Snow Goose

After reading all the threads and (whining) about Air Canada program changes, it appears to me that those FF who are least happy with Air Canada and Aeroplan are heavy international travellers, and those who remain reasonably satisfied with the program (including myself) have a majority of our travel in North America. This coming year I expect a couple of trips to Asia and perhaps one or two to Europe, with the rest of my travel being completely within Canada and the U.S. For Canada and U.S. travel, a number of changes in recent years (fleet renewal, introduction of passes, use of upgrade certs at time of booking, introduction of RJs with executive seats etc.) have been positive changes or at least neutral. Obviously, on an international front the instant KK changes, certificate rule changes, introduction of simplified fares, loss of BATCAT etc. have been negative changes, although fleet renewal is still a positive.

Has Air Canada and Aeroplan evolved/devolved into a program that favours domestic and transborder flyers?

SG

Stranger

Aeroplan is no longer an FF program. It's an air miles program. All smoke and mirrors too.

PreferBulkhead

I use AE almost solely as a FF program, but in NA and Internationally. I fly AC, I use my points for reward travel and the occasional toaster (3 actually). It still works for me world-wide.

zorn

I think AP is the best FF program IF:

- your travel patterns include Europe, Asia, and North America.
- you are not almost always in paid J.

If your travel the same route over and over, and there is a competing FF program for that route, that other program should be thoroughly investigated.

If you are in paid J all the time, you have all the soft benefits anyway, so you should look for the programs that give 200% and more miles (BD, LH) for premium cabins.

Of course if you travel heavily on a route where no other carrier can make a buck except AC (some people call this a "monopoly" even though it isn't), then AP is probably the best program as well.

The IKK that remains for SE is still the best access to award seats of any program, bar none, even since they scuttled the "bring spouse with me on business" manoeuvre. It's 10 miles ahead of the other programs, as opposed to 100 miles ahead.

Rejuvenated

It has definately worked for me in both international and NA. I have redeemed quite a few SQ J & F award tickets through Aeroplan mileages. I have taken advantage of using certs for upgrades for NA flights with AC (for example I have burned off 4 certificates for myself and GF on an upcoming rt YYZ-LAS). The majority of mileages though have been earned through international travel though and majority on non-AC flights. I guess when based in YYZ, AC is simply the best choice for travel within NA.

taupo

.....the airline that will give you the greatest comfort and best schedule, if that happens to be AC on your route, then AC it is.

My AC travels have been limited to NA, LHR and one trip to SYD. As a resident of Western Canada, AC and AP offer by far the best overall program. Asides from introducing a J cabin on Dash 8s and CRJs and instant KK at Classic levels for Elites, I cannot imagine anything better than what is offered by AC and AP today.

xray

AC works well for me...I have to pay for all my flights from my own pocket and I like to fly in J...bad combination. I only do one overseas trip a year and the rest is NA... With Canada East and Western passes, that covers the gamut. It would be a stretch to ever make SE when you fly mostly in NA... especially for me as I also take 60 flights a year on Perimeter Airlines (no AE miles)

YEG USER

I qualified for SE on segments and could have almost done it without ever leaving Alberta (I had a couple trips to the US, but those simply substituted for segments I would have otherwise taken).

xray

I meant mainly for me as I'd have to fly 95 AC segments on top of my 60 Perimeter segments... No thanks !

respectable_man

The product offered by the airline has improved, but the product offered by the FFP has worsened or not improved.

The fleet renewal and upgrade is great but it is now more difficult than ever to accumulate qualifying miles from lower fare buckets. It appears that the old paper certificates are still in place whereas most other FFPs have gone e-certs; it appears that there is still no advanced seat selections for tiered flyers.

Aeroplan has evolved into a FFP that favors high revenue rather than frequent flyers.

airbus320

Bingo !!!!!!

You got it right......

acysb87

Ah, that explains all my left over SSWUs

ommoran

Ugh. The shuttle to Calgary on a weekly basis. Double ugh.