Air Canada - The games they play!!
 

Super-Elite Status is changing!! I am an Air Canada Super-Elite member, a privilege that required 100,000 miles of travel in a one year period. I was an Elite member for three years running and look forward to the extra perks that came with the rise to the upper echelons. I achieved my status in early summer 2001 and to my astonishment the “shiny new box” arrived with my “shiny new card” and my “shiny new perks” and a letter advising that my status was effective immediately to allow me to take advantage of my new level. No more Rodney Dangerfield, now I get respect!! My first trip was to Germany with all of the perks, with the exception that I had to upgrade my ticket to “V” class before the new System-Wide UpGrades would work. By the end of they year I had traveled 226,000 miles and in December I began to receive my new UpGrade certificates and a nice message from Air Canada. UpGrades now require Y,M,B,H fare tickets, gone are the lower cost “V” class and to insult to injury the qualification for Super-Elite status has changed from 100,000 miles to 88,000. The marketers at Air Canada have done their homework as the net effect is to promote more people to the “UpGrade-able” levels and increase the cost of the potential UpGrades. When will they ever learn? Frequent flyers at the Elite and Super-Elite levels keep the Air Lines in the black, thanks to the Government of Canada we have little choice in who we use for international travel, or do we? Puddle jumper to the boarder and Red, White and Blue to Europe!

I empathize with your plight. The only comment that I would like to make to all Canadians living in any major city, is that unless your travels are mainly within Canada, you DO have a choice in EVERYWHERE that you fly. Even for those where AC is the only carrier, when you fly interntational or to the US, connect to another carrier. I lived for many years in Toronto and never once used AC to fly anywhere with paid travel. It is a myth that AC offers the lowest fares. Most of the time, all airlines flying to any destination offer the same fare. Because they don't have the frequency AC has, they are more apt to be sold out and the fare not available. I always overcame that by being aware of this and being flexible. Barring that, do what many are discovering if you live close to a border airport and fly out of the US. Saves many times on fare as well and you avoid the outrageous Canadian airline taxes which are more than 2X what they are in Canada.

To digbyamb: I am sure that you didn't fly 226,000 miles solely within Canada. My advice would be to hook up with a US airline and ditch AC. You will not regret it! These boards should give you a good idea who to go with. I will plug my preferred...NW. Unlimited domestic upgrades from any fare within NA. 125% mileage bonus from all fares at the platinum level. Excellent service over dedicated reservation lines. Email me if you want more info!

digbyamb, welcome to FT. If you haven't done so already, have a look at the Air Canada forum, and you'll see that you're not alone with your complaint. Many others feeling as you do.

bj-21.

I left AC a couple of years ago after they purchased Canadian. Canadian and American always would allow you to upgrade at the gate regardless of your fare type. After the purchase of Canadian, AC would only allow you to use the stickers on a Y class ticket. When I complained at the Maple Leaf Lounge I was told that I was wrong and that Canadian would have never done that only in an instance where they were trying to "balance out" the plane. Rediculous. AA and Canadian permited you to ugrade at the gate REGARDLESS of the fare type and irespective of how many people were on the flight. I am amazed how AC employees are convinced that they are always right and that the customer is wrong. Those french canadians let them break away from Canada if they think they are so smart.

I left AC a couple of years ago after they purchased Canadian. Canadian and American always would allow you to upgrade at the gate regardless of your fare type. After the purchase of Canadian, AC would only allow you to use the stickers on a Y class ticket. When I complained at the Maple Leaf Lounge I was told that I was wrong and that Canadian would have never done that only in an instance where they were trying to "balance out" the plane. Rediculous. AA and Canadian permited you to ugrade at the gate REGARDLESS of the fare type and irespective of how many people were on the flight. I am amazed how AC employees are convinced that they are always right and that the customer is wrong. Those french canadians let them break away from Canada if they think they are so smart.

digbyamb, come join us in the AC forum. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Please move this to the Air Canada Forum.

Thanks

Welcome to the club. Living in Halifax, unlike most other major Canadian cities, means you really don't have much choice, either across the border or internationally, let alone within Canada. Unless you start all you travel via BOS!

Thank you all for your warm welcome. I have now moved my post to the Air Canada forum.