Hi, I apologize in advance for my dumb question.

I'm a basic Aeroplan member and will be flying with AC for the first time in 5 years in two weeks time. My question is this: If I earn 35,000 status miles before the end of this year, will that bring me to Elite ? or do I have to earn 25,000 first to earn Prestige then fly an additional 35,000 as a Prestige member before the end of 2009 to earn Elite?

Thanks!

Fly 25,000 miles to earn P.
Fly an additional 10,000 to earn E. (Total 35,000)
Fly an additional 65,000 to earn SE. (Total 100,000)

Reach 35,000 or 100,000 before Oct. 15, I think, and earn that status level for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010.

35,000 to get Star Gold seems alright. Am I right in thinking that with that comes 2 systemwide upgrade certs?

Ive got 40,000 miles worth of travel coming up in the next 3 months, and Ive not made Star Gold with BMI this year, with all their changes was thinking of moving over to Air Canada.....even more so now as Im going to Sydney in January and could use those upgrade certs to fly from London to Sydney.

Whats the general thought on air canadas program?? ^

You will get to select your certs, but your best best is 2 Special System Wides and 2 or 4 System Wides. You can also opt for 50% bonus non-status miles on all future AC flights and a few other items. Then in December, since your qualified this year for Instant Elite before mid-October, you will get to select a similar package of items for next year.

Just so I understand you right....I get to 2 systemwide upgrade certs if you get status before Oct...and then as a result it gets carried over to next year....so I can get another 2 systemwide certs??? Seems almost too good to be true??? but great if that it the case. ^

Not quite. If you cross the Elite mark by mid-October you get a full set of certs which generally are a pari of Special Systemwides (good from Tango+ fares), a pair of regular Systemwides (good from Latitude fares), and four NAmerican upgrades (good from Latitude fares). In addition to other benefits you can select (more Systemwides, MLL passes, bonus AE miles on AC flights, etc.) and a pari of luggage tags and your membership card. These are all valid through to the end of February 2010.

Come December, get can select another package of these benefits (and get a new card and luggage tags) that will be good through February 2011 as you'll have earned Elite status for this year and next year.


We call this Instant Elite. However, note that there is no such thing as Instant Prestige, so you have to keep earning once you hit 25K status miles. If you don't get to 35K then you have to wait until January when you'll get advised you've made Prestige and offered to select your benefits for the Prestige package.

Just to comment,any certs you acquire this year expire by the end of February 2010.Exception would be those that pass threshholds or purchase pass product at a point in December 2009(say December 15th) that have historically receiced certs that will expire at end of February 2011.

Id be flying to Sydney in January so that wouldnt be an issue....just a thought though...the tickets that you can upgrade with the certs, are they generally more expensive then the regular ones?

You do realize the certs are only good on AC metal right? Not sure how it works or if you can use certs for LHR-YVR-SYD? Not exactly the most direct routing.

It isn't the most direct, but you can do it. The T+ fare is as low as $560 o/w (upgradeable with an SSWU) and the lowest Exec is ~$2500 For a lot of flights now they don't even bother to show Lat fares (the ones that you can upgrade using a SWU). Plus you get ~27K status miles! It's a pretty good MR.

In true AC logic, the same flight from YYZ- SYD is $649 each way in T+, or $7523 in lowest Exec

It is cheaper to fly YYZ-LHR-YYZ-SYD than YYZ-SYD direct (Z class)

I agree that it is an interesting MR option...

I don't think this is correct. You can earn early qualification for 2009 if you go from P to E, or E to SE (early qualifications are P and E benefits) but I do not believe you can get early qualification from ground zero. Even if you had 100,000 status miles, you would only start in 2010.

Having said that, there are all kinds of rules being bent this year because of the recession. So you just never know.

Cheers,

Wrong, 0 to 35K by mid october will get you instant Elite, 0 to 100K by mid october will get you instant Super Elite, but there is no instant prestige.

Cheers

Thanks for clarifying. I can find no mention of that in any of the Ts&Cs or program descriptions on the website. I was also apparently misinformed by Areoplan when I phoned to ask.

Might I enquire as to where this is spelled out so I can advise - and show - the Areoplan agent they are wrong?

Cheers,

If you look here on the Aeroplan Website, and click on Learn More beside Privileges, you can choose 'Prestige' and expand Early 2010 Air Canada Elite Recognition. You can also choose 'Elite' and expand Early 2010 Air Canada Super Elite Recognition. If you are already one of these members or a basic member, you will be awarded the new status right away.

There is no option listed for a Basic member to have early recognition for any status, but they will offer early recognition of Elite & Super Elite as listed above.