In one of my telephone conversations with an AC executive who was assigned to seek out my opinion on the new upgrade changes, I was told that the major reason for the upgrade request being made at T - exactly time of departure at the window was to ensure that connecting flyers do not have an advantage over others. In the previous incarnation when you could request an upgrade at midnight of departure window, a YYZ pax would trump a YVR pax for AC33 upgrade. He said that the new system evened the playing field for both paxs. He repeated the "policy" in a letter to me concerning difficulties with timing I encountered booking a return flight from PPT through SYD and YVR. I still have the letter but I don't think I should upload it in this forum without his permission.

So what constitutes a connecting passenger?

Sally is flying from A to C via B. Segment A to B is on a CRJ. Sally places an upgrade for segment B to C. Segment B to C is waitlisted. Is Sally a connecting passenger?

Joe is flying from A to C via B. Segment A to B is on a 320. Joe places an upgrade for segment B to C, but not segment A to B. Segment B to C is waitlisted. Is Joe a connecting passenger?

Bob is flying A to C via B. Segment A to B is on a 320. Joe places an upgrade for segment A to B and segment B to C. Segment A to B clears, but segment B to C is waitlisted. Is Bob a connecting passenger?

I would imagine your first and second scenarios are treated the same. As for the third, it depends on AC's policy, which we don't know

I do not believe that the system is structured to recognise anybody as a connecting pax except for calculating the number of eUps required. Note that you cannot make the upgrade request for two segments simultaneously unless you are doing so at the window for the last flight. You cannot upgrade A to B and B to C at the start of the window for A to B. If you try to do so you will get a message that B to C cannot be upgraded until X days before the flight. You will not even be waitlisted.

Well for AC33, the YYZ pax can request upgrade four or five hours sooner than YVR pax because it's the same flight number, no one can dispute that.

Also, I don't think anyone can dispute that time of upgrade no longer matters on day of travel, I think AC may even have officially admitted that on day of travel the Waitlist is transferred to the airport system, and that time of upgrade no longer matters. At that point, other factors come into play in more or less of the following order 1) Status; 2) Fare class; 3) Time of check-in. The only missing variable is connection, and no one knows for sure where that falls on the list. I think it is either right before, or right after status - so very very important in my opinion. I'd bet money that it definitely trumps fare class.

In your example Bob is the only connecting passenger. Sally is not a "connecting passenger", nor is Joe. The rationale for the "connecting passenger" rule is so someone gets upgraded for the entire trip. This was explained to me by gate agent at YYZ.

I am sorry you are wrong. The YYZ pax to SYD can request YYZ - YVR five hours earlier but cannot request YVR - SYD at the same time. That request is based on departure time at YVR. Actually even though it is the same plane, AC treats YYZ-YVR as domestic (NA) and YVR - SYD as international. If you are in Y cabin on that plane, you buy your food YYZ-YVR. You actually have to deplane in YVR and reboard later. You get "free" food YVR-SYD.

How do I know? I travel that route. The last time was December 2012. In paid J.

I'm also sorry but you are completely wrong. If you are booked on AC 33 YYZ-SYD, it is considered as one through flight, and the upgrade request is YYZ-SYD. You get ONE BP and YVR is in fact never mentioned despite the stop. On my most recent experience, I was waitlisted at T-7 to SYD from YYZ while R space was available YYZ-YVR. My upgrade cleared at the gate in YYZ, but all the good seats were occupied by YVR passengers.

It remains my impression, however, that YYZ originating passengers will trump YVR originating passengers if they miss out on YYZ-YVR but space is available YVR-SYD.

That's very close to my understanding, but I thought that if there was upgrade space YYZ-YVR, but not YVR-SYD, that a YYZ passenger could upgrade YYZ-YVR, and be waitlisted for YVR-SYD? Is that done manually somehow, or am I mistaken?

They could not have cleared the YVR - SYD portion at the start of the YYZ-YVR window unless your request coincided with departure time for YVR-SYD. If the former happened, I will go back to AC and ask for further clarification because it violets their even playing field policy. However, if the window opened at YVR at Toronto departure time, then the playing field is evened assuming paxs from downstream...YWG, YYC, YEG.....have access to upgrade request at Toronto departure time for AC 33.

No, no, what you're missing, is that YYZ-SYD is special because it's all one flight number. It's a freak occurence. What you're saying is right for almost any other route but this one, and maybe that flight from Ottawa to Regina that stops in Montreal and vice-versa, where it's all the same flight number.

Similar to a bunch of other direct (but not non-stop) flights. YYZ-YUL-BRU, YYZ-YUL-GVA are two familiar ones that immediately come to mind.

edited to add: PS congrats on your 1000th post.... hope for many more hottie stories in your next 1000

It did not clear because it was R0 YYZ-SYD, not for any other reason. It was also R0 YVR-SYD when that window opened several hours later.

AC 33/34 are anomalies because of the schizophrenic way AC handles them (along with YYZ-SCL-EZE). It's both a direct flight (if booked that way) and two individual segments for other traffic.

And of course the other anomaly is AC 34, when the window does not open at T-7 due AC's inability to deal with the time difference issues. But OLCI does open at T-24. Go figure.

AC 33 and 34 have been a pain over the years so I have had a few discussions on them with agents and AC executives. I am waiting for someone to confirm that he/she received an upgrade direct to SYD at the opening of the window for Toronto departure. Following that, I will approach AC for further clarification. Maybe one of the moderators on duty can clear it up.

I can guarantee that you can upgrade YYZ-SYD. I've done it myself (2 years ago), and have read of a lot about people who have done that on here recently.