OT Rant - Air Canada Aeroplan Miles Suck

[AndyMcV]

I agree 100% that there is some great advice in this thread no question.

... I'm going to jump on my soapbox here...

Perhaps someday I'll gain enough points to get a "free" flight with AC. However I'm not holding my breath. I guess I'm speaking for the infrequent flyer and honestly there is absolutely no reason for me to fly with AC. There is no incentive there especially when their "loyalty program" makes it very difficult to actually get flight points. Other than signing up with a CIBC Visa at $120/year or flying a lot more there is no other way to realistically gain points.

I guess I just can't get it out my head that I can drive to Buffalo for 3 hours get on a plane for a destination in the US at literally 1 quarter the cost. Yes $2400 vs $600 for a family of 4. Talk about loyalty... how can you with this difference in cost. There's no question that I'd fly with AC if the prices were more realistic and I truely felt that they care that I'm a customer and show it with at loyalty/rewards program that works for all.

Just my $0.02.

 

[calgarygary]

Ok.... in my opinion this program sucks.

I joined up with Aeroplan a few years back. I've had a couple trips to Europe and a trip to the US and have been using Esso gas to accumulate points. I'm sitting at 18,000 points.

First off their support for their program is awful. On every flight I've had I've had to go back and fight with them to enstate the points that I should have earned. In fact the last flight I had to Colorado Springs they would not enstate my points at all.

I use Esso gas to help accumulate points as well. For me to reach 25,000 aeroplan miles for a flight I'd have to spend $75,000.00 in gas. Hmm... maybe by the time I'm 230 years old! Am I the only one that thinks this is insane?

I just heard that 25,000 points now only gets you a one way flight. Ummm.. was it not supposed to be for a round trip? Wow 50,000 points for a flight to the US, I might as well cut up my card now. There's no way I'll ever get there.

When you go to redeem your points for a flight you end up paying $100-200 for the ticket anyway because of taxes etc. Considering I can go to Buffalo and actually get my flight (yes round trip) for $100 - 200, I think Air Canada has a LOT to learn. It's too bad they have such a monopoly on Canadian air travel.

Just wondering if anyone else feels my pain.

I might suggest that you correct your post so that others are not misled by your rant. Everyone has a right to express the view on a topic - so go ahead and rant about aeroplan but please include factual information. As you well know, short haul return flights begin at 15000 miles and last I checked, there is competition for Air Canada. Westjet has been very effective (much more so than in the days of CP air) of forcing AC into competitive pricing. As far as saving money in Buffalo, be thankful that you have that alternative.

 

[bavaria]

Perhaps someday I'll gain enough points to get a "free" flight with AC. However I'm not holding my breath. I guess I'm speaking for the infrequent flyer and honestly there is absolutely no reason for me to fly with AC. There is no incentive there especially when their "loyalty program" makes it very difficult to actually get flight points. Other than signing up with a CIBC Visa at $120/year or flying a lot more there is no other way to realistically gain points.

You are definitely entitled to your opinion, as is anyone else here.

But you have said it yourself - you are not a loyal AC customer. Just as you have no incentive to fly with them, they have no incentive to seek you out as a customer, nor do they have any incentive to reward you.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that - we all make choices. A loyalty program is exactly that - it rewards loyalty.

On a side note, I have never 'paid' more than 25,000 miles for a round trip ticket in North America, or 80,000 miles for a business class round trip international ticket.

 

[drag n' fly]

Another thing that bugs me that came to mind is flights. When you finally manage to get a flight they book you on the crappiest flight they can find.
Eg: We wanted to fly from Calgary to Huatulco. We redeemed our aeroplan miles(last time) and our flight left Calgary at 1am. We had to fly all the way to Toronto and then have a 5 hour layover before we got on the plane and flew all the way back west to Mexico City to transfer....which AC missed but that's another story. No they could not put us on a flight direct to Mexico City that's for paying cutomers. WE never redeemed miles for tickets again and only redeem for gift cards now.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

We've given up using them for travel but, we've been buying our WDW passes as well as Seaworld passes.

Makes it worthwhile for us!

Different strokes for different folks, I guess -- but using Aeroplan for anything but redeeming for flights seems like a waste of resources. Redeeming Aeroplan points for WDW passes is a phenomenal waste.

That 7 day adult MYW park hopper costs 39,000 Aeroplan points. Total value at the WDW gate is $281.16

For 40,000 Aeroplan points I have flown from Toronto to Los Angeles; returning from San Francisco to Toronto with a routing through Calgary (because I took the bump in SFO) in Business Class with access to the Maple Leaf Lounges in Toronto and Calgary and access to a Star Alliance partners 1st class lounge in San Francisco. Total value was $3000+. I booked that flight less than 60 days prior to the date of departure due to a variety of circumstances. I paid less than $80 in tax and departure fees on that Aeroplan redemption.

I am, by no means, a "frequent" frequent flyer. I have, however, received tons of valuable information from Flyertalk.com that has allowed me to receive tremendous value through Aeroplan. I make about 1 "revenue points" flight each year on Air Canada -- some years more, some years less. The rest of the points come from credit card, buying gas at Esso, making phone calls and having Internet through Bell Canada, shopping at Home Hardware, renting the occasional car.

I am willing to pay $120/year for that CIBC Visa to make extra Aeroplan points. The $120/year was more than made up for when CIBC Visa paid out a rental automobile accident claim this summer. I never purchase additional automobile insurance when renting a car -- it's covered by CIBC Visa. That is an outstanding value.

I've been a member of Aeroplan since July 14, 1993. Since then I have redeemed 40,000 points for that very enjoyable trip in business class and 75,000 points for 3 economy class tickets for a family vacation this past summer that flew my family and I to Regina and then home again from Seattle. The total tax paid on those 3 tickets was less than $300, and that's not Air Canada's fault. I have another 40,000+ points building in my account. There were also 25,000 points from Canadian Plus that flew my lovely wife to Florida in 1997 while I used Air Miles for the same flight.

No problem getting points here -- and no problems getting the flights I want, either.

 

[nelljay1973]

It was I that mentioned the 51 weeks in advance. Drawing from my own personal experience using specifically Air Canada flying to Australia. We love aeroplan and more importantly Star Alliance. When trying to redeem 75,000 aeroplan miles using Air Canada for October 2006 flight was told, sorry no 75,000 "classic" miles available at that time, when we were booking 6 months in advance ( I had enquired say 10 months out and there was). I then asked the agent to check via the star alliance network and low and behold there were 75,000 mile seats available incorporating an Air Canada flight segment, ie flew out United, came back Air Canada.

So based solely on my own personal experience, if you are to redeem solely via the Air Canada system, then you need to book well and truly in advance for less flown routes. Air Canada flies only one plane daily to Australia via Hawaii thus limiting your options.

 

[nelljay1973]

Also for those CNBC watchers out there keep an eye out for one of there specials that is called A week in the life of American Airlines. Explains about how they price their tickets and how their reward system works. I found it very informative.

 

[bavaria]

It was I that mentioned the 51 weeks in advance. Drawing from my own personal experience using specifically Air Canada flying to Australia. We love aeroplan and more importantly Star Alliance. When trying to redeem 75,000 aeroplan miles using Air Canada for October 2006 flight was told, sorry no 75,000 "classic" miles available at that time, when we were booking 6 months in advance ( I had enquired say 10 months out and there was). I then asked the agent to check via the star alliance network and low and behold there were 75,000 mile seats available incorporating an Air Canada flight segment, ie flew out United, came back Air Canada.

So based solely on my own personal experience, if you are to redeem solely via the Air Canada system, then you need to book well and truly in advance for less flown routes. Air Canada flies only one plane daily to Australia via Hawaii thus limiting your options.

If you go over to www.flyertalk.com, they will tell you how to search for Star Alliance availability using the ANA frequent flyer program. It may take a few minutes, but to me it is worth it.

Do any of you check availability on line? I have actually NEVER booked my award travel over the phone. And don't most airlines charge fees to book via an agent, even for award travel?

 

[AndyMcV]

I might suggest that you correct your post so that others are not misled by your rant. Everyone has a right to express the view on a topic - so go ahead and rant about aeroplan but please include factual information. As you well know, short haul return flights begin at 15000 miles and last I checked, there is competition for Air Canada. Westjet has been very effective (much more so than in the days of CP air) of forcing AC into competitive pricing. As far as saving money in Buffalo, be thankful that you have that alternative.

Duly noted and I've made my correction. I was speaking specificallly 25,000 points for a round trip to Florida aka WDW. My mistake and thank you for pointing it out. I did not want to mislead our thread readers.

Yet, I'm still amazed at how crummy Aeroplan is for it's members. For people that fly a lot, yes a LOT it sounds like a help. For the rest of us we might as well look to another company to fly to WDW with.

Someone on this thread mentioned that AC has competition. Are you serious? If you are, where do I actually see realistic priced flights due to this competition? We are planning a trip to WDW next May/June. I checked the prices last night comparing AC to Southwest. Hmmm... for the 4 of us it's $2600 with AC and a whopping $830 with Southest. Competition.... um, you got a long way to go AC. A long way to go.

Maybe I'm missed something and hopefully I have. Please let me know that I have. I'd love to see some great flight prices with AC and I'd be the first to book with them for our trips. I'd also love to see another way to accumulate points faster with Aeroplan. I guess I haven't seen either of these.

 

[bavaria]

Maybe I'm missed something and hopefully I have. Please let me know that I have. I'd love to see some great flight prices with AC and I'd be the first to book with them for our trips. I'd also love to see another way to accumulate points faster with Aeroplan. I guess I haven't seen either of these.

Yes, you have. The AC flight departs from Canada, where taxes and fees are significantly higher than at US airports. There is also far less competition in the Canadian airline market than in the US market. And AC is a legacy carrier, while SW is a low cost carrier.

When things go wrong, AC has the ability to interline with other airlines. SW does not. AC offers advance seat selection, SW does not.

While many here enjoy the SW experience, the low cost carrier and legacy carrier experience is very different.

 

[bavaria]

I'd also love to see another way to accumulate points faster with Aeroplan. I guess I haven't seen either of these.

Honestly, I really am confused, and I am trying to be helpful about this. You started this thread because you were frustrated with the earning side of Aeroplan, not the redemption side, correct? ie you were frustrated that you flew a few times over a span of a few years, and feel that you are not earning enough miles quickly enough.

Frankly, the simple solution is the obvious one - fly more frequently. I am not trying to be facetious. Aeroplan is a frequent flyer program for those who fly the Star Alliance network.

The other 'quick' way to earn miles, as several have suggested, is to use a credit card affiliated with Aeroplan. I know many people who don't fly very often, but make all of their purchases on an airline affiliated credit card, pay off the balance every month, and earn enough miles for free flights every year.

As I mentioned above, you can transfer Amex points into your account. Depending on your yearly spend, that can again add up quickly.

Other than that, rental cars bookings and hotel stays can add miles into your account, albeit not as quickly.

Ultimately, if you are an infrequent flyer, earning points in a frequent flyer program will be very difficult.

You may want to post your question on the Transportation Board. Many of us fly frequently and do try and help those who do not. You may also (as suggested several times) want to visit the Aeroplan forum at www.flyertalk.com to see how people fund their accounts.

Best of luck.

 

[bavaria]

I am, by no means, a "frequent" frequent flyer. I have, however, received tons of valuable information from Flyertalk.com that has allowed me to receive tremendous value through Aeroplan. I make about 1 "revenue points" flight each year on Air Canada -- some years more, some years less. The rest of the points come from credit card, buying gas at Esso, making phone calls and having Internet through Bell Canada, shopping at Home Hardware, renting the occasional car.

I am willing to pay $120/year for that CIBC Visa to make extra Aeroplan points. The $120/year was more than made up for when CIBC Visa paid out a rental automobile accident claim this summer. I never purchase additional automobile insurance when renting a car -- it's covered by CIBC Visa. That is an outstanding value.

I am quoting this OP in case you don't care to listen to my posts - listen to someone who has posted some great information.

And one last comment re Aeroplan - you wrote

Yet, I'm still amazed at how crummy Aeroplan is for it's members.

Aeroplan actually has some of the lowest elite qualification requirements in the industry, and is fact the reason why many travellers who are not based in Canada, or never fly AC, are members. The 35,000 Elite threshold and accompanying Star Alliance Gold benefits are attractive to those who are unable to reach the 50,000 threshold on most other carriers. I realize that it doesn't impact your situation, but Aeroplan actually has a lot going for it.

 

[AndyMcV]

Hi bavaria

It's me the OP. I truely appreciate your willingness to try and help me out and understand this. Thank you for your information about Aeroplan. It's obvious that you are really happy with Air Canada, Aeroplan and it's benefits. I'm glad that you can benefiit from it.

For me (and I would think a lot of other families) for one, I find that the Aeroplan program is of little value given how hard it is to accumulate points. To your point, yes, this is my original rant. Secondly, which ties in with my first point by way of trying to accumulate points by flying more, I find Air Canada very expensive and hard to justify given true compeditive pricing (ie. comparing to Southwest $2600 vs $830 for a family of 4).

So... I totally agree with your advice in that if you fly more or fly a lot with Air Canada you can benefit. For me, who would like to fly more with Air Canada, it offers little or no benefit.

Again, thanks for your input on the post.

 

[bavaria]

Thanks for not taking it the wrong way. One last example before I bow out of this thread...

Last year I flew Delta once, for a 40 minute flight. I have about 15,000 Delta Skymiles sitting in my account, from about 5 different flights over the past several years. I doubt that I will use them anytime soon, nor do I see adding many miles into my account over the next few years.

So while I am a frequent flyer, I am not a frequent DELTA flyer. Like you, I may need to use those miles one day for something other than a flight. It's just reality, whether I like it or not...

Happy flying!

 

[drag n' fly]

Hi bavaria

It's me the OP. I truely appreciate your willingness to try and help me out and understand this. Thank you for your information about Aeroplan. It's obvious that you are really happy with Air Canada, Aeroplan and it's benefits. I'm glad that you can benefiit from it.

For me (and I would think a lot of other families) for one, I find that the Aeroplan program is of little value given how hard it is to accumulate points. To your point, yes, this is my original rant. Secondly, which ties in with my first point by way of trying to accumulate points by flying more, I find Air Canada very expensive and hard to justify given true compeditive pricing (ie. comparing to Southwest $2600 vs $830 for a family of 4).

So... I totally agree with your advice in that if you fly more or fly a lot with Air Canada you can benefit. For me, who would like to fly more with Air Canada, it offers little or no benefit.

Again, thanks for your input on the post.

Just remember flying SW is not an option for most of us. It would be helpful to have a subforum about finding flights out of Canada.

 

[bavaria]

It's obvious that you are really happy with Air Canada, Aeroplan and it's benefits.

I missed this - last comment, I promise!

Believe it or not, I CAN'T STAND to fly AC. As I said previously, I have had one flight of one hour duration on them in the past year. I also can't stand YYZ so will do anything in my power to fly other carriers and connect in YUL or YOW

I like the program because I use it for seats in business class in Lufthansa - but don't like the AC product or the service!

 

[RoyalCanadian]

For me (and I would think a lot of other families) for one, I find that the Aeroplan program is of little value given how hard it is to accumulate points.

I fail to see how anyone could consider it difficult to accumulate points with Aeroplan. I have found it very easy to accumulate thousands of points with Aeroplan and I'm hardly trying.

Since January of this year I have managed to accumulate 17286 Aeroplan points through regular purchases of gasoline, using an Aeroplan branded CIBC Visa card, drinking Tropicana orange juice and eating Quaker Oats products, shopping at Home Hardware, using Bell Canada for home telephone and Internet, renting cars on vacation and staying in hotels on vacation.

There were two flights on Air Canada Jazz that put 814 points into my account.

All of this said -- I do not fill up exclusively at Esso, nor do I shop for hardware products exclusively at Home Hardware. Tropicana orange juice is an occasional luxury I give myself and my family doesn't use Bell Canada for long distance telephone. I don't rent cars a lot and I don't stay exclusively at hotels that give points transferrable to the Aeroplan programme and I certainly don't put all my purchases on the Visa card. There are many other Aeroplan partners giving out points, but I don't have any reason to shop with them at this time.

I will gladly cross the border to find a cheaper flight to Florida or any other destination in the United States (or abroad for that matter, if the opportunity arose). I will gladly fly WestJet on flights within Canada if the schedule or price beats what Air Canada can offer me.

I wouldn't consider myself loyal to Air Canada. I'm a former shareholder who saw my tiny investment wiped out in the bankruptcy proceedings a few years ago while company executives made out quite nicely in the restructuring. However, I'll gladly take whatever points Aeroplan is willing to give me and use them to my advantage -- and I have found it very easy to collect these points and redeem these points.

 

[calliemom]

I'm another lover of Aeroplan!!!! We have traveled 3 years in a row free (other than taxes) to Orlando and already have our next trip booked for June 08 (Tampa). We do accumulate through our American Express and Visa Gold and other than having to book 12 months in advance to get those direct flights we want, we have had no problems.

 

[AndyMcV]

...I have found it very easy to accumulate thousands of points with Aeroplan and I'm hardly trying....

Since January of this year I have managed to accumulate 17286 Aeroplan points through regular purchases of gasoline, using an Aeroplan branded CIBC Visa card, drinking Tropicana orange juice and eating Quaker Oats products, shopping at Home Hardware, using Bell Canada for home telephone and Internet, renting cars on vacation and staying in hotels on vacation.

Hmmm... I bet most of your points are accumulated with your CIBC Visa card which has an annual fee of $120+. Just as an example it will take me $75,000in Esso gas purchases to get 25,000 points. Umm... ok, you must spend a LOT of money on gasoline. Honestly other than the CIBC Visa or fights, there seems to be no other realistic way to accumulate points.

 

[calgarygary]

Hmmm... I bet most of your points are accumulated with your CIBC Visa card which has an annual fee of $120+. Just as an example it will take me $75,000in Esso gas purchases to get 25,000 points. Umm... ok, you must spend a LOT of money on gasoline. Honestly other than the CIBC Visa or fights, there seems to be no other realistic way to accumulate points.

I must be missing something - what other way of collecting points in an airline's loyalty program are you looking for? You collect points through flights with ac and it's partners, with car rentals, hotel stays, credit cards, gas purchases, at various times they have partnered with retailers such as future shop, just what are you looking for AndyMcV. Tell us what manner you expect to collect points in an airline's loyalty program that is currently not available.