As I mentioned above, if your question is better directed to a concierge at the airport rather than to the SE desk, you may be told to call back and push 1. This works as a screening mechanism to free up some of the concierges' time, but does not block access until day of departure.

Sometimes YYZ concierge was able to do when other concierge could not or would not do.
I was in SIN and wanted to upgrade a LHR-YYZ segment. I called LHR concierge. She said she can't do it and asked me to call AC reservation. Called AC reservation and she said that she can't do it and asked me to go to the airport. Finally called YYZ concierge and got it done in less than a minute.

Not my experience, but had you said YVR or HKG concierges I would have agreed. Glad that YYZ was able to help you out so quickly.

I just tried to do a SDC with the YYZ concierge for a SFO-YYZ flight and was told they couldn't do it for other stations, and I'd have to go to the airport.

I didn't realize there was such a limitation, so I thought I'd post it here so others can know.

Afaik a SDC can only be processed by agents at the airport you're departing from using the "airport system", so that would seem correct.

If you have SE status, you can call the concierge at the airport to process it, you don't need to be physically present. However, since SFO doesn't have concierges, that option obviously isn't available.

I wonder if I had an experience with concierge and didn't even know it! I'm 50k now but last year had no status, I had been upgraded using a friend's (50k) eUPs, YVR-YYZ red eye (the later one) and YYZ-BOG just Y class. Now maybe this was him Jedi-mind tricking me to free up a seat for someone else, I don't know but...

I'm at my apartment (in the suburbs, probably a 30 min drive from YVR) and I get a call from a random number "yes hello sir this is ______ (name forgotten) with Air Canada, just wondering if you'd like to take an earlier flight to Toronto tonight?" "Umm, why is there a problem with mine?" "No, not at all, just that if there WERE to be a problem you'd miss your connection to Bogota and we only fly 3 times a week and wouldn't be able to rebook you for the next 2 days" (what's the accuracy of this btw, it's never really happened to me, but if they have a mechanical issue and no "rescue" flight, would they not put me on UA YYZ-EWR-BOG type thing?). So I just said "hey as long as it doesn't cost me anything and I get to keep a business class seat, sure!" he assured me there'd be no cost and I'd actually get the same seat also that he'd check me in because I told him I'd have to scramble to be there on time for a flight that was leaving 55 minutes earlier than I'd planned.

It was a minor thing, but I was like "man this is nice" because I can only assume if he did see there was a delay on that flight they would've done the same thing for me and just said "we've already rebooked you due to this delay".

On the topic of what CAN'T the concierge do...I wonder :)

The AC website says they can help with hotels/restaurants/theatre tickets...sounds like the hotel concierges I'm not classy enough to use too...that said, Air Canada is a major sponsor of I think all the Canadian NHL teams, and a minor sponsor of some in the US, especially for Toronto since it's the ACC, I wonder...if you're a high roller could they help with Leafs/Raptors tickets if the game were sold out, I assume they have a box...I mean if you're a high roller you could just as easily buy from a scalper, but you can't be seen associating with people on the streets like that.

Seems to me this was related to booking in J rather than random concierge appearance. Also, I've been told by an AC agent that AC has a policy of allowing free changes to earlier flights when connections are tight. Makes sense. You are actually saving AC from a potential headache by agreeing... They had the seat on the earlier flight, so why not be proactive about it.

Not my experience. Phoned YYC concierge just after midnight LHR time to change a recent LHR-YVR-YYC flight to the direct LHR-YYC flight (and eupgrade with available R space) - she had no problem as the system recognized it as a same day change. LHR concierges of course would not be around after midnight so no point...

Wow - that's awesome!^

After trying to do similar changes half a dozen times and always getting the same answer, I gave up and assumed the info I received from the various concierges was correct. Maybe I should have been more persistent.:p

mountaingrl, that's interesting.

As it turns out, it my flight was still J6 in the morning, so I went to SFO and made the change here. As expected, they wouldn't budge on the $75, even though I had a copy of my booking that said SDC was free. Not wanting to sgue for an hour, I paid the fee and asked for a receipt. I'll deal with this after my trip.

I must have lucked out with CDG concierge who pulled off an SDC that was also a route change. Was on two separate tickets - SFO/YYZ return and YYZ/YUL/CDG return. When I checked in at CDG I asked if I could be put on AC781 YUL/SFO instead and - voila, it was done.

+1 on HKG concierges namely Kylie. Boy can she work miracles

will the concierge request an upgrade for me?
 

Hi all,

On one of my next flights, I will be over the Pacific at the time I have to request an upgrade for the return flight. Do you think that the concierge (at YVR in this case) will accept to request the upgrade for me? I can ask them in person as my outbound flight is at T-7.2 days!

Thanks!

R&F

Depends on who you hit, some will, some won't. You'll obviously have better luck if they know you form past (good) encounters.

Better option is to find another FFer who knows how to do it and ask them. Many of the long-term members around here have both asked for and given such help before.