Jan 05
Instant Elite Status Question
xn--vcsx75gvhj1xc.comI have a colleague who will be crossing 35K status miles this month. Does AC still offer early Elite and if so, does he have to do anything to ensure he gets it.
thanks in advance
See post #6. You will not get early P status.
Most US programs (Skyteam) that use 50K also give out 1.5 qualifying miles for what AC would call Latitude fares while AC only hands out 1Xmiles for the same fares. So anyone flying the higher coach classes (last minute bookings) would actually find it a bit easier to qualify for Delta/CO than AC's mid-tier. Top-tier is much easier if you are flying mostly transcon or long haul - 75K with Y/B/M getting the 1.5. AA is similar with full fare economy getting 1.5X qualifying miles plus they have three ways to earn status rather than most other airlines two.
This crazy idea keeps coming up on FT. It's a Red Herring! AC has a lower bar for Elite, because it's so much harder to reach.
Air Canada fares include 0% status mile classes, R, G, P, E, N, T, K, X. At one time earning 50% status miles, now earing 50% non-status miles.
Casual traveller will often fly these fare classes and acrue 25-35,000 miles after flying many more in 'real flight miles' It is possible to fly as much as a Super Elite without earning any status. Misinformed travellers can fall into this category easily.
Other programs build miles at 1 mile earned for 1 mile flown.
50,000 miles a year = 50,000 miles.
35K may look low to you. But you're comparing oranges and apples (or should I say tangerines ;))
It's not early, if you've already flown the required miles. ;)
Membership benefits are for those following the required amount of flight miles per year. As soon as you've flown those miles, the benefits are yours to enjoy (usuall lag time between flying and miles/status posting still exists, of course).
:td: As noted below, Prestige level isn't recognized as a real level until the following year. :rolleyes: Air Canada, amaze me with the logic on this one! :confused:
First off, Prestige was quite easily achieved in the old days of 18K and a costly proposition for AC/AE given the huge numbers who would qualify on a single trip to Australia or the like. Since the level has been moved up to 25K, AC must assume that anyone hitting that level mid-year travels enough and regularly to have a good crack at hitting 35K and thus make better use of early Elite status and the accompanying package. Those who just linger at the 25K mileage point and don't get any further are likely to have either taken a limited number of flights in the year and would not really be in need of the minimal extra benefits of Prestige, or hit it late enough in the year that it would be a costly and worthless process for AC to process the status upgrade...afterall if they keep traveling a bit more, they'll hit Elite, so what's the problem?
Secondly, until AC moves Elite to 50K like most other programs, the gap between the two elite levels is minimal, as I've noted above. AC in many cases would end up sending out two kits to first-time Prestige qualifiers and the Prestige kit could well arrive after the person has flown the added miles required to hit Elite.
US and other carriers do early qualification to their first elite tier because likelihood of someone earning the next higher tier in the same year is minimal and the benefits are significant at that initial tier. So it makes sense to upgrade their status early. In AC's case, it just doesn't make cost:benefit sense.
www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=565938&highlight=early+recognition
OK, ammended to note Prestige is not deemed worthy... :D
Not 100% true.:D You don’t get Prestige status until March even if you reach 25K or 25 segments yearly in the year. Instant E and SE however have been given in the past if you reach the required status miles/segments before October 15th.
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