I think you're correct. From the ac website:

Note, however, for upgrade clearance from the reservation waitlist and the airport standby list, the nominee’s own Top Tier status will apply.

It doesn't discuss what happens with travel companions, maybe that's where the confusion is coming from.

Deleted posted in wrong topic

Rare in that not very many non-status passengers are prowling flyertalk asking about their upgrade chances on latitude fares.

Outside of this board, most of the incentives for purchasing international latitude fares evaporate if you are non-status and have no upgrade credits. I would expect few buy them unless it's the only bucket available (or they place a large premium on refundability).

On a semi-related note, I'm waitlisted tomorrow for FRA-YYZ (R0 J6) with SE status.

Does the fact that I'm checking in with LH a few hours earlier at a remote airport hurt my chances of clearing the waitlist? i.e. will the fact that LH will print my Y boarding card hours before lock me into the Y cabin?

No.


The other day, flying Germany-YYZ and on to YYC. First leg upgraded at time of purchase. Never was R availability on the YYZ-YYC leg. Actually front was fully booked a fw days before the flight.

So I got a Y BP for the second leg when checking in in Germany. Not that early either: I checked in online in the morning. So I was something like sequential 55 or so.

At the gate at YYZ, they called me 30 minutes before departure. With a new BP. Was kind of funny actually. I arrived at the gate just a couple of minutes earlier, approached the agent, mentioning that I knew it looked bad, but I suspected I might be the first on her list. Her answer; yes, a few people have already told me that today, don't hold your breath. Then just a couple of minutes later she calls me. I had to laugh.

Actually the flight was oversold and she moved a captain to the jump seat. I ended up with his seat..

Update
 

My friends upgrade came through Yesterday (Friday) for a Sunday flight. The flight still shows 19 open seats though so the load is probably pretty light. Still doesn't answer the question of what takes precedence - Status or Booking CLass...

Thanks for all your replies.
DM

Status
 

The status of the sponsoring member has NO impact. I know this because when my wife and I were wait listed on the same file YVR-YYZ, where I am Elite and she is Prestige, the gate agent called me up and issued me a biz class boarding pass for the second last seat and then called up another Elite member for the last seat. I was told my wife would have been next but the wait listed Elite member trumped my wife's Prestige even though it was my upgrade request on my e-credites on a joint file, not even as a nominee.

I of course offered my wife my biz class seat but we agreed to refuse it and sit together in the first row of economy (as previously reserved). What i don't know is who got the seat we turned back.

I thought the status of the sponsoring member did have an impact but my experience also says otherwise. I tried to upgrade my friend -- I know, a great friend I am -- and the concierge at FRA mentioned that all the SEs would clear first. There were also 15+ SEs on the wait list, which I thought was crazy.

Off topic, my upgrades between FRA and YYZ this year have been terrible -- 8/15 so far this year

It has no impact at the gate. But prior to day of departure, the sponsoring member's status determines priority on the waitlist.

I am 1.5 of 4 attempts YYZ-YVR / YVR-YYZ (as discussed above); and 1 of 4 attempts YYZ-LHR / LHR-YYZ.

On the flip side my wife tried to upgrade me as a nominee from a Tango + but could not because she is Prestige and I gather not entitled to upgrade from T+ even though I am Elite.

More precisely, Tango plus below M fare.