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I'm sitting in the YYC MLL right now debating the upgrade waitlist.

I thought it was still Status then Fare Class then Check-in time.

Two of my colleagues are saying that this is no longer the case and that fare class now trumps. They both have anecdotal evidence (they're both SE and have been passed over at the gate by Es) and one of them asked an AC agent who confirmed this. :(

Any thoughts out there?

Not sure how many times I have to say this or how to get people to comprehend, but it is likely connecting passengers moving to the top.

Connecting passengers trump all others, then it is status and fare class. The premise is that if you've started your journey with an upgrade it should carry all the way. It is good if you live in yow, but sucks if you start in yyz or yvr.

A good concierge will override on the international flights to push the SEs to the top, but by default a connecting E would be first.

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My sincerest apologies for not heeding your previous messages nor comprehending them. :rolleyes:

Doesn't really explain why the agent confirmed that fare class trumps status.

Would the gate agent even know why one passenger gets priority over another?

YYC / YYZ eUpgrade experience and a question...
 

I have the experience of being *SE, flying on tango+ fares always these days on YYZ/YYC runs. I call in to get an upgrade midnight the week before in the cab on the way home :) Always no seats available for upgrade so I waitlist. Usually I'm the first. I check with the agent and there are 6-8-10 seats available up front for sale. The week passes and 1-2 disappear per day, sometimes even a couple are left by the time we get to the gate. Usually there are all classes of seats still available for sale until the day of the flight, then usually only J by the afternoon. I usually checkin as first or second 24 hours before.

Never does the wait list clear, and I'm about 1 for 10 at the gate. Since I've waitlisted the upgrades should be prioritized from that point for anyone who is looking to upgrade. I can be trumped by a J purchase, Flight pass upgrade into some seats, staff (not just 4 bars either but that's another discussion...), and connecting folks.

Granted, these are busy, busy flights and lots of *SE's (often 40 or more folks preboard and FA's will say that 10-15 might be *SE) Since there is almost zero transparancy in the process it's hard to tell the reason why but a few things make me wonder... 1) new rules (confirmed by staff) not to disclose where you are on the waitlist 2) Andrew's comments in the thread on eUpgrades that he can not disclose the process 3) my experience and the experience of 10 other *SE's that I'm travelling with on T+ fares.

Before eUpgrades I was essentialy 10 for 10. If I had a cert I would get the upgrade almost guaranteed.

But before I get flamed for all the good reasons why I might not get the upgrade, why don't we get some feedback from folks who are on the YYC / YYZ run?

My question for you: Within 7 days if you request do you get upgraded? If so what fare class are you in?

Cheers

I do about 50% of my miles on this run. YYC is home. So far this year (meaning after March 1), on T+ flight pass (M fare) I am 100% on upgrades. My YYC-YYZ have always cleared 1 week prior--I am pretty diligent about getting on 7x24 hrs to do the upgrade. My return flights have always cleared at the gate. IIRC, I have never had one clear in advance. I would guess at 4 or 5 trips on this route in the last two months.

I am E. I have got 2 out of 4 requests on YYZ - YYC . One 4 days in advance and 1 at the gate. The one at the gate was an equipement change to a 767 with pods. Tango Plus M fare. YYC - YVR 100% upgraded for 2 eupgrades as M fare. FYI, I have been told that if you do not clear in advance, regardless of when the upgrade is requested, at the gate the timimg of the request is not part of the consideration/selection process. I think this has been discussed here somewhere.

Actually I never read your previous comments regarding this "connecting passengers trumps"rule. With the new eUpgrade procedure this year, you basically have to request for each leg of your flights, constituting the scenario "connecting".

In my travels this year, I only request upgrade for the long haul leg, not wanting to spend 10 eCerts for YYC-YVR.

Maybe this is the reason my flight YVR-PEK was not upgraded, because other E passengers trumped me.

YYZ-YYC for my Sunday night flights clears 75% of the time. I'd say 25% at the 7 day window, 25% at the 48 hour window and 25% at the gate (leaving 25% with no upgrade, like I'm expecting tonight with J=0).

YYC-YYZ on Thursday afternoon, I never even bother trying. I fly on lower T+ fares (S, W) and there are too many other SEs with higher fares on this route and people buying J.

Most of us are so convinced (as am I) that SE trumps E on the airport waitlist, regardless of fare class, yet I'm wondering...how is this known? Could this have changed this year?

Hmmm...could an E on an M fare trump my lowly S fare?

Okay, I can't speak as to whether fare class trumps status or vice versa, but I can definitely offer significant anecdotal experience that fare class DOES matter. I am SE, my spouse is E. When either of us travels on a Tango Plus M fare (the highest fare class in Tango Plus), our upgrade success is very very good. Like almost always with just a few exceptions. This is at the 7-day window, clearing before day of flight, and at the gate. Other Tango Plus fare classes, I still don't do too badly, but he rarely gets the upgrade. So both factors (status and fare class) are definitely in play; I just don't know what the actual algorithm is!

Prior to day of flight it is definitely status and then fare class. Connections only matter on day of flight.

On day of flight (airport standby) connecting passengers first then status then fare class. Hard to get official validation, but concierge has confirmed and I've seen multiple real world examples.

All SEs (those who are actually SEs, not companions or nominees of SE) who are on the day of departure waitlist would clear before any Es are cleared regardless of fare paid, connections, check in time etc. Sometimes things are not the way it appears to be - for example, an E might be paged up for the last J seat over a SE on standby for J because they are paid J confirmed on a later flight.

I have missed once this year,when travelling with Mrs.acysb87.She holds no status,currently.
I had booked a YSB/YYZ/ORD flight on May 2nd for travel on 12th.Upgrade on e-certs was instant.
I also booked a YVR/YYZ/YSB for May16th on May 2nd.E-upgrade did not clear,I was waitlisted.Upgrade confirmation came within 24 hours.
In both cases I used a Latitude flight pass.

I am quite pleased with the system . I am a North American traveller for the most part and IMHO this system is perfect for me.

Thanks Andrew.

I'm 0 out of 4 so far this year for upgrades. 2 roundtrips from YGK-YYZ-LHR waitlisted 4 days out for all of them. Not cleared any at the gate. Understand this is a busy route with lots of SE's but surely SE's aren't chewing through all the e credits already? Its not like we get that many!!!