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Air Canada has introduced two new Aeroplan features in advance of the re-launch of its loyalty program later this year. Members can buy or gift miles at any time and can now use Aeroplan Miles to bid on cabin seating upgrades on Air Canada flights. This article is copyright 2020 The Best Customer Guide.
Since announcing that it would launch a new loyalty program in 2020, Air Canada has connected with over 36,000 consumers to learn what attributes and benefits they want from a travel loyalty program. These new features directly reflect that feedback, allowing members to:
Buy or Gift Aeroplan Miles at any time. Members can now purchase miles for themselves or give the gift of miles to other Aeroplan Members, at any time, through aeroplan.com. Previously, members could only purchase miles to top up their Aeroplan account when they were making a flight reward booking (which continues to be available). Members can also continue to transfer their miles to another member.
Use Aeroplan Miles to submit offers for an AC Bid Upgrade. Members now have the option to use Aeroplan Miles when bidding for an upgrade to a higher cabin. Previously, customers could only bid for a cabin upgrade using a credit card at aircanada.com. This is the first of what will be many new ways for members to access popular extras and premium travel features to make their trip stress-free and more comfortable.
In developing these new options, Air Canada worked with two Canadian firms, both existing business partners: Montreal-based Plusgrade, a leader in ancillary revenue and merchandising solutions for AC Bid Upgrade and Toronto-based Points for the Buy/Gift Miles feature.
“We are deeply concerned about these unprecedented times and the effects [of the COVID-19 panedemic] on our health and economy. So we continue to plan for a time when we can safely welcome all customers back in the skies,” said Mark Nasr, Vice President, Loyalty and eCommerce at Air Canada. “The redesigned Aeroplan will make it easier to travel and offer an improved experience to all members-both frequent and infrequent travelers.”
To help members get prepare for their future travels while stuck at home, the airline ran a one-week promotion from 7th to 13th May 2020, offering:
For the first 10 million Aeroplan Miles purchased, eligible Aeroplan Members got a 115% bonus.
For the next 100 million Aeroplan Miles purchased, eligible Aeroplan Members got a 90% bonus.
For all Aeroplan Miles purchased afterwards, eligible Aeroplan Members got a 65% bonus.
As part of this offer and the Air Canada Travel at Home campaign, Aeroplan and its partner, Points, matched a portion of the Aeroplan Miles purchased and donated them towards one of the Aeroplan Member Donation program charities, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation.
More customer-friendly changes and program improvements are to be announced prior to the unveiling of Air Canada’s transformed loyalty program later in the year.
This article was first published by Customer Network Strategy. Permission to use has been granted by the publisher.
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