Now, it's quite a well-known fact that you can request upgrades at the airport for codeshares on AC metal. A less known fact is that you cannot request codeshare eUpgrades from stations where AC does not do its own ground handling, e.g. PHL, SEA. Combine the two together and you get a pretty disappointing result. I flew into YYZ from PHL about an hour ago and I'm currently waiting for my flight to YYC. I booked the UA codeshares in order to use up a $200 e-cert, and they booked into T+ on AC, so it was quite a cheap way to get a couple of segments towards my obligatory 5 minimum segments this year. I thought, "great, I paid $37 a/i o/w for a transcon in T+ and I'd have a chance to put a dent in the 110 credits idling in my account." How I would be proven wrong.
PHL-YYZ I knew I couldn't upgrade because it's a codeshare and it's PHL. I couldn't care less because they gave me a W&B op-up anyway, and it's only a ~1.5h flight where you get a bag of nuts and a drink for in-flight service. Now YYZ-YYC, I was hoping for an upgrade, even if it's only an A320. It was not to be. I requested at the MLL, agent said the system rejected it. That's what the concierge is for, right? When I contacted him, he said the system wouldn't let him do it either, and he was under the impression codeshares couldn't be eUpgraded. That was an innocent mistake on his part so I corrected him and after consulting the IT help desk, we collectively determined that the combination of the UA-marketed codeshare and the PHL point of origin ruled me out for upgrades out of YYZ. I've never heard something so ridiculous in my life. AC staff were all good to me as usual but the IT let me down once again. Now I'm starting to think I should have booked PHL-SFO-YYC on UA and pocketed a few extra miles instead... AC will be hearing about this in an e-mail from me, and I'm almost definitely not going to try for requalification next year if eUpgrades on codeshares continues to be not only a PITA, but somtimes an impossibility.
(I rarely rage-post, so forgive me
I've been drinking AC's booze like there is no tomorrow to get revenge.)