acysb87

Planes are full,waitlists on most of the flights I am on,prices are high.

Supply and demand is playing out to the best.(not to digress,just look at retailers in Canada who have not yet adapted to the rise in Canadian dollar).

As many note,the wheel turns.I have a long memory.

antirealist

I'll still be flying AC - I have little choice really. But I won't be purchasing any more non-refundable pass products, because I have no reason to trust that AC won't eliminate or water down the features I wanted after I've paid for it.

shore9

appears AC does not have a long memory however.

fly-yul

Just to follow-up and not jump to conclusion without some actual data:

I booked the following with my rapidair lat pass today.

AC 439 J1 Z1 ---> no upgrade available

AC 1123 J3 Z0 ---> upgrade worked

Seems to fit the pattern of a minimum number of J and has nothing to do with Z.

Yes, we are all getting screwed yet again...

seanthepilot

I agree. When enough is enough, move the miles to credit elsewhere.

Not so much about refusing to fly AC anymore...
It's summed up perfectly by the post below. By flying AC and crediting elsewhere, we still can fly where we need to when we need to.
Defecting from Aeroplan and refusing to fly Air Canada would be like shooting ourselves in the foot.
If I choose to toss Aeroplan, I still reserve the right to fly AC when it warrants or is convenient. We've still got upgrade certs, lounge access, etc.

Agreed. In many cases, AC is still the best choice in certain circumstances. We may fly other carriers. We may opt for Tango fares or stop buying the passes.
Doesn't mean we have to take their program and service 'enhancements'.

I collect in 3 frequent flyer programs... and new ones join the Alliance every year.

getaround

All true comments, Allot of my flying is down to OZ so in this instance my choice is now greater with AIRNZ starting via YVR, I'm also hoping V Airlines (Virgin Blue) will come on board with *Star then I will have even more choice. Here's hoping.

Ken hAAmer

Ahhhh... and I'm 70% of the way to AA Platinum, and oneworld status.

But more particularly, why wouldn't AC keep cutting and cutting and cutting and cutting and... Oh wait! They have been. I guess it's just that no one noticed.

So I suppose that if AC said that flight pass credits were now only vaild on segments less than 250 miles long, they are subject to a $1000 per segment fuel surcharge, and that they now book into S class but are only available if S>8, that would be OK too?

Courts and long and frequently held that such caveats carry no weight, especially when cash has changed hands. In fact they typically rule that that term is void (as opposed to voidable) and sometime even rule that the entire contract if void, in which case AC may be required to refund the entire purchase price.

Ken hAAmer

I wonder how AC will spin this to say "It's not our fault."

tcook052

I'm guessing the word enhanced may be used.

pmax

You don't have to guess at that one.

pmax

So I got screwed by this already. Last night I was forced to choose between overnighting in a hotel or taking a red-eye in Y even though there were J seats. I said I wouldn't buy a flight pass again but I got cornered where I needed to buy some flights and a flight pass was a cheaper way of buying 3 flights than the cost at the time I needed them. So I'm on a freeish ticket now, but I still got screwed. This would not have happened to me 2 weeks ago. Way to treat a customer who has flown over 60 AC metal segments, mostly long-haul, already this year AC.

The Lev

Especially cert holders not on passes.

This whole thing makes me happy that I've never invested in a pass. One more reason not to start now.

FWIW, I'm not a lawyer but I think this is something that would fly as a class action lawsuit.

Stranger

Hmm... I don't think I would hire you as a lawyer.

That wording is pure intimidation. Just there to chase the innocents away, but with absolutely no teeth.

Would never stand in court. Repeat after me: "a contract that is not a contract is not a contract."

In other words: you cannot change a contract after it is entered upon, period. So, any clause that says otherwise is void. No matter what the nice BS you put on your web page. Arguably for AC to say things like these is just plain dishonest/unethical. But then, surely if was crafted by their lawyers. And obviously they know.

zorn

Are you really going to put your AKL miles into UA when those 24000 miles will give you *G for 2008 (assuming you will position yourself using a *A carrier and assuming your 11k AC miles are status miles credited to AP)?

I'm all for going to whatever airline or program provides the most benefit, but the choice between UA nothing and AC*E seems pretty obvious to me.

Stranger

Terms and conditions are allowed to change *before* a contract is entered upon. Not after.

So yes, they can change without advance notice for *new* purchases. Not for existing passholders.