Using AeroPlan Points for A Getaway Trip

Transcription of A Real Conversation of A Travel Agent

Female Agent: In the Caribbean economy, 40,000 round trip.

Monty: The problem that I’m having with the aeroplan.com website is - I’m saying I would like to go on May 5th and then return on May 13th. But it’s saying “There’s no best value flights rewards availability for part of your itinerary.” So I’m not just sure how to do this on the website. Is Aeroplan going to Port of Iorta? Can I go to Port of Iorta using Aeroplan points?

Female Agent: On the 5th of May?

Monty: Or if there’s a better day? I was just trying to figure out, how to figure it out?

Female Agent: So for example, because Aeroplan has partners - Continental is, United is, US Air is. But there’s Regina-Denver, Denver-Port of Iorta which United and Continental, whether there’s availability on the specific date that you’re referring to, I don’t know. I haven’t looked and I don’t want to go that in depth. But there are other ways of hunting and searching and finding what you’re looking for. We may be able to piece something together. There’s Calgary-Phoenix-Port of Iorta with US Air. So again, we would try to put something together that is going to work for you.

Monty: When I looked on the site here, it said Regina to Mexico City, return at those times was a 103,000 points.

Female Agent: However you’re doing that and however you’re looking at it, you’re seeing classic plus rewards. And classic plus rewards is based on an actual fare, not on our basic Aeroplan 40,000 in the Caribbean round trip. So I don’t know if it’s something that you clicked on that does that or it’s because it’s not showing any availability, then it’s going to that. It’s just looking at what a fare would be. But there’s lot of different ways to search for what it is that you’re looking at, again using partners. Perhaps if it’s necessary that would keep it at the 40,000 point level. Certainly it’s possible, certainly it is. You have to do some searching involved, some flexibility on your part and some effort on our part.

Monty: The question that I had today is, if I spent X number of dollars per month, how soon can I go to this destination using these different credit cards? Because I’m just shopping right now. So, if it uses 40,000, then that’s what it is. So that’s American Express Aeroplan and CIBC Aeroplan?

Female Agent: Whichever you are using, yes. They are the partners.

Monty: Good. Alright, that’s all I need to know for today. So, basically what you’re saying is if I need to book then I need to call you way in advance and do what you just said there.

Female Agent: Well, people don’t always call way in advance. When they do call way in advance and they book something and life interferes and so then they change. So people cancel and people change and it’s very fluid because of that.

Monty: So let’s just say I booked at May 5th. And then I said. “Hey I got a wedding,” or something comes up or something unexpected. Then I want to move it to June or July or whatever.

Female Agent: Right, there’s change fees involved, which are $90 plus tax. But it is changeable. If there’s enough notice, for the same fee, for as long as it is 22 days before the flight actually departs for that $90 plus tax, you can cancel the whole thing, put the points back and get your taxes that you paid on the ticket back.

Monty: Without short of doing a lot of work here, is there a way to say there’s a date that it is available?

Female Agent: No, there’s not.

Monty: Okay, alright.

Female Agent: Okay?

Monty: Okay, I really appreciate your help.

Female Agent: Okay, no worries. Thanks for calling.

Monty: Okay, thank you.

See Also

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USING AEROPLAN POINTS FOR A GETAWAY TRIP