Eupgrading SE and E priority on waitlist
 

Would lke a bit more data points on this.

My experience has been nil other than where I as SE snag a seat for my wife as an E or P when R space opens up and I am on the waitlist. (then I have priority when more R opens up or at the gate if I have to wait)

Both of us were waitlisted YYC-PHX as R=0. I eupgraded to the waitlist my wife first but my eupgrade cleared first so now it is still R=0 and she is still on the waitlist (now she has lower priority if it comes to a gate fight:D). I thought eupgrading was done in order of time that request was made but obviously not.

Yeah me too, I called in yesterday and got onto a waitlist. The agent on the phone said that they reshuffle the list based on SE and E priority so I would be one of the first???? I was confused...??

not concerned about upgrade priority at gate but at further out than T-24.

Interesting that they may reshuffle SEs and Es--think that's good although it didn't work here (yet).

That makes sense to me. If R=0, and they start clearing upgrades, I'd like it to be 1) by status 2) by order of request

If they're prioritizing by status, it makes me wonder if they do it by fare class as well (like at the gate).

Same thing. If R0 when you get on to the wait list, then when R opens up (even silently when some people on the wait list are cleared with R remaining 0), they would do it by status, followed by booking class.

I have seen cases (in the pre-eupgrade world) where an Elite on a Latitude fair trumped me as an SE on a T+ fare (his cleared 2 days out, mine at the gate)

So maybe things have changed, or fluke or there is more to it..

Of course, any SE would want it to be done solely by status.
And when I get SE later this year, I will too ;)

IMO it should be done by status only after check-in/at the gate.
Prior to that, it should be done by order of request.
This is fair because each level gets their exclusive chance to be closer to the top based on their windows. T-7, T-4, T-2.

I can defintiely vouch for status as the primary factor at the gate.
I was on a UA ticket LAS-YYZ connecting through DEN. DEN-YYZ was on AC metal. Had to wait until I got to Denver to request my upgrade as AC does not allow me to request eupgrade on codeshares prior to check-in.
I approached the GA with little expectation and asked if J was full, she said there were 5 seats but the waitlist was long, so I said, no point in asking then, to which she replied, no, you are an Elite so you should be higher priority. So I requested, and she said I was second on the list and unless 4 SEs show up and request last minute, I would get it.
I was an Elite and requested 1hr before flight and I moved ahead of all of the (what I assume to be) Prestige and non-status nominees.

I think this is the best way to handle this (I am SE and my wife E as well)

IF R available at T-7days, upgrade E on SE nomination
THEN, use E nomination for SE at T-4 with SE having good priority right up to gate time.

HOWEVER, if R space is tight, and there is a risk of only one upgrade coming available, it is better to use SE eupgrade for SE and waitlist E on their own account.

Permutation on this: If you have tons of eupgrade credits, you could use SE eupgrade account for both SE and E at T-7 and later on use the E upgrade account on flights that are wide open for both the SE and E.

I go through this agony every time we fly together TPAC.

But - if you are both on the same reservation you cannot use one flyer's account to upgrade the outbound and another for the return, as per http://www.aircanada.com/en/aeroplan...des/howto.html
"Currently, only one member may sponsor an upgrade per reservation. For instance, if a Super Elite and Prestige member are travelling together on the same booking, it is not possible for the Super Elite member to sponsor an upgrade for the departing flight(s), and for the Prestige member to sponsor an upgrade for the return flight(s)."

True enough. I am rarely if ever on the same reservation as my wife. It seems just a whole lot less trouble to travel on separate reservations. Case in point...

So let me check with you : Mrs TV is on her own reservation and she successfully upgraded the outbound on her account (E). Can I use my (SE) eupgrade credits to sponsor her return (no availability at T-7 or T-4)?
When I tried to do this the website said I could not, but she had not yet flown the outbound. Does it change after that to allow it?

Yes, it can be done, sort of. What needs to happen is that she needs a new PNR for the return. This can be done by calling AC. Problem is you cannot split the booking into 2 PNRs until the outboound has been flown, so depending on how long her trip is, you may not be able to request the upgrade at the 7 day window.

This just happened to a friend. He is E and was planning to upgrade his outbound, but got an SE to upgrade his return before his E window opened up. He was no longer able to upgrade his outbound.

So had to call AC and cancel the return upgrade. He was then able to upgrade his outbound, and once that flight is completed, he will call AC for a new PNR so the SE can upgrade his return.

The questions "how do AC upgrade priorities work?" and "is there an afterlife?" have incredible similarities:

1. There is no shortage of people who claim to know exactly how it works.
2. Nobody, in fact, really knows.
3. There is no way you *can* know (hell, AC doesn't even know how it works).
4. You can choose to live life in fear and frustration because of not knowing, or you can just resign yourself: it's unknowable and you should really worry about things you can control so that you can be happy.

I was told that if a new PNR was issued it would be priced at current level and the old one cancelled. So could cost considerably more.

Allvest's approach seems correct and is the way I have been approaching this.

When R=0 from T-7days and space is tight, it becomes more of an issue.

Separate PNRs seem to work best but where R=0 at T-7days having both on the SE's PNR might get the upgrade for the other party (due either to SE status connection or PNR being processed as SE and in time order so E gets the upgrade first) although I have ZERO data to back this up.

I think I have another data point. When flying back from YYZ-YYC a couple of weeks ago, the agent had to do the upgrade process and since R=0 at T-7, I asked for my wife to be put on the waitlist first. I presumed that because I cleared the upgrade waitlist first that he didn't do that but now with this experience, I think he did put her on first (and he was under the impression that she would clear first if R opened up) but that my SE trumped her E.

Oh well--no big deal on these domestic/North America flights although it is nice to have the extra space--but on the intercontinental flights, I am very watchful of what goes on.

What if an SE hasn't even bought a ticket at T-7? Say on T-4 the waitlist has an E with booking class S. on T-3 an SE bought a ticket with booking class H and got on the waitlist as well. On T-2 AC decides to release one seat to R space. Why should AC pick E over SE?

Never heard such a thing and I have been splitting pnrs quite a few times in the recent past. Although never split a single passenger pnr for outbound and return.

Well, you go ahead and not worry about it. I prefer to sit in comfort on my 16 hour flights.

Hkg-yyz feb 28 showed 28 open seats on the seatmap. Still wait listed upgrade at t-7!!!

They wouldn't. SE trumps E even last minute.

Having read this thread, I know most of these rules are well flushed out yet, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience upgrading an SE and companion on the same booking. We've been waitlisted from ZZY to GRU next week, and as SE i think my chances are good to get upped, but any thoughts on my companion's priority (she has no status with AC)?

NEW WRINKLE

Just talking to concierge at YYC about this PM's flight to PHX.

Her contention (I didn't argue) was that if the upgrade doesn't clear by flight day and we go to airport control:

"since my wife is a guest on my SE eupgrade credits, even though she is Elite, she comes out below Elites using their own eupgrades."

I didn't bother changing anything to my wife's credits at this late stage but if this is true, it is truly bizarre. Even she admitted it was a bit strange.:td:

Either way, she will fly up front!:D

This is possible. A couple times I've missed upgrades I was using my wife's credits (she is E) to sponsor me (SE). It's possible the other SE that got it was either on a Latitude fare or did OLCI before me.

I guess I'll just use her credits for her, or if R space is open.

The concierge's take on this is interesting as it is contrary to the published statements on the eUpgrade site:

The eligibility criteria that apply to your Top Tier status will be the same for your eUpgrade nominee. For instance, if you are a Super Elite member, your eUpgrade Nominee can be upgraded from the same eligible fares and within the same applicable booking window as permitted by your Super Elite status. Note, however, for upgrade clearance from the reservation waitlist and the airport standby list, the nominee’s own Top Tier status will apply.

This happened to us on a yyz hkg flight. I was clearly took by the concierge that at the gate upgrade lists are sorted as follows

SE Own (presumably by fare paid)
SE nominated (presumably in order by SE, E, P, non status)
E Own
E nominated, as per order above
And so on

Therefore my wife is better off using her own upgrade for herself unless here is availability at t-7

And either way if one seat clears I fly upfront. Being that I am twice her size.

No, I think AY mentioned here that at the airport, the person's status comes first, followed by the sponsor's status.

Yes but a persons status is sorted by whether they use their own or another eupgrade account. Higher priority among E who use their own status.

Agreed on that.

But in your previous post,
The order should be:

SE Own
SE nominated SEs (not SE nominated Es nor Ps)
E nominated SEs
E Own
SE nominated Es
E nominated Es
...

Should be the case, but not always - I was trumped by an E on a HKG-YVR flight in January.

Also possible to R to come available at T<24 and anyone who has E-Upgrades available can walk right up and take a J seat. Seen that happen too!

:mad::mad: STUPID AC IT!!!

Unless you misreads me that is exactly the same
Thing.

well we got the upgrade anyway-don't know if it was the M class fare, my SE status, work of concierge or just things working the way I and Allvest think the order should work. There were many others who did not make the cut for the last two seats.

All in all a pleasant flight (and we sat together!)^