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I just received the email below

Dear David Owers,

As a valued Air Canada customer, we’d like to share changes planned for the 2013 Air Canada Top Tier Program. As the program includes the introduction of new tier levels and the realignment of some benefits, we are announcing the key benefit changes a year in advance.

Note that these changes apply to the 2013 Top Tier benefit year beginning March 1, 2013, and therefore do not affect the 2012 Air Canada Top Tier Program.

The 2013 Top Tier Program, which will feature two new tier levels, has been redesigned to better recognize and reward our customers. It also aligns our program with industry leaders and ensures that the Air Canada Top Tier Program remains highly competitive internationally.

Here are some of the highlights of the 2013 Air Canada Top Tier Program for each of the five tier levels:
Members earning 25,000 Status Miles or 25 Status Flight Segments will enjoy 2013 Top Tier benefits similar to those offered with the 2012 Top Tier Program

Members earning 35,000 Status Miles or 35 Status Flight Segments will notice changes to their 2013 Top Tier benefit program as compared to the 2012 Top Tier Program:
Star Alliance™ Gold recognition will be replaced by Star Alliance Silver. Members, however, will be able to choose Star Alliance Lounge access as a Select Privilege
Upgrades with eUpgrade Credits will apply on Tango Plus and Latitude fares for travel in North America, and Latitude fares for travel to international destinations
Members will continue to enjoy many Air Canada Priority Airport and Reservation services, complimentary access to Maple Leaf™ Lounges, three complimentary checked bags on Air Canada flights, Bonus Aeroplan® Miles for eligible flights as a Select Privilege, and more

Members will be able to achieve new levels of recognition with the introduction of two additional tiers:
Members earning 50,000 Status Miles or 50 Status Flight Segments will enjoy the 2013 Top Tier benefits earned at 35,000 Status Miles, as well as:
A higher upgrade priority
Upgrades with eUpgrade Credits which apply on Tango Plus and Latitude fares system-wide
Additional eUpgrade Credits
Star Alliance Gold recognition

Members earning 75,000 Status Miles or 75 Status Flight Segments will enjoy the 2013 Top Tier benefits earned at 50,000 Status Miles, along with:
A higher upgrade priority
An accelerated earning of Bonus Aeroplan Miles for eligible flights as a Select Privilege
Additional eUpgrade Credits
An exclusive Threshold Program

Members earning 100,000 Status Miles or 95 Status Flight Segments will enjoy 2013 Top Tier benefits similar to those offered with the 2012 Top Tier Program

To view more details with the qualification levels and associated benefits for the 2013 Air Canada Top Tier Program, click here.

Over the course of 2012, we will continue to introduce improvements to the program, as some new and exciting benefits are currently in the works. Also, we will be unveiling the names of the new tiers.

To keep you updated on the latest news, we will be communicating with you regularly throughout 2012. We also encourage you to bookmark aircanada.com/toptier2013 and to follow us on Twitter @ACTopTier.

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This is really a big change for Aeroplan as it used to be a program in which it was relatively easy to get gold status (35,000 miles). Now to get Star Alliance Gold only at 50,000 miles, while it does put Air Canada more in line with other Star Alliance carriers I think it might push people away from their program- at least the people who fly less than 50,000 miles per year and were still enjoying the perks of Elite. Personally it won’t affect me as I typically fly 50-75K miles each year.

One thing I am glad to see is Air Canada announcing these changes a year in advance. This gives time for people to get used to the changes and also gives them the time to make any adjustments before the program goes live.

I used to be a huge proponent of Marriot Rewards but last year I decided to make a change and try out Priority Club hotels http://www.priorityclub.com.

The availability of hotels from this group is just as good as Marriot, at least in the cities that I am visiting.

Here is a tip if you are going to be staying at these hotels.

Register yourself as a Priority Club member. It costs nothing so you have nothing to lose. Go to the priorityclub.com website, go to the word offers, and you will get a drop down menu. The last item on this menu is my offer status- click on this. It will ask you to login if you are not already.

The next page will be a list of offers you qualify for- typically by staying some number of nights you will get X thousand additional points.

Here is the tip: Sign up for all of the offers. Then forget about it. And try to stay at Priority Club hotels.

I wouldn’t change any of my travel patterns to get extra hotel points but this way you are covered if you do happen to stay.

If you are a Marriott fan, there is a new site available now called the Marriott Rewards Insider

For tips about specific Marriott hotels, and nearby activities, this could be a good place to look. Typically I prefer to use tripadvisor for things to do if I have time to look around a city, but I can see how this might have good info when you are making a short stop somewhere and just have time to find what what is close to the hotel.  Check it out.