Originally Posted by
FlyerGoldII
In terms of the rules, not all RCC lounge agents know the definition of "international". By the definition of lounge access (to their own members) or availability of drink chits, Canada is not considered to be "international". However (especially for a transborder flight), it does not hurt to ask - when we do, most of the time we are turned down, but occasionally, the agent does give us the chits.
It depends on which agent you talked to. Once I volunteered to give up my seat for a later flight, which is really just short transborder hop of ORD-YUL, like a 2 hours flight operated by UA shuttle. They allowed me to keep my upgrade through a CR1, which wasn't going to clear on the original flight anyway due to the oversold situation and gave me $1,000 of UA vouchers good towards purchase on any UA flights as compensation, including international flights.
So I got on the next flight instead and get to keep my upgrade as well and $1,000 richer.
I know the agent probably took the flight as an "international flight" because in the past, when I heard them asking for volunteers at the gate, the going rate is about $500, for example, on an oversold DEN-SEA flight which I was also on but didn't volunteer because I absolutely had to get back to SEA that day.