I just got an email concerning changes with Air Canada and Aeroplan. There are a number of significant changes, but the most significant is:
This is a major, amazing, and awesome change. This opens up a whole lot of redemption opportunities that make Air Canada redemptions on Aeroplan worthwhile.
Today’s Sunday Reader Question is: I have a flight to catch, but to connect there, I need to fly Air Canada. I don’t want to pay the Aeroplan fees that are charged with Air Canada. What do I do?
I just booked an award trip to Sydney, flying: Air Canada Business from Toronto YYZ to Los Angeles LAX, then United First Class LAX to Sydney SYD. I have 10 days in the region, then I fly back SYD to Seoul ICN on Asiana Business, and ICN to Montreal YUL via Istanbul IST on Turkish Business. I paid around ~$400 for this ticket, and 190,000 Aeroplan points.
Here's the process:
Email status.match@aircanada.ca the following information: A scan of your competitor's card, your Aeroplan number, and a screenshot of some sort of Air Canada flight activity that you've taken within 1 year on your Aeroplan page.
*When I first sent the email in April 2014, my AB card was active. When I got a re-request email, they asked for a new scan, and at that point, my AB card was inactive. I explained that, and it didn't seem to be an issue.
**This process took a very long time: 82 days to be exact! Just be patient, and reply with all the information they request, even if it's a repeat.
I woke up nice and early to catch my 5:40AM flight from Kingston YGK to Toronto YYZ. I absolutely love the YGK airport: it's very small, clean, efficient, and their operations just work. The agents were able to through-check my luggage all the way to Hong Kong, even though that flight was on a separate itinerary. Another great feature of the YGK airport (except for the microwave being the centre point of their cafeteria!), is that only a Beechcraft services the airport. The Beechcraft is an old-timey plane, with no cockpit door, a bathroom without a door, and loud-as-hell propellors.
Thanks for reading this trip report! Because I am posting the numerous parts of this report while I'm travelling, they will be published over the course of the next couple weeks. Enjoy!
