Aeroplan Reviews

2. What is extremely discerning was a breach of the privacy law. The agent told me that my account was frozen by the compliance department and asked me all sorts of sensitive and private information, such as, all my bank accounts, credit card information, what bank accounts did I have, etc. I answered all his questions and was growing rather concerned and panicky since I wanted resolution so I can go to catch my flight. Every time I answered and asked him why is he asking this (a natural question because I was so concerned) he would accuse me of not wanting to cooperate and withhold information and that I wasn't given him all the information about my accounts.

I felt like I was being interrogated in a disciplinary way. He then asked me all the companies I worked for and did I ever work at a bank before. And if I can think of any reason why the compliance department is investigating me, can I think of something that happened recently? Have I done anything to Air Canada to cause them to request launch of an investigation on me? And he was accusing me of withholding information on several accounts. Now I was extremely panicky--I did not understand how this was relevant and now feeling like it was some criminal interrogation.

The agent then told me that "there is nothing" he could do for me because compliance froze my account and they had to resolve it and he had no information. So now I want to know why I was requested to provide him with all that personal and sensitive information (employer history and banking information) when it was not relevant as he could not have and was unable to help me anyways. And why I was made out to be a criminal or something and accusations of me withholding information every time I asked why this is being asked of me as this is my right. All this is a serious violation of the Privacy Act (PIPEDA) across multiple principles:

4.2.2. The Limiting Collection principle (Clause 4.4) requires an organization to collect only that information necessary for the purposes that have been identified.

4.2.5. Persons collecting personal information should be able to explain to individuals the purposes for which the information is being collected.

4.3. Principle 3: Consent. The knowledge and consent of the individual are required for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, except where inappropriate.

4.3.2. The principle requires knowledge and consent. Organizations shall make a reasonable effort to ensure that the individual is advised of the purposes for which the information will be used. To make the consent meaningful, the purposes must be stated in such a manner that the individual can reasonably understand how the information will be used or disclosed.

4.4.1. Organizations shall not collect personal information indiscriminately. Both the amount and the type of information collected shall be limited to that which is necessary to fulfill the purposes identified. Organizations shall specify the type of information collected as part of their information-handling policies and practices, in accordance with the Openness principle (Clause 4.8).

4.4.2. The requirement that personal information be collected by fair and lawful means is intended to prevent organizations from collecting information by misleading or deceiving individuals about the purpose for which information is being collected. This requirement implies that consent with respect to collection must not be obtained through deception.

When I asked for a reference or ID number the agent refused and was curt and said he couldn't care less for Aeroplan and if it went down or lost his job, he couldn't even care less. So if I wanted to complain about him, I can go right ahead when all I wanted was a reference number!

3. I was finally passed on to a supervisor (Alex) after much request and wait. I didn’t have much time to speak to him as I had to leave for the airport. When I arrived at the airport, I find out that Aeroplan did not get an electronic ticket issued to me for Chicago to Orlando so I would have been stuck in Chicago! Yet I paid, got a confirmation and receipt from you! In short, I was running around in the airport from kiosk to kiosk, quite frantic since I was missing my flight out to Chicago from Toronto as I was trying to get this resolved. I ended up missing my flight despite my efforts. Finally, Air Canada Customer Service Team Leader John, after witnessing my going through much stress, panic, frustration and lost of my purse as I went from kiosk to kiosk, helped me and I finally got another ticket issued out.

Please reverse these charges to my Visa card ASAP. I am traveling and do not want any problems of having extra unplanned charges to it. I don't want to be rejected for a hotel and not have anywhere to stay because of another Aerpolan issue. Wouldn't that just be a grand story? I also would like a response regarding issues numbers 1, 2 and 3--what is going on?

I paid fees to accumulate my points faster (more expensive credit cards, yearly fees through credit card) and I have been accumulating points for a very long time now. I finally try using my rewards mile for the very first time ever and this is what happens?! And all the questions and interrogation I went through is a privacy law violation. This is misuse and mishandling of customer information! As per PIPEDA and Aeroplan’s policy, I would like a formal explanation of the customer agent’s purpose of his inquiry and intentions for collection of my personal information (i.e. regarding my credit card accounts, banking information, past employment history and going back to 1999, etc.) and why I was constantly accused of withholding information.

What a nightmare of a story! And it was by sheer dumb luck that I did not end up stuck in Chicago without a flight--only because I was asking a lot of questions when Air Canada said my luggage was too big for carry-on and I was telling them I was afraid of my stop-over at Chicago because luggage always goes missing there. The Air Canada agent told me it was very lucky that she spotted the error in her system, i.e. that I had no electronic ticket with United Airlines.

They asked me to keep calling almost everyday because they do not when there will be more seats available, and also they do not know how the Aeroplan miles seats works. They told me that is all dependent on the airlines. I asked them to check full Jan, full Feb and full March because our travel time is quite flexible, but there was nothing.

Every time, when I call, it takes them at least 1 to 2 hours, sometimes even more to check all over again. I am wondering why they didn't have a waiting list of the customer needs that seat, and remind them when there is seat pop-up? Then they can email the customer to remind them if they still need it. They should have a better system to serve these customers. About a month later, I started to check if they have economic seats available, again "no". Finally we bought three tickets for our trip.

Recently I started to check what I can do with so many Aeroplan miles; then I checked hotels, but hardly find any, almost just "none". We feel so cheated. We started to doubt the value of the Aeroplan miles, and are thinking about changing our credits back to cash rebate.

I have tried to reach Aeroplan internal manager or customer service or customer complaints to get a better answer like "how Aeroplan miles flight seats work" but I have failed to reach anyone. Aeroplan miles, it seems don't have a customer complaints service to address any kind of customer needs. I am so frustrated, and just can't stop to say, "Stupid Stupid Aeroplan!"

I am so annoyed by this I will neither fly Air Canada ever again nor use Aeroplan. I hope they learn their lesson as thousands more like me turn their backs on them. I would like to know how to add my name to the class action law suit, because they deserve to be dealt with appropriately.