Upgrade Priority Question
 

Apologies if this has been answered somewhere ...

A colleague of mine is travelling YUL-LHR this sunday - he is non-status, has a latitude fare and another colleague has offered to upgrade him (he's SE with over 100 eups).

The flight is R0 but there are still 19 unassigned seats (I realize this does not mean they are all available). My question is, will he be assigned an upgrade based on the status of the SE colleague who has requested the upgrade for him or based on his lowly non-status?

Thanks in advance.
D

Latitude fare trumps a SE status, upgrade at any time is my understanding

I believe Latitude goes to front of the line

Definitely not my understanding. Status trumps fare class. At least it has historically. I'm purely talking about the waitlist at the gate.

Only if R>0. Then you can grab an upgrade instantly on a Latitude fare. Once you are waitlisted, it is status then fare class.

I think it's kind of in between. If R>0, on a Latitude before the upgrade window opens, it's immediate regardless of status. If waitlisted it's status of the upgrader then fare class. At the gate it's based upon status of the person who is flying.

Actually, since R - 0 there is only the wait list which now, per AC website, is according to status of person flying, as has been the case at the gate. The status of the upgrade sponsor figures in this case for the upgrade window, ie when the request can be made.

I should note that the upgrade sponsor would have to add the non status passenger to their nominee list for the rest of the year and then request the upgrade.

This nominee will be very low on a potential gate list without status, if I understand correctly.

As I have posted before, the confusion reigns and I am at a loss for the lack of transparency when the competition even posts waitlists at the gate and online...

So If I understand correctly an SE on a $450 tango fare could trump a non status on a full latitude fare - correct?

Not quite, as Tango fares are non-upgradable.;) But yes, it´s my understanding too that a SE on a Tango Plus fare trumps an E on a Latitude fare.

My understanding from a reliable source is that it is the status of the NOMINATING passenger that matters UNTIL online check-in opens, at which time it's the status of the FLYING passenger that counts. In other words, from T-7 onwards, all the way to T-24 hours, it's the SE's status that counts. May be wrong, but again, comes from a reliable source.

Actually, Stranger has it right in the post above yours. Up until the date of travel, the waitlist is ordered by the status of the upgrade sponsor. Upgrades often clear a couple of days before the flight even if R=0. On the date of travel it's the status of the person flying.

That is exactly what I believed. I also got reliable info from people who ought to know that was contradictory. And I am frustrated that this debate keeps coming up.

Reading the web page on eUpgrades for nominees just now clearly states the status of the traveler is determinative both for the wait list and at the airport.

I think it's fair to say that the true answer is an enigma.

Everyone has anecdotes that seem to contradict any theory.

OP: How about letting us know on Monday if the upgrade cleared, and, if so, when. Non- status passenger on an international Latitude is pretty rare. (Flight passes aside.)

Not so sure it's an enigma. I seem to recall a clarification from AY in this regard some time ago, confirming the status of nominator until checkin then status of passenger.

I will do, however whatever happens will not answer the main question of what takes precedence.
D

Interesting statement. Why exactly?