Aeroplan vs MP pricing and availability
 

I'm researching * awards within South America (EZE to northern Brazil). I have MP miles.

I'm using Aeroplan's web site to check for availability. Since all the flights are on Varig (no Air Canada nor United involved), may I assume that this is the same availability I would find if I called MP?

United's * awards chart quotes 25k/30k/35k within South-America in Y/C/F (great deal in C/F!). However, Aeroplan's chart quotes 25k/35k/50k, not such a good deal. I thought that the awards prices for *-alliance awards were the same accross the board, so I'm confused :confused: .

Any help appreciated! Thanks!

Availability may (probably will) be the same, or may be different. Since you are using United Mileage Plus miles it is only MP availability that matters to you.

Each FFP (frequent flyer program) is free to set its own rates of earning miles, and also its own cost of awards. So if you credit to different FFPs for the same flight you may earn different miles, and if you redeem the same itinerary may cost different amounts.

FT, and many helpful FTers, assists me to choose how best to use these differences to my advantage.

You have to consider FF miles like currency and each program like a different country that has its own currency. For this reason, while zones and destinations may now be unified on the STAR Chart, redempetion levels are not, as you point out. But also remember that earning potential is also quite different and an elite in MP earns many more miles faster than on most other STAR programs. These constantly change, but for the most part it is easier and faster to earn miles in the UA program, and cheaper to spend them.

I dont think the analogy of miles as currency is quite right. Currencies are basically scalar - if it costs NZ$1 and NZ$:US$ is 0.7 then it costs US$0.70

Whereas with FFPs some awards may be more expensive on one program compared to another, and others cheaper.

I didnt think it was true that *A award zones are the same in all programs. Eg UA Mileage Plus has Australia and NZ as single zone but NZ Airpoints has eastern Australia, western Australia and NZ as separate zones.

And Aeroplan (AC) is different again. It has a blanket coverage of South Pacific in the same zone, so it's 25K for a Y reward regardless if the trip is PER-PPT or AKL-NOU! They do offer a domestic N.Z. reward at a lower level as well though.