RooFlyer

... head over the the Air Canada Aeroplan forum Air Canada FT and check out threads to do with the launch of their new program 'Altitude', new web site (including 'e-Ups')

Its a rather complicated prgram requiring more interaction with their website, for various reasons. The program year is the same for everyone ... starts 1 March, ends 28 February, but the benefits apply from 1 Jan - 31 Dec. Yeah, I know. Go figure.

They are mailing out new cards, tags etc and have acknowledged that they are sending these in batches, and the despatch to their highest tier flyers was LAST. So 1 day before the program starts, many of these (including me) still don't have them. Having cards in hand is more important in their program compared to QFF.

Major benefits of the program need to be selected from a range, on line. They are creating a new web site (oh, God) and the selection will be available to everyone on the same day the new year starts (tomorrow). God knows how many 10's or 100's of thousands of members will be on line that instant trying to select benefits which normally would have been available weeks prior. Server meltdown, anyone?

I've never seen such demonstrable incompetence in an airline. Canadians on the whole are polite and tolerant, but their Forum is in near riot. If this was QF, AJ would be on his backside in the street by now.

I know this isn't strictly QF, but it should add cheer to QFF-ers. Puts PB deficiencies a loooong way in the shade. Hope mods will let this squeak through so we can all put QF in better perspective .

justin_krusty

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B146 Safari/8536.25)

Yes, sometimes we don't realise there is still plenty to like about flying in Australia. I think that everytime I fly in USA or UK.

shuuy

... or the fact that

1/ Boarding starts 20 mins in advance
2/ Planes leave on time (AC's OTP is < 70%)
3/ You can go from taxi to gate in 5 minutes (no need for shoes off, liquid maximums, or showing ID 2-3 times)

Flying in Australia is a breeze, and while I'm crediting my QF points to AA, AC really has bungled this up.

Blackcloud

Isn't Aeroplan not actually operated by Air Canada but spun off to a separate company instead?
Does not excuse the the poor implementation though.

RooFlyer

Yes, aeroplan is a spun off 'points' program and hence not great as Air Canada's ff program. The new 'Altitude' launch by AirCanada is being seen as the start of a divorce from Aeroplan. So the current fiasco is entirely in house to Air Canada.

So todays the day the new program is up and running. Many people - even in places like Toronto - havent received their kits, web site.not up .....unable to upgrade.

QFF .... You are looking great :-)

Traveloguy

Shows GD's strategy of spinning off QFF was wrong thing to do if AC's desperate to starting bringing back the FF in-house.

RooFlyer

Spot on Traveloguy. A spun off entity will need to maximise its revenue, so will need to diversify from just Qantas frequent flyers, as Aeroplan did from AC FFs. So hotel customers and a whole raft of others are in the program, earning points.

With consequences:
* The 'program' doesn't treat FFers as anything special (just another of their punters). As in: 'Got a problem, Ms Plat? Join the queue .. I'm helping Mr Hilton here.

* Many, many more people are earning points, asking for upgrades, redeeming seats, and occupying lounges etc.

BTW the excruciating bungled introduction of the new Air Canada 'Altitude' program continues. Like watching a car accident in slow motion.

RooFlyer

Update for the satisfaction of QFFers.

Flew MEL-LAX on QF .. everything you would want in service, timliness and lounges.

Hit LAX to check-in to Air Canada and back to the fact of Air Canada's incompetent roll out of their newly branded FF program 'Altitude'.

People reporting on AC FT that their new cards, membership packages haven't arrived 4 days after program launch (of course should havebeen delivered well before launch).

Web site launched on 1 March, full of errors, ambiguities, typos and inconsistancies.

My BP on 4th March still relects my old status; no major impact, but would if I was flying on *A other than AC.

Air Canada rep on FT giving assurances which are patently not being matched by what is happening in the real world.

So relax, QFFers ... even at its worst, QF is so much better than AC. (And VA flyers, the Sabre roll-out problems I suggest pale in comparison.)