Pseudo Nim

If:

- I'm currently E75K
- my Asia flight is in 8 days with R0
- I have a flight credit pending which SHOULD post before flight and kick me over se100K
- and I apply eUps at my current 6 day threshold (thereby committing to the $750 fee)

Then,

- if my SE kicks in between now and the flight will I still have to pay the $750 fee? I notice boarding passes take a WHILE to reflect new status
- if yes, can I get it refunded?
- will my upgrade priority be determined at t-1 hour when they close the flights and process the upgrades, or chronologically? (But I guess the delay in timing concern still applies... Took like 3 weeks for E75K to begin appearing on BPs)

Thanks for any help!

superangrypenguin

From what I understand, and others are more knowledgeable here than me. You'll have to call in once you hit SE. Cancel your request (not sure if you get a refund), have them remove your FF#, and put it back in, and then request as a SE in which case you wouldn't get charged. Your up priority will be dependent on status (see upgrade thread on full details)

Ben Lipsey

If you don't clear in advance your status will take priority at the airport, so if your SE kicks in you'll be at the top. I can't vouch for if you will or will not be charged the copay in this scenario but if you are SE (BP says SE etc) and clear at airport my gut is that you won't be.

Pseudo Nim

Got it. Thanks. Actually this then worries me spectacularly because when I crossed E75K, it took at least two weeks between the Altitude dashboard saying E75K and boarding passes saying it. So I'm then certain my status won't clear before the flight. Doh doh doh. So then there's the $750 problem which I can probably clear up retroactively, and the upgrade queue problem which probably will be the worse hurdle to clear

YQMer

I've heard of some having success with calling in to have their FF removed from the PNR and then put back. This usually bring things up to date.

Pseudo Nim

*click* you're absolutely right! I just realised the reservation on which I noticed my E75K had my FF# removed and re-added. Thanks for the suggestion!

mikeyyz

But in theory early qualification ended on October 15th right? I am going to go over 75K tomorrow (from E50K) so I'll hope that it's actually soft-extended to October 31st to allow for some leeway

yyz_atc_qq

Here's the explanation.

When a FF number is added to a PNR, the system polls the FF database and finds out the members status. This is the ONLY time it happens.

To trigger a new poll of the data base, your FF number must be removed (or changed to a different carrier's FF number), the PNR ended to save all changes, then re-opened and your AE number put back on the file. This new application of the AE number will trigger the system to look at the database again.

IF... you (or the agent) tries to just remove or change the number without actually ending or closing the reservation, the system won't detect anything different (your number was xxx xxx xxx when the PNR was opened, and it's still the same as it's being closed) and will NOT poll the database.

Old school reason.... but at least we know how to get around it.

Pseudo Nim

I've had a flight credit due for like two weeks ... so far before the 15th that I actually flew, hehe.

Excellent. Thanks for the explanation - this clears up a lot for me!

Absolute

Just one thing to note, if you do advance from E75K to SE between time of booking and boarding, you will not be automatically granted the SE privileges or that placement in the boarding line.

As others have mentioned, you must remove and re-add your FFN after you gain SE in order to see those changes, for Ben's scenario to take place.

Geoflying

Just got upped to E75K based on a flight taken October 23rd so there is clearly leeway.

Pseudo Nim

Okay, so here's a weird experience.

1. My status has kicked in. (yay)
2. I can see it on the dashboard / aeroplan.com.
3. Called the SE line, asked them to delete PNR / readd it. He said he was still seeing my profile as E75K. That's fine, I figure maybe it hasn't propagated yet.
4. Logged into the eUpgrade site, deleted my request which was saying $750, then went to re-request it.... and:
a) no longer seeing the $750 (albeit still waitlisted), and
b) a domestic connecting flight that was showing waitlisted before now was available for upgrade.

What happened here? Do I consider that I'm good to go and I'm in the SE bucket for the queue on the waitlisted flight? Or should I still do the PNR delete/readd?

superangrypenguin

Maybe R inventory opened up and timing worked out for you

Pseudo Nim

Weird. We're talking a difference of seconds, though. Log in - see waitlisted - click 'cancel upgrade' - click 'request another upgrade' - bam. It was also a J2 flight which is now J1, so I wouldn't think they were opening any R space on that... hmm. I dunno.

Diabeetus

I think you meant AP# not PNR.

I had similar experiences with bookings this year. I called in to choose seats as a new SE, and each time the agent said it showed an old status. I just mentioned "early qualification" and they re-entered my AP# to fix things.

The safest is to always have the AP# re-entered. But now that you've cleared an e-upgrade, they would need to cancel your upgrade first in order to re-eneter your number, I think. Then re-enter your upgrade.