I am based in YYZ but booked ORD-YYZ-HKG on AC due to much cheaper price. I booked another one-way YYZ-ORD to "catch" my outbound flight and for my inbound flight I will just ditch my final leg to ORD.

I'm planning to upgrade my outbound and the exact itinerary is as follow:

Sep 28 - morning - YYZ-ORD (on Porter, actually to Midway Airport)
Sep 28 - evening - ORD-YYZ (beginning of the above-mentioned AC itinerary)
Sep 29 - morning - YYZ-HKG

So I will basically have a day trip in Chicago before heading to HKG. I will head back home to sleep the same night. The baggages that will come with me to HKG will only be checked in on Sep 29 before boarding AC15.

It's a bit complicated and my questions are:

1. If I surrender my SSWU at ORD (and have them issue the boarding pass for AC15), can I re-check in my baggages the next day at YYZ?

2. If the answer is no for question 1, do you know if I can just upgrade YYZ-HKG but not ORD-YYZ (if that solves that problem)?


Thanks a lot!

I like it

I would contend... that if the ORD-YYZ-HKG is fared (based on fare construction) as a through fare, that it should be 1 cert. Somehow I think you're going to be asked for 2 though.

I'm going to be trying something similar in Sept. LGA-YUL-YYZ(18hr connex)-YYZ-LHR and although I believe I should only have to surrender 1 cert, I'm expecting to be asked for 2 certs.

If your connection is less than 24 hrs, you'll only be asked to surrender 1 cert.

1. if your UG is cleared ex/ORD they will collect the cert there......

technically staff will then have to add "CERT PULLED" into the computer system for your ORD-YYZ-HKG flights. if they dont, then you will most likely be asked for a second cert at YYZ.

the best is to let the GA @ ORD know you have a connecting flight, so they would add it in asap and when arriving to YYZ, ask the conceriege to double check and show him/her your previous boarding pass (ORD-YYZ) that you have been upgraded using cert.

2. if your UG is not cleared in advance or at check-in, they will not collect your cert @ ORD regardless of upgrade or not and be on the Aerolotto program @ YYZ.

But my question is -

Can I check in for the 2nd time in YYZ, this time with luggage to HKG that won't come with me to ORD? (after SSWU collected in ORD and boarding pass for AC15 issued in ORD)

I don't see why not, unless you've already checked too much when you boarded at ORD.

Of more concern would be the slim likelihood that as an Elite you would have your upgrade ex-YYZ confirmed in advance of departure. This route tends to be very difficult at times to confirm an upgrade in advance even for SEs. You ultimately may find you have wasted a SSWU for the ORD-YYZ segment and were not be able to get confirmed into J/R on the YYZ-HKG.

As for checking bags the next day at YYZ, that should not be a problem since many people who overnight between flight connections short check their bags and recheck them the next day.

Thanks for the reply, guys!

Is it possible for me to request to upgrade only the second leg? I wouldn't mind sitting in Y on ORD-YYZ.

Of course, and I would suggest you do so, to reduce any chance of a show down with a GA over a cert.

While I didn't intend to sound so negative, your flight is mid-week and at the moment shows J pretty empty...all the centre seats and all of the second J cabin. You'll only really start to know the situation a week before when you can see how many SEs AC has confirmed on upgrades and what would be left 4-days out when the E window opens.

Thank you all for your answers.

Since my ORD-YYZ leg will depart a day earlier than YYZ-HKG, I will be able to upgrade one day ahead of most Elites. Hopefully it will work out!