So there's time for you to cash as soon as AC announces the program. It's not like they say effective tomorrow the levels will skyrocket. It's just you would prefer to have more time to make your decision (I don't disagree but like I said, you're at their mercy).

I'm guessing that many Aeroplan members would be happy to pay extra points to eliminate fuels surcharges that often run to many hundreds of dollars.

And for many people, the extra points paid for a UA award pale in comparison to some of the absurd and usurios points charges AC makes with their Classic Plus awards.

No, don't put words in this mouth. He said that AC won't be making cuts à your expectations.

Eight months? Last time I checked the calendar, January 1 is less than two months away. But maybe I'm wrong and can't count.

And you're asked for a co-pay.

Yeah and how many people buy J fares so they can upgrade to F? Certainly not most pax. But whatever. I suppose that is a positive point.

Yeah and you don't play the UA lottery to get an upgrade on a T fare to upgrade to C? Right because UA is going to upgrade a T fare before they upgrade a B fare.

Ok, so AC doesn't offer points upgrades. But for elites they have upgrades certs which if they did offer point upgrades, you would all be complaining that they are letting non-elites have access to seats that you believe is rightfully yours.

Go defend UA. I personally don't care because I'm not on anyone's side here. But I will suggest you go look on the UA board and see how many unhappy people there are. I haven't seen many good words (if any) about the program changes.

But to each their own. Pick your poison.

Really? Did you take a survey of non-FTers to draw that conclusion?

The co-pay program starts July 1/09, as was recently posted in this thread.

FWIW, AC did give back MLL guest privileges to Elites (I think that was taken away earlier?).

=aw

I don't think that was.

I smell a thread that's in danger of degenerating into another of the myriad of AC vs. UA threads we have on this board (paging YYZPrincess!).

Not the point levels though for non-revenue award tkts.

BTW, the details why you can't post are not obvious. If the details are known, why not make them available now?

If it's for "competitive reasons" than one can reasonably surmise that things will get worse instead of better, and that AC/AP are delaying the bad news as long as possible.

If the news is good (i.e. improvements in the program) then the competitive advantage would be to get the news out as soon as possible.

Finally, if the details aren't yet completely decided, then there's still time to "change the plans" and add in a few more cutbacks.

Probably because some people have to prove that all other programs are better than AC's. Which is fine with me because I don't care either way.

But I guess my ultimate point is that:
a) No FFP is ever going to satisfy your every wish/need and it is about finding the one that best suits you (pick your poison);

b) People want to be treated like royalty and not have to pay anything for it (some analogy like that); and,

c) AC's FFP operates along the lines of everyone else. So why should it be treated differently or should people have higher expectations of it?

...Or they can improve on it or maintain status quo...

But I guess you're always the pessimist.

Count me in as one of those people. I hate the BS charges added to the 'free' redemption flights and would gladly 'pay' more using points....

I have been Elite for ten years.

In that time frame, I have observed a slow erosion of benefits to the point where I now have come to the conclusion that seeking Elite status is not worth it for me anymore.

Don't know if FT's search function can handle it so I'll check the old-fashioned way.

Does anyone know if AC took away MLL guest privileges from Elites in the last few years? If so, when and in what circumstances? It seems like it's available all the time now -- and explicitly spouse, dependent children, and 1 guest (which is probably an improvement for many people, though the old "immediate family" while vague would probably include both parents which is no longer the case).

Thanks!
=aw