Upgrade Success

We are now 1 month into Altitude. I have not used my eUps because I have been traveling paid J. My question is directed to the three new Elite classes- 35, 50 and 75K. Are you having more success this year getting upgrades than you previously did as Elite? For example, 75K can request upgrade at T-6 days instead of T-4; has this change made any difference to your upgrade success? I have a feeling that with AC's R games, changes in the width of the upgrade request window may not have improved success rates. Just my usual negativity towards enhacements!

I have had unbelievable success rate, 6 upgrades/ 4 eupgrade attempts, solely on YYZ-LHR. I have gotten 2 courtesy upgrades, and the rest have been YYZ-LHR upgrades which are much better. I think it`s the fare structure and ffp program keeping the 35K down but hey it`s working for me. Good job AC

I am 1/2. The fail was YYZ-SEA (SRO in paid J) and the success was the red eye (AC 156) YVR-YYZ.

Interesting footnote - the red-eye was an aircraft switch from A-320 to B-767 to accommodate March Break crowd! I was happy to get the lie-flat but others were upset they lost their seat assignments!

First time Elite last year, was 2/10 on eupgrades on YYZ - SFO return, and never successful on YYZ-SFO portion. Moved just up to 50K, but it seems to make a difference. 3/5 so far this year, but I never upgrade on both legs (or those eUps will disappear fast!!!), and this last trip was the first upgraded on the outbound leg. I've noticed on 2 of the 3 upgrades that they weren't available for 35K for confirmed eUpgrades based on R counts. I actually declined the SFO-YYZ portion this week to save a few eUps... we'll see if the travel season makes a difference and we have problems when we hit the end of the year... but so far, so good.

4/4 so far this year on domestic longhauls (2 on Lat fares, 2 on Flex).

The big test is coming soon, YYZ-SYD. Currently waitlisted with J9 (according to flightstats - although the ac.com seatmap shows only six unassigned seats).

E50 and I am 0/4

That includes two (!) YYC-YVR, one LAX-YYC and one FRA-YYC.

The one I was surprised about was the FRA-YYC which showed J6Y6 a couple hours before the flight. I was told at the gate that if it cleared they would come get me on the plane, so obviously I was close but never cleared.

I would have expected last year that there was no way 6 SEs would have been in front of me, but feels like a few E75s scooped me on that one.

I can't explain my lack of success on the YYC-YVR flights, just must have been bad luck. That being said, last year I never even tried to upgrade that flight, but I had 40 eups expire with me, so this year I am trying for everything.

I have 50 eups now and haven't used one after 35K of flying already this year.

I noticed FlightStats doing some strange things a week ago (J and R kept jumping up to 2 or 4 or something and down to 0). ExpertFlyer had different numbers than FlightStats, but matched what someone at AC told me was available. So now I don't trust FlightStats.

As for upgrades, I'm E35K, and I'm 4/5, with only one of those being a gate upgrade. The failed was YYZ-YUL, so it wasn't a big deal.

These were all on a Flex (M) flight pass, so my bookings were made within 10 days of the flights, but always outside my window.

All my flights are for leisure though, so I'm not typically flying when business travelers are (yesterday was an exception, but I still got the upgrades on the 2 longer segments of the 3).

This is my first year with status, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I'm liking it so far. If this keeps up, the flight pass was definitely worth it for the ability to book close enough to the window to have an idea of how both J and R look, as well as the ability to upgrade with 40% of the credits.

I'm E75k

I'm 2/2 so far this year (YYZ-NRT and NRT-YYZ). Based on this small sample, I am feeling that I am doing better than last year when I was E. I was only 1/4 on YYZ-NRT, PVG-YYZ, YYZ-PEK and PEK-YYZ flights. Liking the new system so far.

Yes. I gave up chasing status the year the e-upgrades were introduced: I'd had several years of ZERO successful upgrade attempts and ZERO op-ups and the word here was it would be harder in the land of e-ups. I started using my points for personal travel instead of buying tickets for personal travel (I'd always been worried I wouldn't quite have enough status miles.) I started using entirely different airlines for business trips if their schedules were more convenient. And then, after several years of that, I happened to make E35K last year without really trying. (A trip to Australia will do that.)

Since I can't use my e-ups for transatlantic flights (at the fare class I use) I didn't try to "save" them as I used to save my SSWUs. I used half of them to upgrade a YYZ-SEA flight that was less than 12 hours after I landed from a redeye LAS-YYZ. Succeeded at the 4 day mark and very satisfied with that, thankyou.

Sure, expectations are lowered now. You never know when you're living in a golden age. But I am getting upgraded and enjoying the perk.

Obviously many factors come into play for upgrading including fare (Latitude or Flex), route, type of aircraft, day of the week and time of the day...aside from status. I have two Flex fare AC legs next Tuesday (YVR-YYZ and YYZ-PHL) so the upgrade window will open in a couple of hours for the first flight, tonight for the shorter second one. ExpertFlyer was showing R6 on an A333 and R5 on an E175 this morning, down one on the transcon since yesterday's SE window opened. These are my first AC flights of the year since all my other travel thus far in the 1st Quarter has been on AA or UA where all my upgrades have cleared on four TransPacs and dozens of NAmerican flights with front cabins.

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YVR-YYZ upgrade confirmed. (Down to R5.)

im 12/12 all in M class from FP

Last year as an AC E I was 4/4. This year as a SE I am 3/5. Kind of frustrating since given the larger upgrade window as a SE, lots of seats available at 7 days and some of the routes being identitcal to 2012, less success than last year.

I'm running a 0% success rate for upgrades on YVRYYJ... I blame the new altitude program, I just can't catch a break.

100% due to the new program. ^

Flew 5 times. Was on Flex flight passes (class: M). 100% e-upgrade success between YYZ and Chicago.

Im E35K