bort2015

Hey, I am just a newbie to this forum. One thing that struck me in reading otherposts is how big the following is around aeroplan status and upgrades. As someone who is just recently travelling for work and have acheived 50K status (I know I'm low on the totem pole), I wanted to use eupgrade credits for an direct economy flight (flex status) to Vancouver from Ottawa this week. I tried to upgrade via eupgrades but it said I was waitlisted.

Is this the only approach I can take to improve my chances for an upgrade - just wait until I am either notified online or at the gate? Do I need to call AC 24 hours before the flight and see if I can upgrade using the credits then? Or is the fact I am on the waitlist the same thing?

Sorry if this has been answered before - I have read a lot of other threads to see if I could get an answer.

hearna

If your on the list there is not much else you can do. The only other option would be to look at what other flights are available (via YUL-YYZ) that do have R space (And this would involve a change fee and fare difference). However, depending on the day of the week; most R space disapeers at T-7 days when the SEs get their hands on it.

When AC189 was operated by a 767 J was decently easy to achieve; now back to a 320; limited J seats on a very long flight... depending on the day of the week I would not hold my breath.

superangrypenguin

You could pay to upgrade to latitude and then it most likely will clear. Check on ac.com. Do a dummy booking in lat and check the little box to see if you would clear the upgrade.

yyckerr

Also, make sure you're at the gate about 40 minutes prior to takeoff. I've missed my name being called because I was slow leaving the lounge and I lost my upgrade. You won't know until the gate if you get it or not.

Welcome to FT!

jaysona

If you're traveling on Thursday or Friday upgrade prospects look dim at best, there are no seats for sale in the J cabin, my flight pass shows economy only available for 189.

Calling AC for the upgrade will not help anything at all, just make sure you're in the gate area when the agents start processing the upgrades.

bort2015

Hmm, ok, this helps! Thanks for the info. It is a long enough flight and I am a tall guy. Most of my work trips are business class overseas - but Vancouver is just long enough that I would want a little more space. I will try to get something with extra leg room just in case.

Dorian

What date?

guessaaa

Consider routing through YYZ and onto AC033.

CloudsBelow

Remember reading a couple years ago 189 was AC's most profitable domestic flight.
Who knows if that's accurate but seems entirely plausible considering the O/D nature, limited competition, high fares, Business/Gov't/Leisure demand.

rankourabu

you can just check the app the day before the flight, to see where you are on the list... And if you dont think you have a chance of clearing, you can plan accordingly, and get moved for free onto a different flight(s) with a better chance..... after all, you paid a lot extra for flex over cheapest available ticket.

... oh wait.... disregard above... youre flying Air Canada...

YQMer

I would check day of departure and do a same day change ($75 fee only, no fare difference required) to move to a flight that had upgrade space available that could be confirmed right away.

FlyingTomboy

T-7 days to the minute and second of the flight is when SEs can eUpgrade. But once on waitlist, do SEs jump the queue? Or it's truly Aerolotto and nobody knows how it's selected and solely depends on the gate agents randomly choosing people and favouring folks that harass them constantly at the gate???

superangrypenguin

No, it is not random. A simple search yields:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...-priority.html

HTH

FlyingTomboy

Depending on the plane, not familiar with this flight for OP, but YVR-YYZ had boarding start 60 minutes before scheduled departure time. It was a 777.

FlyingTomboy

Thanks! My searches didn't find that thread... It did bring me to this current one though.