Originally Posted by
SEA1K4EVR
Yes there is a difference. Both CR-1s and SWU's go into "reserve" status as soon as you request the upgrade even if you are waitlisted for all segments. When they are in reserve you cannot use them to upgrade other flights. With e500's there is no reserve status and they are only deducted from your account after you checkin and pay for the upgrade.
There is no need for e500's to go in reserve because, unlike CR1's and SWU's, e500's can be purchased. So if you overextend yourself and upgrade more flights than you have e500's to cover you can just purchase more at the airport if needed.
So one can't a place in the queue by committing CR1s or SWUs not already in one's account, but they can do so with e500s that aren't in their account as soon as the window of opportunity opens for them at 120, 100, 96, or 72 hours (GS, 1K, 1P, 2P)? Makes some sense I suppose because there is that opportunity to buy e500s, where there is no such opportunity to buy CR1s or SWUs. Can e500s be purchased at the gate if the upgrade possibility materializes, provided the GA is not too harried to deal with it? (I have let most of my e500s roll into RDM rather than use them for upgrades before now, and I have never bought e500s.)