eUpgrading a flight
 

Hello guys,

I'm a new Elite status flyer. I have a question concering eUpgrades. I just booked a round trip flight to Lima,Peru on the AC website. I selected the option : Display fares eligible for an upgrade. I then selected a Latitude fare, and a message was display, saying there was still seats available for upgrade(no wait list). I reserved the seats, same thing for the return flights.

Does this mean my flight is already upgraded? If negative, what exactly does it mean that there is seats available to upgrade if I can't upgrade during the reservation?

Thx!

You have to request the upgrade after competing the reservation. go to your eUpgrade account and enter the booking reference+name.

Hopefully in the meantime, there is still upgrade inventory available....

and here's the link to it:

http://www.aircanada.com/en/aeroplan...des/eupgrades/

Go the ac website:
-- 'Information and Services' menu item
-- Select 'eUpgrades'
--In the eUpgrade tool enter your last name and record locator
-- You can select the flights you want to upgrade and confirm now if space avail

Let's hope that you have enough eUpgrade credits (6 each way as an E and on a Lat fare - shouldn't be a problem) and that there is still R space available (if none available on your dates and you have some flexibility, you can always change with the Lat fare).

Ok, so I'm going to keep asking the stupid questions as I'm new to this whole Elite nonsense too... All those people who are getting upgrades at the gate, are they people who requested upgrades through the website too? Do you always need to pre-register or whatever-you-call-it online to get an upgrade? Do all upgrades cost credits?

Sorry to be a pain, it's all so bloody confusing. I want to learn the ropes!

Im on the eupgarde account with plenty of credits but it says I need to wait 4 days before departure to upgrade. BTW just after my reservation I did the same and it was the same message.

On a Latitude fare you can request an upgrade anytime and will get it if R space is available. Other Top Tier status and fare classes have different leadtimes and number of credits required. If R space is not available you'll be place on a waitlist and eitehr comfirmed as R space is released as the flight departure approaches or get the upgrade at the gate (the folks you likely see) - or not. These upgrades cost eUpgrade credit, yes.

You must always request the upgrade online (or call center), of course there are Last Minute Upgrades (LMUs) available for purchase when you check in, for those that wish to avail themselves, and also the occassional OpUp (true, free upgrade).

Read on and good luck!

W.

Odd, indeed.

I have to ask, are you sure it is on a Latitude fare and not a Tango+? The difference in fares is quite noticeable. Not knowing your origin, I'll assume YYZ-LIM, sample dates: T+ $1,300, Lat $3,000+.

Thanks for the great comments. I still don't understand why it showed me that seats where available to upgrade at the moment if I still have to wait 4 days before departure.

Sucks. Hope I get the upgrade.

Status level and fare groups determine how early you can request an upgrade. Always depends on R space (the inventory bucket that represents upgrade space, which is actively managed).

Look up R Games on this board. Lots of comments...:) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...6-r-games.html

Btw, welcome to the club! ;)

I just booked yesterday a return Latitude fare(Flight Pass) YYZ > LHR and upgraded both of my legs instantly. If you definately have a Latitude fare I'd call Air Canada Reservations and check with them why it's not working.

It means seats were available for immediate upgrade but you did not request the upgrade after you completed your booking - so by the time you did request the upgrade the R space went to zero. :(

Normally people will try to upgrade either at the time of booking (if they bought a ridiculously expensive Latitude fare) or when their booking window opens - depends on status 7/4/2 days prior to departure). You can also request an upgrade when you check in on-line or at a check-in kiosk (and presumably in person). Any of these will "cost" you eUpgrades.

If there is R space available, you get the upgrade right away - otherwise they give it to you just prior to boarding (sometimes after boarding has started) - or not if the J section checks in full or others are higher up on the waitlist. This is called Aerolotto

Occasionally people will be given a "free" upgrade - often called Op Ups (Operational Upgrades). These happen when there are seats available in J but the back has been oversold. They will generally upgrade people on the eUpgrade list first (and take their eUpgrades) before offering a free Op Up - which is supposed to be done by status. Occasionally harried gate staff hand them out randomnly just to get the flight out, but that is not supposed to happen.

Regardless - on a latitutde fare does not matter if you make the request at booking, or later on --- you can still upgade anytime if space is available, and should be waitlisted right away if no space is there, putting you ahead of the queue.

If you indeed booked a latitude fare, you should either have an immediate upgrade, or waitlist.

That would not result in a message telling him he has to be within the four days window.

Looks like he booked a Tango plus, not a Latitude.

Will he get the upgrade?
 

My husband has booked himself and his mother on AC575 on November 8 (YUL-LAS). She has a confirmed upgrade (he smartly attempted hers first) but he is wait listed.

Can someone with EF or KVS and a warm heart take a look and see if he has any hope of getting the upgrade? (Elite status only) ... No more J seats for sale at aircanada.com, so my gut is saying no!

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

You can!

Use the free "flight availability" tool on flightstats.com. R will indicate the number of seats available for upgrade, and J will indicate the total number of business class seats available.

Hope this helps you now and in the future.

Thanks for the suggestion! Oddly, it shows R1 and J1 right now -- maybe it doesn't have instant updates, and my mother in law actually grabbed that last seat?

In case you didn't do this yourself yet, there is very little chance at this point for a waitlisted person since J=0 on AC575. J=5 and R=2 for AC595 12 hours however.

Crud, that's what I was afraid of. They can't switch to the later flight, so now I just need to find all the people who are booked into J and convince them of the merits of traveling to anywhere else instead. :p

Just to pick a nit, 'instant' in your case means once you had your booking confirmed, you were able to go back online and request the upgrade; as R was available, you were able to confirm the upgrade and choose a seat in J cabin. The word 'instant' that seems to confuse folks is that it implies no further action upon booking Latitude. Which is not the case. Going from 'available for upgrade' to 'upgraded' requires the self directed action.

I'm with you! ... exact same boat (or plane ... whatever). I'm also having an interesting conversation over at the 'New eUpgrades are in!' thread.

Thanks to the various posters here; as someone new last year to the AC/Aeroplan program, but doing a lot of flying on AC and *A now, I've been wondering about all the permutations and combinations of upgrades on AC. Byzantine to newbies!

As my company invariably flys me in Biz, I gather its all a bit academic for me, but nice to know if I lash out and do a side trip on a lesser fare.

Can you request an eUpgrade if you book a flight using miles?