Future of CP Award Certificates
 

Does anyone know what will happen to the existing award certificates? I have a couple of certs that are only valid on CP metal within Canada and US. They have to be exchanged for a ticket in late Oct. With the on-going reconfiguration of the routes, I am not sure where I will be able to travel.

For example, what happens if I get a YVR-DFW ticket today and it does not exist when I want to fly? Do I get another option??? Do I kiss my points goodbye?

The sooner you book, the more protected you'll be. Since Cdn+ won't exist at the end of the year, the validity of your ticket will be based on the date it is issued. The major problem will come if you want to cancel your award ticket and redeposit the points, AC may not take them back into your new/existing Aeroplan account after Dec31st as they were Cdn+ points, and that program and those points no longer exist.

But if they confirm and ticket your initial routing on Cdn metal, and you make no subsequent changes, and CP no longer flies their metal into that city, AC would have to either recredit the points into your account, offer you an alternative but equivilent ticket on a route CP does fly, or protect you on their metal/or that of a STAR partner.

In any of these cases, I would not worry unless you let your certificates expire in October. I booked my mother on a Cdn Business Class award earlier this year. With all the sked changes, Cdn rebooked her in Executive Class on AC even though this occured prior to the date they started reciprocal awards.

The critical caveat to all I have said, and a very important one, is this: if your awards are Amex discounted ones, they can only be flown on CP metal and you would be asked to "pay" the difference if you had to fly AC metal on any segments (unless it was AC/CP who rebooked you under protected status).

Deos all that make sense? Hope it's of some help to you.

Shareholder
It makes sense. The tickets were issued under the old "reduced" levels for J class. Reposting them means that I lose points in the transaction - it costs more opoints for the same J tickets today.

We will try to get a ticket confirmed ASAP and let AC/CP pick up the pieces if there any changes.

If you feel you won't use your upgrade certificates be sure to send them back to CP. They're worth 2,500 points (miles) each.

Better still, send them to me! There worth way more than 2500 points, at least to me.

The "sending them back for 2500 points" offer only available to Executive Platinum members.

Bear in mind, though, that AC takes on all of the liabilities of CP when they merge, including issued frequent flyer rewards.

The most likely scenario is that post-merger, CP issued vouchers of all descriptions (whether they be tickets, MCO's, coupons or FF award certificates) will be honoured by AC at their face value.