Foolishly bad customer service? Well, I think it is best to make claim against the rule makers if you wis, but not against those who are doing their jobs.. The agents are afterall required to do so, and having the card avaialable to show is a condition of access that is not created by the lounge staff, but rather imposed upon them too.

And those of us standing in line behind you thank you for it! :cool:

Can someone explain to me why an Aeroplan SE or E is often requested, even if I am flying in paid business class? Of course, I understand the rationale for the request for such a card, when one is flying on an upgraded business class ticket.

To equate a credit card to an aeroplan card is silly. Do you people surrender your driver's licence or SIN card when a retailer asks you for that? Where does it end? Everyone and their dogs got a card for you to carry. AC MLL agents can go figure it out on their computers if I can use the lounge or not. I now put all my airline and rental car card numbers into my PDA, I only carry my credit cards and bank cards.

You're not trying to get into the "driver's lounge" or "government services executive lounge" at the retailer.

If the retailer says they have to swipe your frequent shopper card to get a discount will you refuse in case any camels break their backs?

It's their perogative. As is it of a traveller who chooses not to carry the card and hence can be denied admission.

Simon

Their program.
Their card.
Their lounge.
Their rules.

Simple as that.

they can see status on the pax's boarding pass, so why they would need the card beats me.

or if you're in exec, you're automatically in so that also makes the card pointless.

this year's card is nice. i like it.

Talk about beating a dead camel.....

Up to a few years ago, Walmart used to ask customers who return purchases for refund their driver's licence. Why do they need that? Who knows? According to the logic of a few here, it's their store, their policy, their requirements. So we must obey their rules if we want the privilege of refunding our purchases, right? Nope. Privacy Commisioner ruled that no business can ask for and keep track of your personal identification like your driver's licence or SIN. We consumers certainly do not have to give our driver's licence to anyone least of which a retailer. Walmart was asked to stop that practice. Point is just because a company comes up with a rule, it doesn't make it right.

Who owns the Elite card? Who issues it? Who is asking to see it? Why?

Who owns the driver's license? Who issues it? Who asked to see it? Why?

Answer those questions and then we can discuss logic.

As I and others have said just because a business comes up with a procedure to deal with customers (I call entry to MLL a procedure), issues a plastic gimmicky card with your name, says a few things about this card is the property of.....does not make it right for the customer. We have to fight to make changes that are good for the consumers. See Walmart story again.

How about this for a change...they have rules for us, let us have rules for them when they deal with us customers.

That's rhetoric, not logic.

"Who owns the Elite card?"
I do.

"Who issues it?"
Air Canada, to the best of my knowledge.

"Who is asking to see it?"
Maple Leaf Lounge admins.

"Why?"
That's what we're trying to figure out, isn't it? We've already established that they can determine our status without a card, so why insist we haul it around? Of course, if you're some sort of perverted philatelist who appreciates pulchritude in pointless plastic pieces and wants to parade it around, who am I to deprive you of your pleasure?

For those who believe it's not big deal, I agree, it's not a big deal, but neither is a mosquito. ;)

Actually, it is Aeroplan on both counts.

Anyway, I think it would be better for everyone - the airline, the lounge agents, and the passengers and their pet camels, if they could get the 2D bar code readers rolled out and usable for lounge entry.

It would presumably be faster for the agent, and faster for the passenger, reduce the possibility of fraudulent entry and lost $ for the airline (since anyone can add "SE" or "E" to their OLCI printed boarding pass, but you'd have to be pretty motivated to crack the 2D code).

I like this idea, but maybe the reason they don't do it is because you can pretty much print unlimited BPs. I could give one to each of my three colleagues. And they couldn't say "it's been scanned already" since people go in and out all the time.

Just a thought.

bawm