The R Games

Old Jan 26, 2019, 9:47 am
  #1861  
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Moncton, NB, Canada
Programs: AC MM+
Posts: 197
On two occasions last year, EF showed me P availability, called it in and the agent would say 'no, I don't see anything in the P fare bucket'. HUCA. Either the agents were lying and looking for R or there's a bigger issue. Always mention NRD is required for the upgrade: the phone agents can't do it.
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Old Jan 26, 2019, 12:19 pm
  #1862  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
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Posts: 6,170
Maybe we need someone nice to dig up the appropriate ACpedia reference so we can gently suggest that to agents rather than simply HUCA.
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Old Jan 27, 2019, 8:59 am
  #1863  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: YYZ / LHR
Programs: AC SE100k
Posts: 260
Originally Posted by mamau
On two occasions last year, EF showed me P availability, called it in and the agent would say 'no, I don't see anything in the P fare bucket'. HUCA. Either the agents were lying and looking for R or there's a bigger issue. Always mention NRD is required for the upgrade: the phone agents can't do it.
Yeah, this happened to me last year too. ExpertFlyer was showing P9, and website wouldnt process the eUpgrade. Called in, had to HUCA a few times to find someone that knew that one could upgrade B from P inventory, but then hit the snag that they saw P0 on their side (and obviously tried with a couple of agents). I ended up accepting it as an EF issue as it did genuinely seem weird that the flight in question was showing P9 given low availability in other fare buckets.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 12:29 pm
  #1864  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 336
Originally Posted by Bohemian1
Maybe we need someone nice to dig up the appropriate ACpedia reference so we can gently suggest that to agents rather than simply HUCA.
Im curious, do people literally HUCA, or do they try to end the call somewhat gracefully?
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 12:31 pm
  #1865  
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Originally Posted by eracerblue


Im curious, do people literally HUCA, or do they try to end the call somewhat gracefully?
Most definitely the latter, especially since agents can notate your booking (or even worse: your AE/Altitude account) which you'll most definitely want to avoid.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 12:34 pm
  #1866  
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Originally Posted by eracerblue


Im curious, do people literally HUCA, or do they try to end the call somewhat gracefully?
Maybe we should re-coin the acronym to HUGCA (not to be confused with "HUG Call (Centre) Agent" )
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 12:54 pm
  #1867  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
Originally Posted by eracerblue
Im curious, do people literally HUCA, or do they try to end the call somewhat gracefully?
The following takes me 3 seconds.

Thank you very much for your time, have a nice day. Goodbye. <Hang up>.

Wait 5 minutes in the hope agent goes on to torment someone else and ring back.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 1:12 pm
  #1868  
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Originally Posted by jc94


The following takes me 3 seconds.

Thank you very much for your time, have a nice day. Goodbye. <Hang up>.

Wait 5 minutes in the hope agent goes on to torment someone else and ring back.
Fully agree. ^

Some other pieces of advice:

1) pay attention to the agent's name so that you don't accidentally start talking to the same agent
2) block your number / call from Skype / etc.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 5:18 pm
  #1869  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 336
Originally Posted by Jasper2009
1) pay attention to the agent's name so that you don't accidentally start talking to the same agent
Maybe maintain a list of agents to HUGCA without wasting much of anyones time.

2) block your number / call from Skype / etc.
Fair, but I feel like by this point youve called the priority line, painfully heard your Aerotude number read back, digit-by-painful-digit, and possibly given them a file locator, so...

Now that that the AC:AP deal is going through, perhaps it would be a good time for me to lodge a complaint about the time I was belittled and constantly interrupted by an AP manager, before I hung up. If they idd me, Im confident those notes are less than ideal. I dont recall if I keyed in my number. I dont want anything out of it, other than continuance of my positive AC file.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 6:24 pm
  #1870  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Programs: AC SE MM, Marriott Titanium
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Originally Posted by Jasper2009
Unless something has changed during the last few years, nothing has changed and you can upgrade B/Y/O class based on P availability on int'l flights and Z availability within NA.
So what you're saying is that if I am on an 'O'-fare and it is showing P8 R0, I can still have my eUp clear? I have been told countless times that eUps pull from R-space, but if there is something definitive I can tell the agent to use the P-space, this would avoid a lot of headache.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 6:31 pm
  #1871  
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Originally Posted by YVRtoYYZ
So what you're saying is that if I am on an 'O'-fare and it is showing P8 R0, I can still have my eUp clear? I have been told countless times that eUps pull from R-space, but if there is something definitive I can tell the agent to use the P-space, this would avoid a lot of headache.
Correct.

This information is even published on the AC website:
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...s/request.html

-> Between the time of reservation and up to 24 hours prior to departure

For eligible customers travelling on International flights with a Latitude (booking classes Y and B) or Premium Economy Flexible (booking class O) fare, upgrades are based on the availability of P booking class at time of request. For eligible customers travelling on North American and Caribbean flights with a Latitude (booking class Y, B) or Premium Economy Flexible fare (booking class O) fare, upgrades are based on the availability of Z booking class at time of request.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 7:17 pm
  #1872  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Programs: AC SE MM, Marriott Titanium
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Originally Posted by Jasper2009
Correct.

This information is even published on the AC website:
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...s/request.html

-> Between the time of reservation and up to 24 hours prior to departure

For eligible customers travelling on International flights with a Latitude (booking classes Y and B) or Premium Economy Flexible (booking class O) fare, upgrades are based on the availability of P booking class at time of request. For eligible customers travelling on North American and Caribbean flights with a Latitude (booking class Y, B) or Premium Economy Flexible fare (booking class O) fare, upgrades are based on the availability of Z booking class at time of request.
Fantastic. I *really* appreciate this!
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 11:38 pm
  #1873  
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: YYZ
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Posts: 54
I was given the same runaround about R space not being available for an upgrade from O on AC15. It took a few attempts but I finally got a helpful agent who made it work. Flight was P3R0 when my eup finally cleared.

The most valuable advice I got though was to ask the agents to look up Acpedia 052623 when faced with this issue in the future. Actually thinking back maybe it was 062523? Sorry I was driving and might have mixed up the second and third digit in my excitement at getting the upgrade
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 6:53 am
  #1874  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Thinking about this more...if 'O' eUps into 'P' and 'P' is eligible for the Signature Suite then can access be granted? I'm thinking not because it wasn't originally booked into 'P', but wondering if anyone has tried .

*Air Canada Signature Class customers travelling on an Air Canada-operated flight (to Europe, Asia and South America) originally booked and ticketed in the following booking classes will be eligible for access to the Air Canada Signature Suite: J, C, D, Z, P. All bookings in R (including, but not limited to, eUpgrades, Last-Minute Upgrades, AC Bid Upgrades) and I (including, but not limited to, Aeroplan Fixed Mileage Flight Rewards for travel on Air Canada flights or Star Alliance member airlines, Star Alliance Upgrade Awards), as well as bookings made during irregular operations where the customer was not originally booked and confirmed in one of the eligible booking classes, will be excluded. Eligible customers may not invite guests. Access to the Air Canada Signature Suite is not available to customers travelling on promotional tickets or employees.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 7:10 am
  #1875  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AC MM E50 , Former SPG, now Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 6,246
No, not eligible.
And you are not upgrading into P, you are upgrading from P, into R.
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