I have a general question.

A few weeks ago I paid during checkin to upgrade a YUL-YLW flight (part of a longer YHZ-YUL-YLW-YVR itinerary).

We left YHZ an hour late due to a freezing rain storm, and since the connection time at YUL was only 1:05, I resigned myself to standing in line to get rebooked, etc.

But when we landed I'd already been rebooked onto a direct YUL-YVR flight, still in J, that got me into YVR only 45 minutes later than originally scheduled.

My question is: did the upgrade to J play any part in the painlessness of the process? I'm 25K, btw.

TIA