I be allowed lounge access across the *A network if *G is indicated on my boarding pass?

David

Print off your AP statement online where it says "Elite". You should be fine then.

For most of the *A flights that I have taken, the boarding pass will have a notation that you are a *A Gold level member. May be that should be sufficient id to let you into the lounge. I don't know and don't what to get into an arguement on whether the rule should be waived. If you are flying F or J, you'll have access "automatically" by the class your travel.

Because David was not Elite at the time of his booking, his file will not show his Elite status, hence it will not show on his BP. If it was a pure AC reservation, he could call AC and ask them to refresh/update his file to show his newly earned status, I am unsure if this will work with a * booking, well worth a try though.

As others have mentioned, just log onto AP.com and print your balance page showing your status. I did this in 2003 when I first earned E, it worked fine.

It will be at the discretion of the lounge agent in question. So the more proof you have of your *G status, the better. While a print-out of an online statement will work in many cases, you can increase your chances if you get a faxed letter from Aeroplan confirming your *G status.

However, keep in mind that technically, they can deny you access if you don't present a valid *G card when entering the lounge.

Upgrading of status occurs each Sunday, so depends when you crossed the line and that happened, last Sunday or this Sunday.

I am awaiting a similar new kit, so will post when it arrives as last Sunday was when my account was "scanned". As I live a few miles from the processing centre, you can then add two weeks for passage through the postal system to New Zealand. I actually expect it would not take a full month, and you should have your card/package by sometime in May. If not, as others suggest, print off your account page before you leave, and that should get you into the lounges you need.

I never had problem when I lost my card and printed out the statement and had a fax from AC, only Singapore hassled me and they still let me in.

Thanks, folks. The booking I've made is still live (and changing every week as my schedule changes) and hasn't been ticketed yet, so I'll ask if TA if he can refresh it, on the off-chance that it will show up. However, I always thought the FQTV data depended on what was in the system at the time of check-in, not booking. For ex, I was in Rotorua in late 2002, at check-in, when lo and behold my BP said *G. The flight from AKL-ROT three days earlier put me over the threshold.

I have since thrown out my 2003 E Card - would someone be able to PM me the Elite desk phone number (not the 1-800 as I cannot dial those from here in NZ). I assume they would be the ones able to help?

Thanks again everyone

David

I once had to race a MLL agent in YYZ to see who could get through to Aeroplan to convince them that I was an Elite member.

I won

Looking up the direct dial tel in my 2003 E-plan benefit guide shows:
514-369-6314...................not sure if it has changed since I always use the 1-800 number. Good luck.
CFB

I would also contact the other airlines (after you confirm that you are an Elite with Air Canada/Aeroplan by phone, or (as Taupo indicated) by fax, or by email - you can send an email to Aeroplan through the Aeroplan web site), for a variety of reasons. One is to confirm that the flight reservation is in their system - you can enter your FF#, request seat selection, enter contact phone info etc.

I would then ask the other airline if their computer has a notation that you are Star Alliance Gold, next to your FF#. If not, you may have to go back to AC or Aeroplan, to communicate with these other airlines about your new status. If the airline does have the Star Alliance Gold number, fine.

Then, in either scenario (either by phone, or preferably by email to the airline in question) indicate to the other airlines that you do not have a Elite/Star Alliance Gold card. Would the printout of the AC web site indicating Elite status (I am not sure if the web site actually specifies your Star Alliance Gold status) would suffice, along with the boarding pass, in the absence of your Elite/Star Alliance Gold card. If you get email confirmation that this is okay, it is easier to get the lounge agent to allow you entry.

In the unlikely event that your package has not arrived and you are hassled trying to get in to any of the lounges, you can ask the gatekeeper there to call AC to confirm that you are Elite. They should have a phone number on hand to deal with these kind of things.

Update: thanks for the phone number, CFB (and Taupo). Called the E desk. Yes, confirmed as E, package was already requested (even though I rolled over to E mid-week last week), and should be mailed out this week.

The nice fellow (Edward) couldn't tell for sure whether it would get here (NZ) by 9 June, but his supervisor (he went away to ask) thought that it probably should.

I trolled around the archives for this forum and found that a lot of people had experienced delays in getting their E kits this year, so here's hoping that doesn't repeat itself.

Also, he couldn't provide a fax, and indicated that it was probably unlikely that other res systems would have my *G status. However, my experience is that at least NZ retains it. Not sure about SQ, though, although I'm not sure about a lot of things with SQ (they're a world to themselves). Seems like a printout of the webpage is the best bet, if only to get the dialogue going with someone.

Will post if I receive the kit before 9 June. Start the countdown timers...

David

Received my Elite kit today, having had my qualifying flights post two weeks ago and the sweep done the following Sunday, 10-days ago. This means it takes a full week to process the new kits and get them into the mail. I believe the processing centre is just outside Toronto, which means mine was likely posted Monday.

So anyone expecting to newly qualify for Elite or SE mid-year, count on two weeks from the Sunday sweep in most of Canada, add another week for delivery by regular mail outside the country. [The delay experienced earlier this year by many Es and SEs was due to an accident in the mailing house and not the normal processing procedure, so I am sure David's kit will make it down to New Zealand well before he departs, quite likely next week.]

BTW, as posted by Parnel in another thread, the "default" kit contains:

4 SWUs
4 NAUs
2 MLL/AL Passes
1 Duty Free discount voucher

And of course:

1 Membership Card
2 Luggage Tags
2 "Spaghetti" straps

And while one doesn't get to opt for any threshold bonuses, one does get 2,500 bonus Status Miles.

Anyone care to swap some SWUs for SSWUs?

You mean giving me SSWU for SWU? In a heartbeat SH!!