Air Canada Frequent Flyers Set for Take-off with "Altitude"

New top tier program comes into effect today

MONTREAL, March 1, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada's re-branded Top Tier frequent flyer recognition program, "Altitude", came into effect today, the carrier announced. Specifically designed to recognize and reward Air Canada's most frequent flyers, Altitude offers members a wide range of travel privileges, rewards and additional status levels. Improved benefits include enhanced priority travel services such as a complimentary checked baggage allowance, higher upgrade priority for higher status members, exclusive partner offers and new incentives such as tier status gifts, as well as the creation of a new dedicated website altitude.aircanada.com. Altitude members continue to enjoy travel privileges with over 25 Star Alliance(TM) member airlines.

'We have renamed our Top Tier program Air Canada Altitude and re-designed it to better recognize and reward our most frequent flyers. These changes are the most significant made to the program since we launched Air Canada Super Elite status over 15 years ago," said Craig Landry Air Canada's Vice President, Marketing. "After sharing new developments with members over the past year, we're pleased to mark this day when Altitude's wide range of additional benefits and exclusive perks come into effect. Altitude stands out as one of the leading frequent flyer recognition programs in the world, re-designed to offer Air Canada customers the privileges that are best aligned with their travel frequency and needs."

Altitude Status Levels Concurrent with the introduction of a number of enhanced benefits, Air Canada Altitude includes two additional status levels for a total of five. Members reach Air Canada Altitude status based on the number of Altitude Qualifying Miles or Altitude Qualifying Segments earned on eligible flights operated by Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners.

_________________________________________________________________ | |Altitude Qualifying|Altitude Qualifying| |Status | Miles | Segments | |_________________________|___________________|___________________| |Altitude Prestige 25K | 25,000 | 25 | |_________________________|___________________|___________________| |Altitude Elite 35K | 35,000 | 35 | |_________________________|___________________|___________________| |Altitude Elite 50K | 50,000 | 50 | |_________________________|___________________|___________________| |Altitude Elite 75K | 75,000 | 75 | |_________________________|___________________|___________________| |Altitude Super Elite 100K| 100,000 | 100 | |_________________________|___________________|___________________|

Altitude privileges

    --  Priority Contacts: Eligible Altitude members have priority
        access to Air Canada and Aeroplan call centres with new and
        improved reservation benefits such as complimentary access to
        Preferred Seats and guaranteed reservations in Economy class.
    --  Priority Airport Services: Altitude members enjoy priority
        check-in and a complimentary checked baggage allowance
        including waived handling fees for sports equipment. Higher
        status members such as Super Elite 100K members enjoy exclusive
        access to Air Canada's personalized Concierge service.
    --  Lounge Access:  Eligible Altitude members benefit from Air
        Canada's network of Maple Leaf Lounges offering several
        complimentary services including business centers, conference
        rooms, snacks, beverages and free WiFi. For more information
        visit:
        www.aircanada.com/lounge
    --  eUpgrades:  Altitude members have access to the comfort and
        premium service of Air Canada's Executive Class (North America)
        and Executive First (international) cabins with complimentary
        eUpgrade Credits, featuring a more generous international
        upgrade eligibility than other frequent flyer recognition
        programs. Higher status members will now also be able to
        upgrade Air Canada Vacations reservations as well as Aeroplan
        ClassicFlight Rewards when traveling in North America.
    --  Select Privileges:  Altitude members can choose the combination
        of perks that best suits their travel needs by selecting the
        privileges they value most including: Bonus Aeroplan® Miles,
        eUpgrade Credits, access to Air Canada's network of Maple Leaf
        Lounges, Altitude status for a friend and much more.
    --  Threshold Gifts:  Altitude Elite 50K members and higher are now
        able to choose from a range of exclusive gifts as they reach
        specific Altitude Qualifying Mile thresholds - ranging from
        Bonus Aeroplan Miles and gift certificates to free hotel stays
        and high-end electronics.
    --  Star Alliance Recognition:  Altitude members also benefit from
        priority services when traveling with over 25 Star Alliance(TM)
        airlines around the world, including access to hundreds of
        airport lounges worldwide for Altitude members identified as
        Star Alliance Gold.
    --  Exclusive Partner Offers:  Altitude members are further
        rewarded by official partners with perks such as accelerated
        status recognition with major hotel chains and car rental
        companies, plus exclusive discounts and Bonus Aeroplan Miles.

Air Canada Altitude and Aeroplan
Air Canada Altitude is designed to recognize Air Canada's most frequent flyers 
with a wide range of premium products and services, such as priority airport 
services, lounge access and upgrades.

Air Canada Altitude members remain Aeroplan members identified by their 
Aeroplan Number. They also benefit from Air Canada's partnership with 
Aeroplan, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program offering a wide range of 
ways to earn and redeem Aeroplan Miles with over 150 partners.

Previously referred to as 'Status Miles,' Altitude Qualifying Miles are 
earned and redeemed on eligible Air Canada and Star Alliance member airlines 
flights, and are used for tracking towards a higher Altitude status. Altitude 
Qualifying Miles earned on eligible flights are also redeemable Aeroplan 
Miles, which can be used for Flight Rewards to over 1,000 destinations 
worldwide.

altitude.aircanada.com
Altitude members enjoy for the first time the convenience of their own website 
featuring an easy-to-use dashboard for selecting and managing their 
privileges, choosing exclusive gifts and partner offers, as well as tracking 
their status at all times. For more details visit: altitude.aircanada.com

Members will continue to book flights at aircanada.com, and can use their 
Aeroplan Miles to book flight rewards at aeroplan.com.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more 
than 175 destinations on five continents.  Canada's flag carrier is the 15th 
largest commercial airline in the world and in 2012 served close to 35 million 
customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 59 
Canadian cities, 55 destinations in the United States and 64 cities in 
Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South 
America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most 
comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,329 destinations in 194 
countries.  Air Canada rewards its most loyal customers through its top tier 
recognition program, Altitude, that offers frequent flyers a range of priority 
travel services, lounge access and upgrades to Executive Class, complementing 
their membership in Aeroplan, Canada's premier loyalty program, which provides 
numerous ways to earn and redeem Aeroplan Miles with over 150 travel and 
retail partners.

Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to 
receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm 
Skytrax. In 2012, Air Canada was ranked for a third consecutive year "Best 
International Airline in North America" in a worldwide survey of more than 18 
million airline passengers conducted by Skytrax.  According to the 2012 
Canadian Business Travel Survey conducted by Ipsos Reid, Air Canada was the 
preferred airline for more than 79 percent of frequent business travellers in 
Canada.  In 2012, readers of Global Traveler magazine voted Air Canada "Best 
Airline in North America," the readers of Business Traveler voted Air Canada 
"Best North American Airline for International Travel" and "Best In-Flight 
Services in North America," and the readers of Premier Traveler voted Air 
Canada "Best North American Airline for Business Class Service," "Best North 
American Airline for International Travel" and "Best Flight Attendants in 
North America." For more information on Air Canada visit aircanada.com and 
follow @AirCanada on Twitter and Facebook.

Isabelle Arthur (Montréal)  514 422-5788 Peter Fitzpatrick 
(Toronto)  416 263-5576 Angela Mah (Vancouver)  604 270-5741

Internet :  aircanada.com

SOURCE: AIR CANADA

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CO: AIR CANADA
ST: Quebec
NI: AIR LEI NP 

-0- Mar/01/2013 15:33 GMT