Disillusioned with eupgrade program
Mar 31, 2011 | 5:46 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: AC E
Posts: 644
No offence, but purchase date is a terrible way to do it. The system they have now does offer the perks depending on fare paid.
Latitude, R and your good or you are put on the list, then the SEs join that list at the 7 day rule for T+, etc. etc....and coming down to the wire, all gets resorted by status, fare class, etc. It does make sense and is fare..I think
The exact our of upgrade kind of sucks when you have a west coast red eye and are still in the east when you have to call in an upgrade.
but....there are worst things in life that getting up for 2 minutes to upgrade and rolling over to go back to sleep
Latitude, R and your good or you are put on the list, then the SEs join that list at the 7 day rule for T+, etc. etc....and coming down to the wire, all gets resorted by status, fare class, etc. It does make sense and is fare..I think
The exact our of upgrade kind of sucks when you have a west coast red eye and are still in the east when you have to call in an upgrade.
but....there are worst things in life that getting up for 2 minutes to upgrade and rolling over to go back to sleep
I did not suggest any change to the instant Lat upgrade; Lat/T+ is currently the only difference in when you can upgrade. I did not suggest any change to the number of eUpgrade credits that would be required.
But again, what would be the point of the windows? Sure, your upgrade would not clear until the 'window time' but given how tightly AC controls R space on many routes, there might not be any R inventory prior to the T+ windows anyways.
You're suggesting yet another list, with yet another set of priority rules. If it would be based on the time the ticket is purchased, then if that list would fill up to the # of J seats physically on the plane at like 6-8 months out with let's say all SE, then there would be absolutely no chance for a SE who bought a ticket closer to the date from getting an upgrade, let alone an E or a P, and that's hardly fair.
Plus this would erode the 'instant upgrade request' benefit from those that purchase Latitude fares
You're suggesting yet another list, with yet another set of priority rules. If it would be based on the time the ticket is purchased, then if that list would fill up to the # of J seats physically on the plane at like 6-8 months out with let's say all SE, then there would be absolutely no chance for a SE who bought a ticket closer to the date from getting an upgrade, let alone an E or a P, and that's hardly fair.
Plus this would erode the 'instant upgrade request' benefit from those that purchase Latitude fares
How would the list fill up 68 months out? Upgrades would still cost credits; not everyone would request an upgrade. The same number of people would request upgrades as do now, except they could request it at time of purchase, and it would be processed automatically when their window opens.
The overall effect would be the same as if, under the current system, all the T+ pax who wanted to upgrade tried to do it as soon as their window opened, and the tiebreaker for who would get the upgrades (since they'd all be requested at the same time) is ticket purchase date. I think ticket purchase date is much fairer than "whoever has Internet handy and a few minutes free at a certain moment" (which is the current system).
Mar 31, 2011 | 7:52 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AC SE, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,363
Huh? What I proposed would work just like the current system, except that (a) you wouldn't have to jump online at a certain time to submit your upgrade request, and (b) when the window opens, upgrades would go to whoever bought their ticket first, rather than whoever has Internet access handy at that moment.
Mar 31, 2011 | 8:45 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: UA MP
Posts: 768
Additionally, just because you see R0 all the time doesn't necessarily mean someone with lat ticket didn't get their upgrade cleared - it's quite possible that AC silently releases an R seat to clear a lat ticket on the waitlist without you ever seeing R goes above 0.
Mar 31, 2011 | 8:48 pm
#19
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: UA MP
Posts: 768
This could be a fun exercise - find a TATL or TPAC with R0 that is at least a month or two out, buy a lat ticket and get on the waitlist, wait until a day or so before the T+ window and see if AC releases an R seat to clear your upgrade before the T+ window. Cancel your ticket and get a refund once your curiosity is satisfied.
Mar 31, 2011 | 9:58 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Erstwhile Accidental AC E35K
Posts: 3,194
Taking the math a bit further....
If the eupgrades were given out in units of 12 instead of 10 or 15, and then the pricing for eupgrades could be 1,2,3,4,6,12 with 'likely' more useful bits left over at the end of the year
17 for a long haul upgrade is a prime number. 14 dosen't divide too well either!
If the eupgrades were given out in units of 12 instead of 10 or 15, and then the pricing for eupgrades could be 1,2,3,4,6,12 with 'likely' more useful bits left over at the end of the year
17 for a long haul upgrade is a prime number. 14 dosen't divide too well either!
Mar 31, 2011 | 10:04 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: UA MP
Posts: 768
I have to agree. I commented a few weeks ago that the system is designed to leave unused credits at the end of the year. The arithmetic clearly leads to this conclusion, however another poster suggested I was being obtuse, inferring that AC would never dream of engaging in such contrived and calculated subterfuge. It seems clear to me that the way the arithmetic works out is no accident.
The situation now isn't that much different from having a handful of NAU or SWU left at the end of last year (why couldn't they give you a few more SSWU in exchange of zero SWU/NAU, you could have argued).
Mar 31, 2011 | 10:13 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Earth
Programs: AC S100K (formerly AC*SE), AC 2MM, AMEX Plat, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,468
I would personally like the upgrade window to be n days + 4 hours. This is because I am on the same flights every week. For me to register in time means requiring wi-fi access on the plane.
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
Apr 1, 2011 | 12:47 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 1,022
I would really agree with the last part. I have a red eye coming home from LAS next Saturday on an M fare. So if i want to book on the microsecond, I need to be up at 2:20am to get on the list.
Aside from that, I don't mind it too much. After a long two weeks of travel, I decided to upgrade my T+ YUL-YOW at the last second. Wouldn't have used a SSWU, but to burn a few credits (about to cross 40k soon any ways) was well worth it (plus the new food in J is excellent and was a decent replacement for not eating dinner).
Aside from that, I don't mind it too much. After a long two weeks of travel, I decided to upgrade my T+ YUL-YOW at the last second. Wouldn't have used a SSWU, but to burn a few credits (about to cross 40k soon any ways) was well worth it (plus the new food in J is excellent and was a decent replacement for not eating dinner).
The field will still be level. When you book and request an upgrade it is in the system. When your window opens, the system processes your request automatically. Who gets in first can be a random pick. Right now priority is perhaps random when everyone gets out his/her Blackberry at microsecond t to request an upgrade.
Apr 1, 2011 | 8:07 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,281
Apr 1, 2011 | 9:46 am
#25
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: AS MVP Gold; AE; AA Platinum; Club Carlson Gold; SPG Gold; HHonorsGold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 227
Apr 1, 2011 | 10:24 am
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE 2MM
Posts: 18,453
Apr 1, 2011 | 2:29 pm
#28
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: *G^2, Bonvoyed, NEXUS
Posts: 3,678
How would the list fill up 68 months out? Upgrades would still cost credits; not everyone would request an upgrade. The same number of people would request upgrades as do now, except they could request it at time of purchase, and it would be processed automatically when their window opens.
The overall effect would be the same as if, under the current system, all the T+ pax who wanted to upgrade tried to do it as soon as their window opened, and the tiebreaker for who would get the upgrades (since they'd all be requested at the same time) is ticket purchase date. I think ticket purchase date is much fairer than "whoever has Internet handy and a few minutes free at a certain moment" (which is the current system).
The overall effect would be the same as if, under the current system, all the T+ pax who wanted to upgrade tried to do it as soon as their window opened, and the tiebreaker for who would get the upgrades (since they'd all be requested at the same time) is ticket purchase date. I think ticket purchase date is much fairer than "whoever has Internet handy and a few minutes free at a certain moment" (which is the current system).
+1. Exactly my point.
Apr 1, 2011 | 7:06 pm
#29
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Earth
Programs: AC S100K (formerly AC*SE), AC 2MM, AMEX Plat, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,468