shuuy

So... Lots of us say we're 'disgruntled' (and if I recall, we said this last year, and the year before)... And that we're going to take our business elsewhere. I thought it would be helpful to have a central location for our friendly AC lurkers to see what, if any changes in behaviour we're doing for our travel.

Let me begin:

At 57k miles for the year, and heading back to England for work (full J). Was thinking that flying AC I could get 60k miles, and then 2 new 2006/07 SWU's. Since its not appearing the case, I'm about to change my ticket to take BA across the pond and back... Since I'll probably be between 35 and 50k next year, I won't make Elite, and so I'm either going to accumulate in UA, or AA.

What are you doing differently?

negotiator

If you're going to do between 35-50 Q miles in 2006 you will be Elite (unless of course they change the threshold).

shuuy

I'm assuming they're changing the threshold.

Crampedin13A

Switching all my Canada-Europe to BA and OW. Bit pricier for me but no more messing around with upgrade certs,I class BS and beat up planes. ^

Domestically the bulk of my flying is YYZ-YYC so a Calgary city pass will do the trick and give me more benefits than 2006 E gives me.

Very tangible relief at the freedom to choose after always picking AC in the years since CP went down.

luxury

I think this is a safe assumption to make....

why fly

Remember you can get a comp from UA! also send a copy of your ticket to "Montie"... tell him. PS I did years ago...to RM.... he could not have cared... but this is a NEW AC I think they will care!

shuuy

Part of me also says that I'll keep flying AC, but credit points to UA.... AC still wins in this scenario.

why fly

So do you... you get upgrades that you can use.

Shareholder

Don't forget to register for AA's Platinum Challenge. You'll need 10K status miles within 90-days and then have mid-tier AAdvantage for all of next year (and through to February). Your BA flight will get you half-way there as BA flights from Canada qualify, and J will get you about 4800+25% via YVR.

Right now my own business travel will be primarily between Toronto and Edmonton, so I may try to convince Parnel to buy a multi-traveller City Pass (in Latitude for 15K or so) and buy trips off him... Since I do a lot of domestic travel, I am stuck in this abusive relationship but can likely renew Elite if it is not raised to 50K.

However, I will definitely be shifting my transborder travel back to AA -- go for the Plat Challenge myself -- and take advantage of the upgrade segments I have banked. And my overseas travel will shift to ONEWORLD carriers once I've reached 35K and Elite. Why bother if there are no SSWUs at 45K?

Where projects later in the year will take me, who knows?

But after flying with AC since college -- and even being their campus rep for three years, and working my way through university during the summers with them -- then being invited into their Maple Leaf Club CIP shortly after I started work, and over the last 35-years spending at least a quarter million on airline tickets with them (and another hundred thou plus with CP), not to mention having held elite status every year it was offered...I am not considered as valuable as the Johnny-come-lately who buys a City Pass. So much for the "loyalty" in loyalty program. (AE is definitely more interested in offering me a good experience when I spend my money with their merchant members, so what interests AC?)

When several of us "petitioned" for Lifetime Elite (or some hoping for SE), it was this longterm relationship of loyalty that seemed to mean absolutely zilch to Aeroplan, or AC. And I am certainly not alone in representing a customer base that AC is kissing off...as exAC reinforced by his posts earlier today. Maybe it's a generational thing...with all those young turks running AC, there is no longer a collective memory of such values as custom and loyalty.

Oh well, I may not fly AC as much, but I'll collect dividend cheques and other payments from my shares.

SaracenYTZ

Switching mostly intl travel (Europe and ME) to LH .. had always forgone their better planes (and more attractive FAs) to play Aerolotto .. good ridence to that.. if and when E threshold is raised to 50K, AE will simply seize to make sense internationally..

Will also shift more to UA for NA travel..

digitalmisanthrope

Well, if things are as bad as they seem to be getting, I'll be taking my FF over to UA and flying US/UA for wherever I have to go (with the exception of domestic travel, but the points will be sent over to my UA FF instead).

It's a real shame too, as I've just started flying AC metal again after an 8-year hiatus.

Fermat

I already put a significant chunk of money over to the other guys after last year. $10,700 spent YTD on UA, DL and AA on 29 transborder flights and every overseas trip in the past two years has been to UA or CX. This year, i'll buy schedule convenience domestically, (which admittedly, AC still seems to have in spades over WJ) but for transborder and international, they're all going to be with another carrier's FFP.

As much as I complain about Aeroplan, I can't really fault management at all the changes they have introduced since 2001. After all, it's only negative for us, and even then maybe not even a large majority of "us".

The only thing I can do (which is what I said and did this past year), is to use my choice and select other carriers where possible. I'm an 85k elite that's decided it might be better to only be a 35k one...

keithguy

That's wrong. The AA Platinum challenge requires 10K Q-points (which are different from status miles). BA J class from YVR-LHR would earn a 1.5x Q-points, not 25% extra.

ProudEdmontonian

My, my how long it took so many to come to their senses.

Simon

I won't change one iota. From YYZ, what airline gets me safely, quickly, and on non-RJ routes, the opportunity to get up front on most of the destinations I want to go? AC. And the pass products rock, and I anticipate we will be seeing a NA Lat Pass sooner rather than later.

For other destinations, UA and DL/CO/NW do me nicely, so I anticipate 2006 will be another SE, 1P, GM year.