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Quote:

Originally Posted by BlondeBomber (Post 15010543)

sure--why not? you earned it

Okay. I have no issue with that but it effectively means having more upgrade cert. in circulation than before and a lot more people chasing for those upgrade seats.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clipper801 (Post 15010621)

Okay. I have no issue with that but it effectively means having more upgrade cert. in circulation than before and a lot more people chasing for those upgrade seats.

I don't think that scenario (status to zero) really constitutes a lot more people in the bigger scheme of things.

My big question: what happens with eUpgrades for SE on Latitude passes? And for complimentary upgrades?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomh009 (Post 15010811)

I don't think that scenario (status to zero) really constitutes a lot more people in the bigger scheme of things.

No, I was not talking about from a non-status to newly mint P/E/SE situation.

I was referring to the assumption that the new eUpgrade will be valid for 12 months from time of issue (speculation and we really don't know yet) plus one does not have to re-qualify as P, E and SE to use it.

A lot of us received threshold certificates in October~December are not able to use them before the end of February. If the 12-month validity is true, we shall be able to use these threshold upgrade until October~December of the following year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by InTheAirGuy (Post 15010917)

My big question: what happens with eUpgrades for SE on Latitude passes? And for complimentary upgrades?

Don't the Lat. pass upgrades come out of J inventory? That shouldn't really change with the eUpgrades as you're not redeeming any certs for them.

And what do you mean by complimentary upgrades? Like Op-Up or the complimentary pass upgrade? If Op-Up, then I think if you're upgrading using eUpgrades, it's very much possible, as is the case now, that AC will gobble up your eUpgrade before Op-Uping you.

Now, if I passed another threshold at the end of December, would I be getting paper certs that will expire in less than 2 months? Or would I be getting e-cert credits that have 12-month shelf-life?

Quote:

Originally Posted by InTheAirGuy (Post 15010917)

My big question: what happens with eUpgrades for SE on Latitude passes?

Are you referring to the situation where you have a cert upgrade, but want to cancel it and use a pass upgrade instead? I suppose eUpgrades will have to provide some mechanism for canceling, but it might involve calling in.

Great scenario.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clipper801 (Post 15010537)

You are E based on 2010 travel but you do not fly very much in 2011.

In fact, by Dec. 1, 2011 you have only accumulated a total of 20,000 Status Miles and therefore received a threshold upgrade that is good until Dec. 1, 2012. (Assuming threshold does not change and the upgrade is for 12 months from date of issue.)

You book a flight with the upgrade cert. for April 15, 2012.

You do not fly again after Dec. 1, 2011 and do not even qualify for P.

So should you be able to use the upgrade cert. on April 15, 2012?

Lots of questions and lots of assumptions here. Let's wait for the eUpgrade to officially roll out to read the "fine prints"!

How does the UA scheme work in such a case when one does not re-qualify for upper tier?

With UA's Mileage Plus, upgrades are/were deposited at different intervals throughout the year. The main SWUs are available in January if you have requalified, while others are deposited after certain flight activities.

However, if you fail to re-qualify, you lose your e-upgrade account on the day that your status drops. This seems fair because the upgrades are for use as a status benefit. It acts as a further incentive to re-qualifying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clipper801 (Post 15010947)

I would hope so. AC upgrade policy is that the sponsor (passenger or traveling companion) must have status. As above, by giving one year validity, the passenger is further encouraged to re-qualify to ensure upgrades don't vanish from a status drop.

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanthepilot (Post 15014397)

However, if you fail to re-qualify, you lose your e-upgrade account on the day that your status drops. This seems fair because the upgrades are for use as a status benefit. It acts as a further incentive to re-qualifying.

That is my preference too. If one does not re-qualify, that person should not be able to use any "left over" eUpgrade from the previous year. However, some other FT'ers are of the view that one has "earned" that eUpgrade whilst as a status member and should be able to use it regardless. While I do not like the latter, I don't mind. In my example, if re-qualification does not matter, that traveller will be able to use the eUpgrade earned in December of the previous year in April (say that traveller buys a Latitude fare and is able to confirm the upgrade immediately) as a non status member.

Of course, we are playing around with different scenarios and the official rules have not come out yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clipper801 (Post 15015141)

A reasonable compromise solution would be to invalidate all eUpgrades in the account when the member loses status, but to allow ones that have been applied to already-booked flights to stand. (ie book an April flight in December, apply an eUpgrade to it before losing status.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomh009 (Post 15015310)

That seems totally reasonable, given that having an upgrade confirmed months in advance means you dished out for a latitude ticket anyways; it's not like you're fleecing AC on some dirt-cheap ticket.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clipper801 (Post 15010600)

If you are presently non status and will be newly mint E for 2011 (you've 33,000 Status Miles now and will cross the E threshold in early December but you've at least qualified for P now) with a flight booked for January 1, 2011, when can you request an upgrade? You are buying Latitude fare. In case if you're buying Tango Plus fare, when can you request an upgrade? January 1, 2001 minus 4 days or 12:01AM on January 1, 2011?

Use the same scenario with paper certs. If you don't have certs in hand and won't get them before your flight date, you shouldn't be able to book the upgrade.

While there's pros and cons, at least it'll be consistent so people with passes don't play the upgrade dance.

Question on certs

Hey there -- In the past, AC used to mail out certs good for the following year if they were earned in Nov/ Dec. Does anyone have a sense of what they will do this year, with the transition? I've looked through a few threads but found no discussion of this. Sorry if the question is addressed elsewhere!

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewToCanada (Post 15054749)

No one can tell you for sure until they release the details, however there is a general consensus based on hypothesis and discussions here that the eUpgrades might come with 12 month validity from the date of issue.

Again, this is all hearsay and by no means official.

Thanks for the info. I'm trying to figure out whether I should delay crossing a threshold in order to try to get certs with a 2012 expiration date. Do you know if there are any reports of people getting next year's certificates yet? It looks like the e-upgrade might not yet fully replace paper certs, but then I guess no one really knows.