Aeroplan members can, under this offer, buy miles at up to a 110% bonus.

You can access this offer on Air Canada’s website here.

Air Canada Aeroplan members can buy up to 1 million miles in a calendar year before any possible bonuses.

Bonus Table:

Price at a 110% bonus:

The price of a mile (USD) under this offer is 1.23 US cents each when you buy them at a maximum discount. The price under the 100% bonus was 1.3 US cents each.

Conclusion

Air Canada allows you to buy a significant number of miles at once. The price in USD per mile is very reasonable, considering the breadth of partners and availability to book all of them online without having to call.

The airline has many partners outside Star Alliance, including Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, Oman Air, and Air Mauritius. You can mix and match partner airlines for awards that also allow stopovers for a modest fee.

This is the best price to buy Aeroplan miles. If you have planned to buy some, now it would be the right time.

Here are the terms and conditions of this sale:

The following Terms and Conditions apply to the Buy and/or Gift Points May 2023 Offer open to Aeroplan® Members (the “Offer”) and will take place from May 18, 2023, at 12:01:01 AM ET to May 23, 2023 at 2:59:59 AM ET (the “Offer Period”):

1. This Offer to buy and/or gift Aeroplan points today and earn bonus Aeroplan points is open to Aeroplan Members in good standing that log into their Aeroplan account on after May 18, 2023 at 12:01:01 AM ET (the “Eligible Participants”). An Aeroplan Member who is logged in to their Aeroplan account prior to May 18, 2023 at 12:01:01 AM ET will not be considered as an Eligible Participant under this Offer – to be considered an Eligible Participant under this Offer, please make sure to click or push the “refresh page” button of your web/mobile browser after this time. Not an Aeroplan Member yet? Sign up here.

2. “Eligible Aeroplan points” means Aeroplan points bought and/or gifted by an Eligible Participant during the Offer Period pursuant to the Buy/Gift Points Program, part of the Aeroplan Program. Please visit the following link for information and terms and conditions applicable to the Buy/Gift Points Program.

All Aeroplan points purchased and/or gifted prior to the start of the Offer Period or purchased and/or gifted with a login time before May 18, 2023 at 12:01:01 AM ET or after May 23, 2023 at 2:59:59 AM ET, are not considered as Eligible Aeroplan points pursuant to this Offer.

3. Eligible Aeroplan points purchased and/or gifted pursuant to this Offer are non-refundable.

4. Through this Offer and during the Offer Period, Eligible Participants will be able to bonus Aeroplan points which are calculated based on the Eligible Aeroplan points bought by an Eligible Participant during the Offer Period as per the following conditions:

(a) Earn 60% bonus Aeroplan points when a minimum of 4,000 Eligible Aeroplan points and up to a maximum of 29,000 Eligible Aeroplan points are bought and/or gifted (no bonus Aeroplan points will be issued if less than 4,000 Aeroplan points are bought and/or gifted).
(b) Earn 75% bonus Aeroplan points when a minimum of 30,000 Eligible Aeroplan points and up to a maximum of 55,000 Eligible Aeroplan points are bought and/or gifted.
(c) Earn 110% bonus Aeroplan points when buying and/or gifting 60,000 or more Eligible Aeroplan points.

In the case of gifting Eligible Aeroplan points by an Aeroplan Member (the gifter) to another Aeroplan Member (the recipient), it is the recipient that will earn the bonus Aeroplan points, which will be deposited into the recipient’s Aeroplan account (subject to Section 6 below).

5. Specific Conditions to buying and/or gifting Eligible Aeroplan points pursuant to this Offer:

(a) Buying Eligible Aeroplan points: During the Offer Period and only for the purpose of this Offer, Eligible Participants can buy a minimum of 4,000 Aeroplan points and up to 500,000 Aeroplan points per transaction; up to a maximum total of 1,000,000 Eligible Aeroplan points per calendar year:

• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this Offer do not count towards the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account, which is increased from 250,000 Aeroplan points to 500,000 Aeroplan points solely for the purpose of this Offer;
• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this Offer do not count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account, which is 1,000,000 Aeroplan points.

(b) Gifting Eligible Aeroplan points: During the Offer Period and only for the purpose of this Offer, Eligible Participants can gift a minimum of 4,000 Aeroplan points and up to 500,000 Aeroplan points per transaction; up to a maximum total of 500,000 Eligible Aeroplan points pear calendar year:

• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this Offer do not count toward the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account, which is increased from 250,000 Aeroplan points to 500,000 Aeroplan points solely for the purpose of this Offer;
• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this Offer do not count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account, which is 500,000 Aeroplan points.

6. Purchased and gifted Eligible Aeroplan points and bonus Aeroplan points will generally be posted within 72 hours in a member’s Aeroplan account.

7. This Offer is subject to change at Aeroplan’s sole discretion without notice. This Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion.

8. Aeroplan reserve the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual from this Offer and to ban the individual from any future offers that it finds or believes to be tampering with the process or the operation of this Offer, to be acting in violation of these Terms and Conditions, the Aeroplan General Terms and Conditions or in a disruptive manner, or with bad faith. Any attempt by a member or any other person to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of this Offer is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Aeroplan reserve the right to seek damages from any such person.

9. By entering this Offer, each Eligible Participant acknowledges and agrees that Aeroplan: (i) shall have no liability of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Offer; (ii) make no warranty, guaranty or representation of any kind concerning the award; (iii) disclaim any implied warranty; and (iv) are not liable for injury, loss or damage of any kind resulting from an Eligible Participant’s acceptance or use of the award or otherwise from such Eligible Participant’s participation in this Offer. Aeroplan is not responsible for typographical or other errors in this Offer or administration of this Offer, including, but not limited to, errors in advertising and in the official Terms and Conditions. Aeroplan is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems or servers, computer software problems or traffic congestion on the internet.

10. If this Offer is not capable of running as planned for any reason, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, pandemic or any other causes beyond the reasonable control of Aeroplan which corrupt or affect the administration, security or proper conduct of this Offer, Aeroplan reserves the right at its sole discretion to, without advance notice, terminate or suspend the Offer, in whole or in part, or modify it in any way.

11. This Offer is governed by all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations applicable in the province of Quebec.

12. In the event of any discrepancies between the English language Terms and Conditions and the French language Terms and Conditions for this Offer, the English version shall prevail.

13. The following applies to this Offer, but in the event of conflict, these Terms and Conditions shall govern:
•Aeroplan Buy & Gift Points Program General Information and Terms and Conditions
•Aeroplan’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy :

At the end of the press release, there is a note that they are working on reciprocal elite and frequent flier benefits that are expected to be launched later this year.

You can access Air Canada here.

Air Canada’s announcement:

Conclusion

This is a logical choice for Air Canada to have another airline partner based in Dubai that are both owned by the government.

Flydubai operates single-aisle aircraft and flies to many destinations that cannot support wide-body planes from Emirates.

It is good that some frequent flier benefits are in the works too, and we are eager to learn more about them later in the year.

There is also a monthly bonus of 250 Aeroplan miles for utilizing two select Uber services and quintuple miles for the first grocery or retail delivery by May 31.

You can link your Uber and Aeroplan accounts here.

Offer Details:

Starting May 3, Aeroplan members can earn 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent on eligible orders in the Grocery and Retail sections of the Uber Eats app, with no minimum spend required. The launch provides a new way to earn Aeroplan points with national and regional grocers and retailers. In addition, members can take advantage of the following offers after linking their Aeroplan account with their Uber/Uber Eats account in Canada:

Launch offer: 5X Aeroplan points on their next grocery or retail delivery order with Uber Eats from May 3 until May 31;

New 250-point monthly bonus: Members will earn an additional 250 bonus Aeroplan points when completing an eligible ride (premium or airport ride), a restaurant food delivery order of $40* or more, and an eligible order from the Grocery or Retail section through Uber and Uber Eats in the same calendar month, every month – an Uber hat trick!

New eater bonus: 1,000 bonus Aeroplan points when members open their first Uber Eats account, and complete their first eligible order from the Restaurant, Retail, or Grocery sections in the Uber Eats app;

New rider bonus: 1,000 bonus Aeroplan points when members open their first Uber account, and take their first ride with Uber;

Uber cash: Convert Aeroplan points to Uber Cash in the Uber app, from as little as 3,000 points for $25, which can be used towards Uber orders or an Uber One subscription.

Conclusion

I have linked my Uber and Lyft accounts with various partners to collect points and miles if I take rides in the eligible markets.

These mileage amounts are not huge, but everything helps.

Aeroplan members can earn and redeem points with JOURNIE Rewards, but the exact earning and burning rates are unavailable.

You can access Air Canada Aeroplan here.

Air Canada’s Announcement:

Aeroplan and Parkland Join Together to Launch New Loyalty Partnership

• Multi-year agreement will create more ways for Canadians to earn and redeem Aeroplan points

• When partnership launches in Fall, 2023, Aeroplan and JOURNIETM Rewards members who link their loyalty accounts will have increased earning and redemption opportunities and greater choice in accessing new benefits

• All Parkland’s Canadian fuel and convenience brands to participate, including Ultramar, Chevron, Pioneer, Fas Gas, and ON the RUN and Marché Express

• EV charging rewards also planned for JOURNIETM Rewards and Aeroplan

MONTREAL, April 18, 2023 – Air Canada’s Aeroplan, Canada’s leading travel loyalty program, and Parkland Corporation (TSX:PKI), the company behind popular Canadian fuel and convenience store brands Chevron, Ultramar, Pioneer, Fas Gas, ON the RUN and Marché Express are pleased to announce a new loyalty partnership that will launch in the fall of 2023.

“We are thrilled to come together with the Parkland family of brands to offer Aeroplan members a new way to earn and redeem points in their everyday lives,” said Mark Nasr, President of Aeroplan. “Our members have long been asking for a fuel partner, and Parkland’s extensive reach across Canada, their best-in-class retail experience, and their investments in low carbon fuels and EV charging infrastructure, make them the perfect fit.”

“Our strategic partnership with Aeroplan unites two great Canadian loyalty programs and propels Parkland’s loyalty and organic growth strategies,” said Parkland Canada President, Ian White. “Parkland’s purpose is to power journeys, and to partner with Canada’s premier travel loyalty program and largest airline is a natural extension of our customer proposition. We are excited to work with Aeroplan to accelerate momentum in our JOURNIETM Rewards program and provide our customers with even greater choice and value.”

Together, the Aeroplan and JOURNIETM Rewards loyalty programs will have a broader platform to build deeper engagement with millions of members across Canada, providing increased earning and redemption opportunities, greater choice in accessing new benefits, and an unmatched loyalty experience. More details will be available leading up to the launch in fall of 2023.

Conclusion

I would assume that the earning part of Aeroplan points from this partnership makes more sense than using them for fueling up.

Aeroplan members can, under this offer, buy miles at an 85% bonus.

You can access this offer on Air Canada’s website here.

Air Canada Aeroplan members can buy up to 1 million miles in a calendar year before any possible bonuses.

Price at an 85% bonus:

The price of a mile (USD) under this offer is 1.41 US cents each when you buy them at an 85% discount. The price under the 100% bonus was 1.3 US cents each.

Conclusion

Air Canada allows you to buy a significant number of miles at once. The price in USD per mile is very reasonable, considering the breadth of partners and availability to book all of them online without having to call.

The airline has many partners outside Star Alliance, including Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, Oman Air, and Air Mauritius. You can mix and match partner airlines for awards that also allow stopovers for a modest fee.

I would not buy miles under this sale unless you need some right now. There will be a better offer month or two down the road.

Here are the terms and conditions of this sale:

The following Terms and Conditions apply to the Buy and/or Gift Points April 2023 Offer open to Aeroplan® Members (the “Offer”) and will take place from April 17, 2023, at 9:01:01 AM ET to April 30, 2023 at 2:59:59 AM ET (the “Offer Period”):

1. This Offer to buy and/or gift Aeroplan points today and earn bonus Aeroplan points is open to Aeroplan Members in good standing that log into their Aeroplan account on after April 17, 2023 at 9:01:01 AM ET (the “Eligible Participants”). An Aeroplan Member who is logged in to their Aeroplan account prior to April 17, 2023 at 9:01:01 AM ET will not be considered as an Eligible Participant under this Offer – to be considered an Eligible Participant under this Offer, please make sure to click or push the “refresh page” button of your web/mobile browser after this time. Not an Aeroplan Member yet? Sign up here.

2. “Eligible Aeroplan points” means Aeroplan points bought and/or gifted by an Eligi-ble Participant during the Offer Period pursuant to the Buy/Gift Points Program, part of the Aeroplan Program. Please visit the following link for information and terms and conditions applicable to the Buy/Gift Points Program.

All Aeroplan points purchased and/or gifted prior to the start of the Offer Period or purchased and/or gifted with a login time before April 17, 2023 at 9:01:01 AM ET or after April 30, 2023 at 2:59:59 AM ET, are not considered as Eligible Aeroplan points pursuant to this Offer.

3. Eligible Aeroplan points purchased and/or gifted pursuant to this Offer are non-refundable.

4. Through this Offer and during the Offer Period, Eligible Participants will be able to bonus Aeroplan points which are calculated based on the Eligible Aeroplan points bought by an Eligible Participant during the Offer Period as per the following conditions:

(a) Earn 85% bonus Aeroplan points when a minimum of 15,000 Eligible Aeroplan points are bought and/or gifted (no bonus Aeroplan points will be issued if less than 15,000 Aeroplan points are bought and/or gifted).

In the case of gifting Eligible Aeroplan points by an Aeroplan Member (the gifter) to another Aeroplan Member (the recipient), it is the recipient that will earn the bonus Aeroplan points, which will be deposited into the recipient’s Aeroplan account (subject to Section 6 below).

5. Specific Conditions to buying and/or gifting Eligible Aeroplan points pursuant to this Offer:

(a) Buying Eligible Aeroplan points: During the Offer Period and only for the purpose of this Offer, Eligible Participants can buy a minimum of 15,000 Aeroplan points and up to 500,000 Aeroplan points per transaction; up to a maximum total of 1,000,000 Eligible Aeroplan points per calendar year:

• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this Offer do not count towards the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account, which is increased from 250,000 Aeroplan points to 500,000 Aeroplan points solely for the purpose of this Offer;
• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this Offer do not count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account, which is 1,000,000 Aeroplan points.

(b) Gifting Eligible Aeroplan points: During the Offer Period and only for the purpose of this Offer, Eligible Participants can gift a minimum of 15,000 Aeroplan points and up to 500,000 Aeroplan points per transaction; up to a maximum total of 500,000 Eligible Aeroplan points pear calendar year:

• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this Offer do not count toward the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account, which is increased from 250,000 Aeroplan points to 500,000 Aeroplan points solely for the purpose of this Offer;
• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this Offer do not count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account, which is 500,000 Aeroplan points.

6. Purchased and gifted Eligible Aeroplan points and bonus Aeroplan points will generally be posted within 72 hours in a member’s Aeroplan account.

7. This Offer is subject to change at Aeroplan’s sole discretion without notice. This Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion.

8. Aeroplan reserve the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual from this Offer and to ban the individual from any future offers that it finds or believes to be tampering with the process or the operation of this Offer, to be acting in violation of these Terms and Conditions, the Aeroplan General Terms and Conditions or in a disruptive manner, or with bad faith. Any attempt by a member or any other person to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of this Offer is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Aeroplan reserve the right to seek damages from any such person.

9. By entering this Offer, each Eligible Participant acknowledges and agrees that Aeroplan: (i) shall have no liability of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Offer; (ii) make no warranty, guaranty or representation of any kind concerning the award; (iii) disclaim any implied warranty; and (iv) are not liable for injury, loss or damage of any kind resulting from an Eligible Participant’s acceptance or use of the award or otherwise from such Eligible Participant’s participation in this Offer. Aeroplan is not responsible for typographical or other errors in this Offer or administration of this Offer, including, but not limited to, errors in advertising and in the official Terms and Conditions. Aeroplan is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems or servers, computer software problems or traffic congestion on the internet.

10. If this Offer is not capable of running as planned for any reason, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, pandemic or any other causes beyond the reasonable control of Aeroplan which corrupt or affect the administration, security or proper conduct of this Offer, Aeroplan reserves the right at its sole discretion to, without advance notice, terminate or suspend the Offer, in whole or in part, or modify it in any way.

11. This Offer is governed by all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations applicable in the province of Quebec.

12. In the event of any discrepancies between the English language Terms and Conditions and the French language Terms and Conditions for this Offer, the English version shall prevail.

13. The following applies to this Offer, but in the event of conflict, these Terms and Conditions shall govern:
•Aeroplan Buy & Gift Points Program General Information and Terms and Conditions
•Aeroplan’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy :

Now another passenger who flew Air Canada from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale is raising the matter again, complaining that he didn’t receive service entirely in French during his Business Class flight as the only french speaking flight attendant worked in Economy Class.

There has been increased confusion throughout the years about what airlines are actually required to do in terms of providing bilingual service, and apparently, even most Canadians don’t exactly know about the details.

Business Insider reported that the passenger got into a heated argument with the crew onboard the flight and was told the Purser of the flight was bilingual and would be working in Economy Class, if he was uncomfortable, then he could disembark and take another flight.

An Air Canada passenger filed a complaint with language authorities after a flight attendant was unable to serve him in French.

Jean-Pierre Beaudoin told the Canadian French-language channel TVA Nouvelles that he was flying in business class last month from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when a flight attendant who only spoke English served him.

He asked for a bilingual flight attendant to serve him so that he could speak in French.

Beaudoin told TVA the crew member spoke to a colleague and then told him “in English, ‘Sir, this is my section. You have the right to leave the plane or I will serve you.'”

He said a man, who was either an Air Canada employee or an airport agent, came on to the plane to tell him that either an English-speaking attendant would serve him, or he would have to leave the aircraft.

Beaudoin said: “It made my blood boil. I was thinking, ‘We’re in Quebec. The flight originates from Quebec.’ It wasn’t a choice for me to leave the plane.”

Beaudoin, who speaks both French and English, told TVA he decided to stay on the plane and only reply in French when crew spoke to him in English. He described the act of rebellion as a “matter of principle.”

He told the outlet he’d filed a complaint with the Quebec Office of the French Language after the flight. Beaudoin said he didn’t complain to Air Canada because he didn’t trust their process, instead escalating the matter to language authorities.

Air Canada is subject to Canada’s Official Languages Act, which gives equal status to both English and French. The airline was fined $15,700 in 2019 after a couple complained that some signs on a domestic flight were only in English, BBC News reported.

In a statement to Insider, an Air Canada representative said two of the three cabin crew on the flight could speak French.

“Therefore, service in the two official languages was available and offered. In this regard, it is false to claim that the only solution was to ask him to leave the aircraft since French-speaking staff members were able and available to serve Mr. Beaudoin in French,” the airline added. …

It’s obvious that the passenger speaks English perfectly well and that it was simply his intention to cause trouble based on his “principle” which I might add is fully within his rights as Canadian courts have affirmed in the past.

The question is, how much of the service has to be provided in French for the airline to fulfill the legal requirement of the Official Languages Act (OLA). Some argue that the airline has to provide at least one staff member on board the flight to be able to communicate with passengers about basic necessities and to ensure the safety briefing and emergency protocol can be handled correctly. Others interpret the law more stringently that a wider service has to be conducted in French as well.

Air Canada has indeed been fined by both the Government for violations or lost cases in front of courts and Human Rights Commissions, awarding passengers damages for violating their rights. This was mostly in cases where Air Canada had no french-english-bilingual cabin crew member on board at all, which is rare, but it does happen.

Official bilingualism is the term used in Canada to collectively describe the policies, constitutional provisions, and laws that ensure legal equality of English and French in the Parliament and courts of Canada, protect the linguistic rights of English- and French-speaking minorities in different provinces, and ensure a level of government services in both languages across Canada.

In addition to the symbolic designation of English and French as official languages, official bilingualism is generally understood to include any law or other measure that:

• mandates that the federal government conduct its business in both official languages and provide government services in both languages;
• encourages or mandates lower tiers of government (most notably the provinces and territories, but also some municipalities) to conduct themselves in both official languages and to provide services in both English and French rather than in just one or the other;
• places obligations on private actors in Canadian society to provide access to goods or services in both official languages (such as the requirement that food products be labelled in both English and French);
• provides support to non-government actors to encourage or promote the use or the status of one or the other of the two official languages. This includes grants and contributions to groups representing the English-speaking minority in Quebec and the French-speaking minorities in the other provinces to assist with the establishment of an infrastructure of cultural supports and services.

A Canadian Senate inquiry in 2022 noted that Air Canada is governed by, among others, the Air Canada Public Participation Act which was enacted in 1985. In 2016, an Order designated the Minister of Transport with the application of this law.

Section 10(1) states that the OLA applies to Air Canada, and section 10(2) states that “the Corporation shall ensure that air services, including incidental services, are provided or made available by a subsidiary of the Corporation, the Corporation has the duty to ensure that any of the subsidiary’s customers can communicate with the subsidiary in respect of those services, and obtain those services from the subsidiary, in either official language”.

Air Canada’s obligations in terms of services to the public fall under Part IV of the OLA and its Official Languages Regulations – Communications with the public and provision of services (Regulations) for which the President of the Treasury Board is responsible. …

In 2017, Air Canada confirmed that it was able to assign bilingual staff to all the flights it operates directly, whether they are on high demand or not. The applicable collective agreement also provides for a minimum number of bilingual employees on all flights, depending on the type of aircraft. This assignment rule gives priority to bilingual employees for obtaining routes, going beyond the seniority rule.

According to Air Canada, the demand for services in the official minority language on many of its routes is well below the five 5% threshold. Air Canada offers services in both official languages on 85 domestic routes and 161 international routes. Those represent 60 % of the air carrier’s routes where services must be bilingual. This proportion compares to 34% of all 11,300 federal offices, under the umbrella of some 200 federal institutions, in Canada and abroad. …

Personally, I wouldn’t trust any excuse Air Canada tells, but this isn’t about my personal feelings toward them. Of course, the number of complaints is always small, and very few people go through the hurdles of filing an official complaint.

This case will likely be decided by another Human Rights Commission or court hearing should the customer pursue it. I’m interested in how the current interpretation of the law would reflect in this case. Air Canada, which was a Crown corporation until the late 1980s, used to be the only airline that must comply with the Official Languages Act.

While many would like to label this passenger as a troublemaker, I think there is more to this. It sounds like he was looking for a reason to get back at Air Canada, and considering the behavior of the carrier in the past 3 years, there is plenty of reason to believe that they have made enough enemies within their group of customers.

Just remember how Air Canada flat out refused to refund people’s money for flights they cancelled and then lobbied the government regulators to agree that “vouchers are totally ok” as reimbursement. Only when Air Canada eventually needed government financial support was a deal struck that required the carrier to finally make customers whole again and provide refunds.

Or the thousands of legitimate complaints about delays and cancellations which would require cash compensation under Canadian law but which are denied in a blanket policy as the carrier knows the CTA is backlogged for years and most passengers won’t sue for their compensation.

You can only treat your passengers badly for so long until such actions backfire and customers go on the offense, trying to look for opportunities to trip you up.

Conclusion

Air Canada is once again accused of running afoul of the Official Languages Act in Canada, requiring them to provide passenger service in both English and French. While there was a bilingual crew member on board this particular passenger’s flight, he was working in Economy Class and not in Business.

The passenger was then presented with the option to disembark the flight and use a later service. The statements of what actually happened differ between the passengers and the airline’s accounts of the situation. Most likely, this will be escalated into an official case where evidence has to be presented, and some authority will decide if Air Canada violated laws and regulations as they have done many times in the past or if having one crew member for the safety briefing and emergency situations on board is sufficient to satisfy OLA requirements.

While this might seem strange to people from countries with only one main language, many countries have several official languages, and there are hardly any problems in daily life. Labels on products are easily assigned, and for official business, an interpreter can be provided if necessary. Companies and the government also prefer to hire bilingual staff to help circumvent problematic situations and, in most cases, pay a premium for such bilingual workers.

The situation in Canada with Quebec is a bit more complicated and goes beyond the language issue as they also have a very own set of laws to be followed and even have their own immigration law that has often been abused throughout the years, using Quebec as a loophole to formally immigrate there but really live in other parts of Canada such as Toronto or Vancouver.

Readers are encouraged to send us questions, comments, or opinions by email, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We’ll try to cover them here several times a week.

You can access Air Canada here.

Reader’s Email:

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying to book an Oman Air flight through Aeroplan and I haven’t been able to find any availability on any of their routes.

On Flyertalk, someone also recently reported that Aeroplan cancelled their upcoming Omain Air flight and rebooked them on Emirates.

Could this be the end of the Aeroplan-Oman Air partnership? Is there anyone at Aeroplan you can reach out to confirm?

Air Canada added Oman Air as an Aeroplan partner in December 2021 (read more here), and I have been wondering about the status of this partnership, as Oman Air has not come up in any of the award searches I have recently completed, where it would have been a good option.

We have been in touch with Aeroplan, who told us that they are aware of the issue that is being resolved and taking longer than they would like. They currently cannot see and access Oman Air’s award inventory.

Conclusion

Air Canada Aeroplan has a very good mix of partner airlines for members to earn and redeem their miles, and Oman Air is one of the partners based in the Middle East.

Let’s hope that these connectivity issues can be resolved soon so that we can continue redeeming Aeroplan miles for their flights.

Oman Air is also set to join Oneworld Alliance in 2024.

Remember that you can always email us, send a message via Facebook or use Twitter and include photos too. We’ll try to cover a Compensation Clinic case here regularly. 

I was understandably unhappy with Air Canada’s offer and decided to escalate my complaint to regulators and apply for mediation through the ombudsman in Germany that I had used several times before.

To quickly recapitulate what happened:

I was informed at Check-In that the departure time for Vancouver-Seoul was delayed by at least an hour, making my connection in Seoul illegal as it cut my connection time down to only 20 minutes. I was then rebooked to Vancouver-Tokyo/NRT-Bangkok, with the connection flight being in Japan Airlines, operating from a totally different terminal. Even though there is an intra-terminal connection in Narita it requires time.

Air Canada refused to rebook the entire itinerary on ONE airline (Japan Airlines) and so it ended up like this:

As my (lack of) luck would have it, there was no time to be had. First, the crew didn’t show up on time for the flight causing a 30-minute delay in boarding, then a mechanical issue caused another 40-minute delay in parking on the tarmac to get it sorted.

I already foresaw that the connection in Tokyo will end up in a disaster, so I preregistered for the arrivals fast track in case I needed to enter and stay overnight, which is exactly what happened as the delay in arrival and a 25+ minute taxiing in Narita made the connection impossible.

Eventually, I arrived in Bangkok three calendar days after my departure in Vancouver with a 26-hour delay compared to my original ticket.

I complained by email to Air Canada, but they were less than interested, claiming that the compensation legislation doesn’t apply as the reason for the delay was flight safety:

We are in receipt of your claim under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations for booking XXXXXX, flight AC63 YVR – ICN, on 2023/02/12. We are sorry for the disruption you experienced at arrival to your final destination.

In this instance, the compensation you are requesting does not apply because the disruption was caused by a safety-related issue.

This flight is delayed due to additional time needed to substitute the aircraft. Due to an unforeseen maintenance issue, the aircraft for your flight may have had to be changed, and the arrival of the replacement aircraft took longer than expected.

As a goodwill gesture, I am pleased to provide you with a $100.00 CAD Air Canada eCoupon. Please find details of this offer below.

If you wish to learn more about flight disruptions and how entitlement to compensation is assessed under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, please visit our website.

We thank you for your understanding and look forward to welcoming you on board again.

Sincerely,
Customer Relations

They conveniently left out that the new flight I was on also got delayed, causing this misconnection and that it could have been avoided had the staff not refused to rebook me on JAL right away. And since when is a late crew flight safety related?

I decided to escalate the case to the SöP Ombudsman in Germany, which has the full name of söp – Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen Personenverkehr (good luck pronouncing that if German isn’t your mother tongue :).

We have covered this service quite a few times here on LoyaltyLobby, and the key is that the airline in question has to participate in the mediation scheme, which is the case with Air Canada.

Filing the case was relatively easy and took me less than 15 minutes as I had all documents ready to upload. The case is then created and an administrator will accept it within a week if everything is ok:

The agency will then send the case off to the airline in question and see what they have to say. Often times they answer promptly and accept the case as well as provide compensation (as in this case). However, if the airline refuses, it will go back to the agency, and they have to study the case based on the law, and it will go back and forth, just like when you give it to an attorney. This would take considerable time, depending on the current backlog, but eventually, it will get done.

I’m quite happy it didn’t stretch that long this time around, and Air Canada got back to them within a few days, providing an answer and resolution:

You submitted a request for arbitration to us on March 7th, 2023. Air Canada has now offered to mail you a $1,000.00 travel voucher and make a payment of $257.00 “as a goodwill gesture”.

The company reports, among other things: “[…]In this case, compensation according to the APPR regulation is not to be paid, the delay was controllably necessary for flight safety.[…] …

Even if we have not yet checked the factual and legal situation, we will forward the offer to you in order to settle the dispute quickly. Please understand that we can neither answer questions about content nor support you in your decision.

You now have the following two options:

1. Acceptance of Offer: If you accept Air Canada’s offer, a settlement based on that offer will be executed and the arbitration will end.

2. Rejection of the Offer: If you reject Air Canada’s offer, we will conduct a legal review of the matter at no cost to you and then notify you of the outcome. We still need time for that. Even if our independent review may turn out better than the above offer, the company would still have to agree to a corresponding arbitration recommendation.

If our recommendation for arbitration is rejected, the arbitration process would have failed. With regard to the offer, we as the arbitration board could not provide you with any further support.

Please let us know by March 31, 2023 at the latest whether you accept or reject the offer (travel voucher worth CAD 1,000.00 + payment of EUR 257.00).

We would be grateful for a short-term response, preferably by email to flugkontakt@soep-online.de. Please include your processing reference in the subject line.

Best regards

S.B.

Fully qualified lawyer / arbitrator

I was surprised by the fast turnaround time and positive reply by Air Canada as the customer service initially only offered $100 and told me to go away.

I think the airline currently decided to decline any compensation request and ignore the passenger as they know the Canadian Regulator (CTA) has a backlog for years with over 40,000+ cases pending and very few people will take them to court. Using a mediator in another country was the best solution in this case.

I decided to accept their offer of a C$1000 voucher and 257 Euro cash for expenses I incurred along the way. The voucher is as good as cash for me, and dragging this out would have likely not resulted in much because it’s unclear how to disprove AC’s claim that the regulation doesn’t apply through an attorney not licensed in Canada.

It was possible to redeem the voucher immediately as I found a well-priced Premium Economy ticket to Florida next month to start a cruise. This was an excellent outcome as far as I’m concerned.

One thing to consider if you decide to give your case to the ombudsman or an attorney is that the SOP can’t go to court for you, so if legal proceedings are required to resolve the case, you still have to get an attorney and file a lawsuit against the carrier. Usually, this won’t be necessary, though, as participation in the mediation scheme is voluntary, and the airlines signed up as they have an interest in avoiding disputes in court. As such, they typically accept the ombudsman’s legal analysis and recommendation.

You need to have at least some reason to file this case with the SOP. If the flights didn’t touch German soil like in my case, at least be German or live in Germany to provide a German address. U.S. customers can also file a complaint with the Department of Transportation but keep in mind that they aren’t a mediation agency and have no enforcement power to resolve your complaint.

Conclusion

Air Canada previously offered me $100 for a very long delay that resulted from the carrier’s own incompetence, and the airline then ignored compensation requests under Canada’s Air Passenger Rights legislation, claiming it wouldn’t apply. This appears to be their blanket strategy – sit it out and deny all claims, 98% of all passengers won’t escalate it further, and the CTA is backlogged for years.

I decided to involve the SOP Ombudsman in German, an agency that mediates cases between German consumers and airlines that chose to participate in the voluntary scheme.

Air Canada Germany responded positively within just a few days, offering a $1000 voucher and 257 Euro cash reimbursement for expenses which I accepted.

The essence of this story is not to let the airline get away with buffing you off. Find a mediation agency, ombudsman or attorney to resolve the case. You could also proceed on your own in Small Claims Court.

Aeroplan members can, from today, both earn and redeem miles on flights operated by PAL Airlines.

You can access Air Canada here.

Aeroplan PAL Airlines Earning Chart:

Aeroplan’s Press Release:

As one of Eastern Canada’s largest independent airlines, PAL is a welcome addition to our world-leading roster of 45+ airlines, giving our members access to more destinations in Canada, more ways to earn and redeem points, and more connectivity to the world. PAL operates an all-economy class fleet throughout Quebec and the Maritimes from its hubs in Goose Bay, St. John’s and Wabush.

With this new partnership, Aeroplan members will be able to earn and redeem points with PAL Airlines.

Here is the Aeroplan accrual chart for flights operated by PAL Airlines (see above):

• Members can earn Aeroplan points based on distance flown on all scheduled flights operated by PAL Airlines.
• Aeroplan Elite Status qualifying is not applicable.

In terms of Aeroplan Flight Rewards on PAL Airlines, please note the following:

• Flights will be priced based on Aeroplan’s pricing for partner airlines for a limited time. Later in 2023, we will be transitioning regional Canadian partners to a new chart for reward pricing.
• Members will be able to book PAL flights online at aircanada.com, through the Air Canada mobile app, or via Aeroplan’s Contact Centre.
• Flights can be combined with flights operated by Air Canada and our other international airline partners.
• PAL flights are eligible for redemption in Economy class as they operate an all-economy fleet.
• The partner booking fee will apply for flight rewards including travel on PAL.

Conclusion

Aeroplan hints that a new award chart is being rolled out for regional partner airlines in Canada later this year.

I imagine many of these regional flights can be a terrific deal using miles because routes with little or no competition tend to be pricey.

Let’s see who is their next partner airline. I first thought that PAL was referring to the Philippine Airlines, but it turned out to be an airline based in St. John’s in Newfoundland, a place worth visiting (I have been there once).

The airline has launched its second sale of 2023, which comes with either up to an 80% bonus or a max 45% off.

You can access this offer on Air Canada’s website here.

Air Canada Aeroplan members can buy up to 1 million miles in a calendar year before any possible bonuses.

The 45% off offer is better, as the discount represents up to an 82% bonus on purchased miles.

Discount Table:

Price at a 45% discount:

The price of a mile (USD) under this offer is 1.4 US cents each when you buy them at a 45% discount. The price under the most previous sale at a 100% bonus was 1.3 US cents each.

Conclusion

Air Canada allows you to buy a significant number of miles at once. The price in USD per mile is very reasonable, considering the breadth of partners and availability to book all of them online without having to call.

The airline has many partners outside Star Alliance, including Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, Oman Air, and Air Mauritius. You can mix and match partner airlines for awards that also allow stopovers for a modest fee.

I would not buy miles under this sale unless you need some right now. There will be a better offer month or two down the road.

Here are the terms and conditions of this sale:

The following Terms and Conditions apply to the Buy and/or Gift Discounted Points March 2023 Offer open to Aeroplan® Members (the “Offer”) and will take place from March 13, 2023, at 9:01:01 AM ET to March 30, 2023 at 2:59:59 AM ET (the “Offer Period”):

1. This Offer to buy and/or gift discounted Aeroplan points is open to Aeroplan Members in good standing that log into their Aeroplan account on after March 13, 2023 at 9:01:01 AM ET (the “Eligible Participants”). An Aeroplan Member who is logged in to their Aeroplan account prior to March 13, 2023 at 9:01:01 AM ET will not be considered as an Eligible Participant under this Offer – to be considered an Eligible Participant under this Offer, please make sure to click or push the “refresh page” button of your web/mobile browser after this time. Not an Aeroplan Member yet? Sign up here.

2. “Eligible Aeroplan points” means Aeroplan points bought and/or gifted by an Eligible Participant during the Offer Period pursuant to the Buy/Gift Points Program, part of the Aeroplan Program. Please visit the following link for information and terms and conditions applicable to the Buy/Gift Points Program.

All Aeroplan points purchased and/or gifted prior to the start of the Offer Period or purchased and/or gifted with a login time before March 13, 2023 at 9:01:01 AM ET or after March 30, 2023 at 2:59:59 AM ET, are not considered as Eligible Aeroplan points pursuant to this Offer.

3. Eligible Aeroplan points purchased and/or gifted pursuant to this Offer are non-refundable.

4. Through this Offer and during the Offer Period, Eligible Participants will be able to purchase or gift Aeroplan points at a discounted rate from the regular pricing in Canadian dollars (excluding applicable taxes) for purchasing or gifting Aeroplan points pursuant to the Buy Points Program during the Offer Period as per the following conditions:

(a) Receive a 30% discount on Aeroplan points when a minimum of 4,000 Eligible Aeroplan points and up to a maximum of 29,000 Eligible Aeroplan points are bought and/or gifted (no discount Aeroplan points will be issued if less than 4,000 Aeroplan points are bought and/or gifted).
(b) Receive a 40% discount on Aeroplan points when a minimum of 30,000 Eligible Aeroplan points and up to a maximum of 55,000 Eligible Aeroplan points are bought and/or gifted.
(c) Receive a 45% discount on Aeroplan points when buying and/or gifting 60,000 or more Eligible Aeroplan points.

In the case of gifting Eligible Aeroplan points by an Aeroplan Member (the gifter) to another Aeroplan Member (the recipient), it is the gifter that will earn the discount, and the discounted Aeroplan points will be deposited into the recipient’s Aeroplan account (subject to Section 5 below).

5. Specific Conditions to buying and/or gifting Eligible Aeroplan points pursuant to this Offer:

(a) Buying Eligible Aeroplan points: During the Offer Period and only for the purpose of this Offer, Eligible Participants can buy a minimum of 4,000 Aeroplan points and up to 500,000 Aeroplan points per transaction; up to a maximum total of 1,000,000 Eligible Aeroplan points per calendar year:

• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account, which is 500,000 Aeroplan points;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be bought per Aeroplan account, which is 1,000,000 Aeroplan points.

(b) Gifting Eligible Aeroplan points: During the Offer Period and only for the purpose of this Offer, Eligible Participants can gift a minimum of 4,000 Aeroplan points and up to 500,000 Aeroplan points per transaction; up to a maximum total of 500,000 Eligible Aeroplan points pear calendar year:

• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the transactional limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account, which is 500,000 Aeroplan points;
• Eligible Aeroplan points do count towards the calendar year annual limit of Aeroplan points that can be gifted per Aeroplan account, which is 500,000 Aeroplan points.

6. Purchased and gifted Eligible Aeroplan points will generally be posted within 72 hours in a member’s Aeroplan account.

7. This Offer is subject to change at Aeroplan’s sole discretion without notice. This Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion.

8. Aeroplan reserve the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual from this Offer and to ban the individual from any future offers that it finds or believes to be tampering with the process or the operation of this Offer, to be acting in violation of these Terms and Conditions, the Aeroplan General Terms and Conditions or in a disruptive manner, or with bad faith. Any attempt by a member or any other person to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of this Offer is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Aeroplan reserve the right to seek damages from any such person.

9. By entering this Offer, each Eligible Participant acknowledges and agrees that Aeroplan: (i) shall have no liability of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Offer; (ii) make no warranty, guaranty or representation of any kind concerning the award; (iii) disclaim any implied warranty; and (iv) are not liable for injury, loss or damage of any kind resulting from an Eligible Participant’s acceptance or use of the award or otherwise from such Eligible Participant’s participation in this Offer. Aeroplan is not responsible for typographical or other errors in this Offer or administration of this Offer, including, but not limited to, errors in advertising and in the official Terms and Conditions. Aeroplan is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems or servers, computer software problems or traffic congestion on the internet.

10. If this Offer is not capable of running as planned for any reason, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, pandemic or any other causes beyond the reasonable control of Aeroplan which corrupt or affect the administration, security or proper conduct of this Offer, Aeroplan reserves the right at its sole discretion to, without advance notice, terminate or suspend the Offer, in whole or in part, or modify it in any way.

11. This Offer is governed by all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations applicable in the province of Quebec.

12. In the event of any discrepancies between the English language Terms and Conditions and the French language Terms and Conditions for this Offer, the English version shall prevail.

13. The following applies to this Offer, but in the event of conflict, these Terms and Conditions shall govern:
• Aeroplan Buy & Gift Points Program General Information and Terms and Conditions
•Aeroplan’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy :

Business and Premium Economy passengers can choose their main entree 30 days to 72 hours before the scheduled departure. The choices are the same as on the onboard menu, but the platform offers the possibility to expand this to other options.

You can access Air Canada here.

The trial will expand throughout 2023, and Air Canada’s goal is to have it available to all Canada outbound flights by the end of the year.

Air Canada will send an email to eligible passengers that can then choose the main entree on Air Canada’s desktop site or mobile app. You can amend your preferred choice up to 72 hours before departure.

Conclusion

This is a welcomed development and allows Air Canada to ensure better that those onboard its premium cabins get their preferred choice, and there is likely less waste as a result too.

I wish they would introduce entrees not included on the regular menus to offer more significant variability.

Remember that you can always email us, send a message via Facebook or use Twitter and include photos too. We’ll try to cover a Compensation Clinic case here regularly.

This particular trip was one of the few times I ever traveled on a paid ticket in recent years as it was an urgent, last-minute decision to go to Vancouver for 4 days, and the ticket was close to C$6000.

Air Canada isn’t exactly known for its premium service, but I was positively surprised with the experience of the Hong Kong – Vancouver sector.

Problems really just started on the return. First, the priority check-in counters at Vancouver Airport weren’t staffed adequately. Out of eight counters, only three were manned.

I was then informed that the departure time for Vancouver-Seoul was delayed by at least an hour, making my connection in Seoul illegal as it cut my connection time down to only 20 minutes. I was rebooked to Vancouver-Tokyo/NRT-Bangkok with the connection flight being in Japan Airlines, operation from a totally different terminal. Even though there is an intra-terminal connection in Narita it requires time.

Air Canada refused to rebook the entire itinerary on ONE airline (Japan Airlines) and so it ended up like this:

As my (lack of) luck would have it, there was no time to be had. First the crew didn’t show up on time for the flight causing a 30-minute delay in boarding, then a mechanical issue caused another 40-minute delay in parking on the tarmac to get it sorted.

I already foresaw that the connection in Tokyo will end up in a disaster, so I preregistered for the arrivals fast track in case I need to enter and stay overnight which is exactly what happened.

The delay in arrival and a 25+ minute taxiing in Narita made the connection impossible. I informed the Air Canada staff upon arrival that I want a voucher for the Hilton Narita, meals as well as my suitcase, and then fly the following afternoon. It made not much difference to me when I arrive in Bangkok and there were no other alternatives anyway. Also, I’m not one to object to a free stay in Japan even if it’s just a day.

Following the immigration process that was a breeze since I was prepared, Air Canada staff met me at the baggage claim and handed me my suitcase (which took only 20 minutes to retrieve, god bless Japan) as well as a makeshift voucher for the Hilton Narita:

The voucher also includes a dinner buffet at the Hilton as well as breakfast:

I had dinner at the hotel and took a quick trip to the Aeon Mall nearby for some shopping. The next day it was nice and sunny so I used the hotel shuttle to go up to Narita City, visit the temple and have some fresh Unagi before heading back to the hotel in the afternoon and then going to the airport.

Eventually, I arrived in Bangkok three calendar days after my departure in Vancouver. I, of course, complained by email to Air Canada, but they were less than interested, claiming that the compensation legislation doesn’t apply:

We are in receipt of your claim under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations for booking XXXXXX, flight AC63 YVR – ICN, on 2023/02/12. We are sorry for the disruption you experienced at arrival to your final destination.

 

In this instance, the compensation you are requesting does not apply because the disruption was caused by a safety-related issue.

This flight is delayed due to additional time needed to substitute the aircraft. Due to an unforeseen maintenance issue, the aircraft for your flight may have had to be changed, and the arrival of the replacement aircraft took longer than expected.

As a goodwill gesture, I am pleased to provide you with a $100.00 CAD Air Canada eCoupon. Please find details of this offer below.

If you wish to learn more about flight disruptions and how entitlement to compensation is assessed under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, please visit our website.

We thank you for your understanding and look forward to welcoming you on board again.

Sincerely,
Customer Relations

They conveniently left out that the new flight I was on was also delayed and caused this misconnection. After I filed another complaint, they sent the same nonsense reply and another $100 voucher. I decided to escalate the case to the CTA and will see later what the final outcome is.

Of course, I could always sue Air Canada in Small Claims Court in British Columbia, I will consider that once I hear from the regulator (which is really just a rubber stamp in Canada, they don’t regulate anything).

Conclusion

Following a flight delay and misconnect after a rather horrible service experience on my $6000 ticket, Air Canada is refusing to accept any responsibility and provides just $100 coupon for a future flight. This highlights that Air Canada is what I already said many times during the pandemic when they refused to compensate and refund passengers: A horrible airline with zero service standards and a total lack of accountability.

Many have sued Air Canada in the past to obtain refunds and compensation where it was due. I can only encourage others in this situation to do the same and I’ll follow that example as well as I fully expect that the CTA complaint won’t result in anything.

Aeroplan members earn 3,500 bonus miles in select economy fares and 7,000 in Premium Economy or Business if they travel between March 1 – September 30, 2023.

You can access and register for this offer on Air Canada’s website here.

You don’t have to book a return trip, but two one-ways are also eligible, as long as the first segment originates from Canada. The second eligible segment can originate either from Europe or Canada.

Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge must operate the eligible flights.

Eligible Fares:

Business Class

• Business Class flexible, Business Class lowest

Premium Economy

• Premium Economy flexible, Premium Economy lowest, Premium Rouge flexible, Premium Rouge lowest

Economy

• Economy Latitude, comfort, Economy Flex, Economy Standard

Conclusion

Small incentive from Air Canada to get Aeroplan members to lock in their European travel by March 1 by offering bonus miles.

Terms and conditions of this offer:

Europe Aeroplan Accumulation Offer – Terms and conditions

• Valid only on new bookings of Eligible Scheduled Flights* from Canada to an Eligible Destination in Europe**.
• Offer valid between February 22, 2023 starting at 00:01 NST through to March 1, 2023 inclusively, ending at 23:59 PST.
• Open only to Aeroplan members in good standing. If you are not an Aeroplan member, you can visit the Aeroplan website (aircanada.com/aeroplan) and enroll today. Membership is free.
• Business offer
  Earn 7,000 bonus Aeroplan points when flying on an Eligible Business or Premium Economy fare from Canada to an Eligible Destination in Europe ** (applicable on round trip or two one-way segments only)

Eligible Business and Premium Economy fares for this offer:
Business Class flexible, Business Class lowest, Premium Economy flexible, Premium Economy lowest, Premium Rouge flexible, Premium Rouge lowest

1Economy offer
Earn 3,500 bonus Aeroplan points when flying on an Eligible Economy fare from Canada to an Eligible Destination in Europe ** (applicable on round trip or two one-way segments only)

1Eligible economy fares for this offer:
Economy Latitude, comfort, Economy Flex, Economy Standard

• To participate in this offer, a minimum of one round-trip or two one-way trips are required. For clarity, a one-way trip consists of one origin and one destination (one bound) between an airport in Canada and the Eligible Destination in Europe. For example, a booking from Montreal (YUL) to London-Heathrow (LHR) that has a stopover in Toronto (YYZ) is considered a one-way trip. Two one-way Eligible Scheduled Flights booked in Economy Flex will collectively be awarded 3,500 bonus Aeroplan points. A round-trip booking, in turn, consists of two bounds: one from Canada to the Eligible Destination, and a second one from the Eligible Destination back to Canada. One round-trip Eligible Scheduled Flight in Economy Flex will be awarded 3,500 bonus Aeroplan points.
• The departure of the first outbound trip must commence in Canada to be eligible for this offer.
• For two one-way trips to be eligible, at least the first of the bounds must depart from Canada, although both one-way trips may originate in Canada. For example, the first eligible one-way trip can be from Toronto (YYZ) to London Heathrow (LHR), and the second eligible one-way trip can be from Montreal (YUL) to Frankfurt (FRA).
• For flight segments not wholly travelled within the same fare option, members will earn a combination of the purchased fare option offers.
• Registration is required. To register, click on the “Register now” tab in the Offer e-mail received or you can also register on the offer page on aircanada.com.
• Travel must take place within the following travel period: March 1, 2023 starting at 00:01 NST through to September 30, 2023 inclusively, ending at 23:59 PST.
• You must provide your Aeroplan number at the time of booking.
• Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion, including for certainty, points earned in conjunction with the Aeroplan Elite Status bonus which are expressly excluded from this Offer.
• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded through this promotion will count towards Everyday Status Qualification.
• Bonus Aeroplan points awarded are not Status Qualifying Miles (SQM).
• Offer is non-transferable and is not redeemable for cash.
• Bonus Aeroplan points will be credited up to six weeks after the qualifying flights have been flown.
• Terms and conditions are subject to change without prior notice.
• For the purpose of this offer, the following terms are defined as follows:
• * “Eligible Scheduled Flights” means a flight operated by Air Canada® (including flights operated under the Air Canada Express® banner and operated by Air Canada Rouge®) from Canada to Eligible destinations** in Europe within the Air Canada network.
• * “* ““Eligible Destinations” means: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Geneva, Lisbon, Lyon, London, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Nice, Paris, Reykjavik, Rome, Toulouse, Venice, Vienna and Zurich.
• * “* “Eligible Fare” means those fares that are exclusively eligible for this Offer, being: Economy Standard, Economy Flex, comfort, Latitude, Premium Rouge Lowest, Premium Rouge Flexible, Premium Economy Lowest, Premium Economy Flexible, Business Class Lowest and Business Class Flexible.
• If this Offer is not running as planned for any reason, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, pandemic or any other causes beyond the reasonable control of Aeroplan which corrupt or affect the administration, security or proper conduct of this Offer, Aeroplan reserves the right at its sole discretion to, without advance notice, terminate or suspend the Offer, in whole or in part, or modify it in any way. Aeroplan also reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual from this Offer and to ban the individual from any future offers that it finds or believes to be tampering with the process or the operation of this Offer.
• Health and safety protocols, government recommendations and regional travel restrictions vary by hotel, ship and destination, may impact availability and are subject to change without notice. Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries.

Yet, technology not being their strongest side, the airline is still unable to accept certain certificates including the official results that are issued by the public test centers in Hong Kong which are the most efficient way to get this done.

Receiving a PCT test in Hong Kong is extremely easy and cheap as long as you’re using one of the government sites to get this done.

I was staying in Kowloon at the Hyatt Regency and there is a testing site 10 minutes walk away in Kowloon Park where the Self Paid testing option is 150 HKD (US$20) which really can’t be beaten. Another option would have been to use the CUHK Medical Clinic next door or the CUHK Medical Center in Sha Tin and pay 1,100 HKD for the same service.

I took the test at 3:20pm and got the results at 1:20am via SMS text message. The result was then available to be downloaded online.

The actual document is longer and contains more test details, definitely all that is required for acceptance.

When checking in online with Air Canada it prompts you to upload the relevant information:

You can then upload your document:

After uploading you fill in all details manually as well. Then you submit the entire file.

Unfortunately, we’re talking about Air Canada here so this happens:

There is no problem with this certificate yet it’s still being rejected. I had the same problem in the past flying from Korea and Japan. There doesn’t seem to be any priority on the part of Air Canada to make improvements to this process.

I doubt this will add much complication to the airport check-in process since I have baggage anyway but it’s so unnecessary. Why not make it work properly for once?

Conclusion

Passengers who are flying Air Canada from a mandatory test country to Canada usually upload documentation before the flight during the online check-in process or you can show the documents at the airport.

Three years after this first became an issue and one year post-pandemic Air Canada still can’t figure out how to properly accept an official, government-issued certificate into their system. It’s despicable!