I TOTALLY AGREE!...UA does this with there 1K's and if you are a heavy traveller this is a great benefit to have especially when you have 2 SE's fighting for the same 1 seat that is left on the plane in J Class. Happened to me on Friday on AC#063 YYZ-YVR I was the fortunate one that beat out the other SE only because AC's system puts me first as a connecting PAX from YUL and he was originating out of YYZ instead therefore it put me #1 on the list. Who knows, maybe this guy had more than 166K Q miles up to this point this year and should have got the seat before me?

Amonsgt the criteria used as tie-breakers between pax competing for J seats: status, fare paid, cnx from downstream station, check-in time, dessert preferences and most importantly, ability to quote manager names from AC org chart on travel-related IBBs.

i rather do status, status miles for current year, fare paid and trip duration.... if that fails then date registered....but everything is processed 7,4,2 days as per rules/regulations

I second that.
UA also considers YTD benefit on WL upgrades. On popular s routes: LAX/SFO-SYD-LAX/SFO, IM rarely releases more than 1/2 NC months ahead.
UA IM at the request for upgrades on the popular routes1Month , 3 weeks, 2 weeks & 3 days looks .If there are 3 1Ks on WL, Creterias are: YTD Miles, Lifetime Miles, Date upgrade requested(if there is schedule change the request clock is set to the date Sched.change is accepted)
Which is why I never request any Upgrades more than month ahead if there is no NC seat at time of ticketing.

I typically requalify by end of 1st. Quarter, I have always had my WL flights clear in the 1st. round when IM looks at Waitlist.YTD miles plays a big role in IM clearing not only updrades for the 1K personal travel, it also plays a big role in clearing XC/XF (award travel) for even if it is not 1Ks personal travel.

UA 1ks with high YTD miles get many unwritten benefits. One time accceptance are norm.

Encourging UA 1Ks to go for high YTD miles early in qualifying year, United is adding to its bottomline.It is win win for the member & the airline!

I wish AC would consider that. SE with higher YTD miles should be the final tiebreaker.
As it has been said many times on this board,AC is in business of making money, thus you would think AC would encourage SE/E/P to add to the bottomline in 1st & 2nd Q by making YTD final tie-breaker for WL upgrades.

Eup priority waitlist surprise
 

So much for waitlist rules

I thought waitlist is based on account status of member granting points. The truth is otherwise


SE
E
Guest of SE
Guest of e
Others

So using my SE points to upgrade my e spouse managed to move her down one notch on the waitlist

Would be ok if I hadn't been told the exact opposite repeatedly by Ac reservation staff

This was told to me by AC station Manager in Sydney( before E-upgrade).
1 J seat on AC 34 only to SYD-YVR.
2 SE on WL.
#1 SE Ticketed SYD-YVR
#2 SE Ticketed SYD-YYZ
Status & fare same.
SE #1 checks in 1 hour before SE#2.
Thus Se#1 is First on the WL. Confirmed 1 hour before departure .
15 minutes later the flight closes, Se#2 gets the 1 J seat.
The above reason given:
SE#2 was flying further. Thus SE#2 gets the seat, even though on sector YVR-YYZ will be in coach.

1.Is this now carried over to the e-Upgrade?


2. 7 day SE window:

AC 34 YYZ-SYD Shows R1
AC 34 YVR-SYD Shows R1
Does it mean there are 2 R2 or 1 R1 in total.
If only R1 in total
Would 7 day open that seat at 8:15PM YYZ time or 2:30AM when it opens for YVR based Pax.?

2. CNX from downstream on day of the flight.

Who will be first on Airport waitlist

(a) Pax YYZ-SYD AC 34 checks in 8:15PM 24 hours before YYZ time
(b) Pax LAX-YVR-SYD Checks in 5:15PM 24 hours before YYZ time?
(c) Pax YVR-SYD Checks in 2:30AM YYZ time 6 Hours later than YYZ PAX who was able to check-in at 8:15PM .

[QUOTE=Allvest;16151331]So much for waitlist rules

---------

I am really pleased with the outcome of this post. It appears that most agree that an "automatic" window based system can work. There is, however, considerable variance regarding how upgrades will be awarded under the system. I am off to Vienna via London this evening. When I return, I will summarise the opinions expressed, including negative ones, and send them to Craig Landry. Hopefully, those opinions will help inform decisions on way forward.

My understanding is that there is no longer an airport WL. Original one carries to the airport. However your question still stands.

I think Andrew eluded somewhere that there is still an airport wait list, it just gets transfered automatically (ie you don't have to click on upgrade on OLCI) but the re-sort as we know it (or assume it) still happens

One would think that the request sequence gets transferred, and that the check in time is no longer part of the picture though. In which case, the only re-sort that would happen should be based upon (1) status and (2) booking code.

But then that is probably the same way that pre-transfer R seats get allocated anyway in which case it's simply the same list and procedure that gets passed on the gate.

Arguably upgrade request sequence is a better criterion than check in time.

Coming back to the thread topic, and looking at my travel plans for this year, I find that I will end up spending roughly the same as last year, using a mix of the left overs of a pass, mostly B fares but a couple of Z overseas, probably some short range Tango Plus which look like upgrade should not be an issue, and a sun destination two people latitude pass.

The difference will be that instead of sitting on maybe four unused red certs plus a pile of blue ones, I'll be able to upgrade some relatives once in a while. Maybe when the price is right and there is upgrade space my wife will travel on revenue tickets instead of Aeroplan tickets occasionally.

So no complain here.

I would argue that most more savvy flyers here would end up losing under such a system. Surely for every person here who knows to call in/request an upgrade at the right window, there are ten more clueless frequent flyers who leave it to their secretary or TA, or only request at the gate, or are unaware of the window.

Automatic upgrades would go a long way toward levelling the field which is to the disadvantage of the more knowledgeable/more proactive among us.

+1

This is true. Are you simply pointing this out as a fact, or do you also mean that this militates against auto-upgrades at the T+ windows?

I know FT'ers all benefit from our enhanced knowledge of fare structures and upgrade strategies and so on. But really, from a customer satisfaction standpoint, it doesn't make any sense to require specialized knowledge to make use of a frequent-flyer benefit. It doesn't make a lot of sense to have your customers having to be "on the ball" all the time, and tracking ever-changing rules and practices in order to be able to use the system. Hell, the fact that FF internet forums even exist is testament to the airline industry's nearly universal bias towards opacity in business practices.

Therefore, I would tend to favour some form of an auto-upgrade system. If I wanted first-come-first-served for the good seats on an airplane, I'd be flying something like Southwest and boarding with my elbows up.

What do you mean by most?

I am one who opposes this idea.

If you want automation, set an alarm clock to do it, or ask/pay someone to do it for you. Or write a script to do it.

This is the main reason I'm opposed to this automatic upgrade idea.

A lot of times, if one buys a ticket way in advance, he does not have enough upgrade credits to allow him for auto-upgrade. He would then still need to activate the auto-upgrade.

Since there are only a very limited amount of upgraded seats, the ones who are on the ball should be the ones who get it. If you are flying something like Southwest, you won't be getting any upgrades.:rolleyes:

[QUOTE=yyzprincess......
I wish AC would consider that. SE with higher YTD miles should be the final tiebreaker.
As it has been said many times on this board,AC is in business of making money, thus you would think AC would encourage SE/E/P to add to the bottomline in 1st & 2nd Q by making YTD final tie-breaker for WL upgrades.[/QUOTE]

Disagree with you on this one.

As a big segment generator who starts and finishes each flight at a regional city(YSB),I would encourage the system that acknowledges multiple flights where u/g selection is at stake.

You can fly YYZ/YVR at relatively inexpensive rates.Add YSB onto that equation and my fares have doubled.

Those of us that fly the segments and pay the higher fares should trump those cheap mileage runners who get SE for 5K spend a year

You are assuming that the auto-upgrade would necessarily require you to have the eC available at the time of request. Doesn't have to be this way... you could request the auto-upgrade regardless of your account balance, but when the T+ window opens for you, it could check at that point and deny the upgrade if the balance is insufficient.

As for the rest of your post, rolled eyes are just plain rude. Surely you can make your point without resorting to them.

Eh, I am in favor of things that benefit *ME.*

In the end it's all a game. Let the best players win.

Although admittedly it's also playing against the house. Which has the advantage that they make the rules. But even then, sometimes some of us find ways to outsmart them. :D

:rolleyes:

I should have been clearly. United it is YTD, meaning high mileage or Segments. UA has miles or segments as well.
With UA it is YTD, Liftime Mileage ,Status, Class of service....

Wish AC would also do:
YTD, Lifetime miles, status, class of service...

Thank-you for clarification.I buy latitude passes,regionally and North America types.Like you,I wish AC would do a better job of recognizing segments.

Perhaps a lifetime 1K segments vs 1M mile....,all status of course:D

Maybe not so fast on auto-upgrade
 

I want more control over the upgrade decisions than I'd expect with an auto-upgrade process. Auto-upgrade might work for single-segment trips, but it gets "interesting" as soon as you add more. For example, I have an upcoming YVR - YYC - IAH itin. I'll only upgrade on the first leg if I can do it on the long one. Coming back - I'll take an upgrade on the long leg even if I can't get the short one.

And somehow it seems to me that the customer who takes the time to figure out all the ins and outs of maximizing their own customer experience - is by definition a more "engaged" customer - and in my guess - likely to be a more loyal customer. (Sounds like a research project for somebody.)

or someone with too much time on his/her hands.....because a loyal customer will most likely be "up in the air"

I am a SE and am thinking of waitlisting/guesting my Elite parents in the 7 day window. Does this mean I would be better to put them on the waitlist using their credits in the 4 day window?

According to yyz concierge and my experience this week yes they are better off on their own eup than SE sponsored. Unless of course r class is available at t-7

Is that really true? Does not sound right. If using SE credits, then upgrades can be requested earlier than E$s, but later on priority inverts? Makes no sense.

I agree it makes no sense. But if there were 2 lists (one before OLCI, one at the airport, and those on the first list get transfered automatically to the second), it is indeed possible. It is not fair, but I'm okay with this for selfish reason.

Not sure what selfish reasons you might have since SE? Presumably any SE would want people whom he sponsors for an upgrade being at high priority?

I definitely would like my wife to be traveling with me. If I sit in front but she ends up in the back, I'll be in trouble.

Or for me, I fly YVR-YYC-FRA, and won't waste the 3 points on upgrading the YVR-YYC segment.

But at that point wouldn't she be in the front and you in the back? :D:D

didnt others complained that this feature does not exist anymore.... ie. you can donate your ecredits, but upgrading in how many days advance is based on the traveller's status?

This is true. I don't really mind. What I did mind was that I was
told Otherwise by Ac reservations beforehand

SE. Guest of SE. E. Guest of e.

That means in reality being gifted credits moves you down the waitinglist
Significantly

Selfish reason being: I don't want a guest of another SE clear before us. Both my wife and I are SEs and we won't sponsor anyone else.;)

I bolded the "she", need to point out that you got major balls let alone trouble.:eek:

LOL..... upon boarding, would he be in the back and she be in the front?

Well, yes, that would be the outcome.

But then, that would not make me terribly happy.

Actually, this is the standard situation when I get a revenue ticket, upgrade on the AC transatlantic legs, and end up in Y on a few short legs in Europe. While she uses an award and flies in front all the way.

Occasionally she manages to talk the FA to let me join her though. Usually after the meal. But it's getting harder. We'll see how Aegean is in that respect in a couple of weeks.

In our case, the outcome would have been opposite. My wife always wants me to sit in the front if only one of us has the J seat, especially if it's a longhaul flight. Fortunately, this has never happened. I wouldn't be terribly happy if I was to sit in the front while she is stuck in the back.

well so far I have been happy with the roll out.

Using my points for some upgrades at least now puts my wife and I on more equal footing than before if the upgrade doesn't clear before flight day.

I am not sure if we have clarity on priority for flight day though. I would appreciate it if we could get a definitive answer from Andrew. It would seem logical that all SEs clear then all SE guests then Es then E guests etc. but a previous post seemed to indicate otherwise.

My goal is to always preclear upgrades before flight day but in some case, that doesn't happen . . .