Upgrade priority ?
 

Hi,

So my wife is an 50k elite. With an M or latitude fare will she trump a 75k on a basic flex fare. Trying to figure out how this whole thing works. If I understand correctly, we check in right at 23:59 to flight departure, have a highest possible fare class will she be considered for the upgrade over another higher status passenger. Or will status always trump class of fare.

All the people Ive asked have had different viewpoints.

Hopefully there is a hard and fast rule!

There´s definitely no hard and fast rule.:p

I think most people agree that upgrade priority is based on:

1. status
2. fare class

So all members with a higher status would trump her.

What´s even less clear is how connecting flights, check-in time, # of pax on PNR etc. influence the priority list.

There may be a hard and fast rule but AC certainly goes to great efforts to make sure we don't know what it is. Being open and honest with customers is not a corporate philosophy for this organization.

The general consensus is that status trumps fare except (maybe) if you have a connection - in which case the IT monkeys at AC run a special algorithm involving the position of the moon and the number of bowel movements amongst AC senior management. ;)

And to think those US airlines actually post boards at gates so that pax can see where they stand in the upgrade order. What sort of fun is that?

1. Yes.

2. You forgot to mention where we are in the sunspot cycle.

General understanding is that in most cases status first, then fare class. If you're E50K on a Latitude fare, then your best bet is to find a flight where R space is open and upgrade it before the SE window opens at T-7 days. Otherwise you're competing with everyone else.

P25K can upgrade Latitude e.g. 3 months out, but at the gate, they'll be behind E35K, E50K, E75K, S100K on any upgradable fare (including Flex).

Is that a new enhancement? Wasn´t aware of a 3months restriction.

The OP can always buy some Tim Bits for the gate agent as bribe... ooops I mean as a nice gesture ;)

There isn't. I was just using that as an example. The only restriction is that you can't upgrade flights past your e-credit expiry date. So you can't do much with a Latitude fare right now > March 1, 2014.

Zing. But sheis only E50. She will need to do a little better than timbits. Maybe she will need a take ten and a doz muffins.

Excellent! ^

However, in the event of a last minute equipment downgauge and there are not sufficient # of J seats, the P25K will be the first to be bumped, notwithstanding that he/she has bought a Latitude ticket and confirmed the upgrade months in advance. SE on a Flex ticket who managed to upgrade during the window will get the seat first.

Compare shop. Very often, one will find nominal difference in price between AC's Latitude fare and other airlines' "First". One will know for sure to be flying in the "premium cabin" plus the benefit of extra COS. It's better than booking AC Latitude to upgrade to avoid the above type of situation unless one is using a FP.

The crazy thing is, providing additional visibility into the upgrade list priority seems like it should be a trivial, low cost thing. AC are not hesitant to impose sweeping changes that most everyone hates ... but here's something that should not cost them anything on an ongoing basis (yes, obviously there's a one time IT cost), that would please essentially every FF - but they won't throw us a bone.

Really?

There'd be dozens of new complaints.

"AC sorts this way, but they should sort my way if they care about customers."

"It was J3 when I checked in and I didn't get upgraded even though I was 2nd on the list. GA must have upgraded his buddy."

Etc.

If she's latitude, she should request now. I am only E50, but every single waitlisted flight I've had this year (c. 5-6) has cleared just before the T-7 date. I'd take that to mean that, aerolotto not withstanding, fare trumps status.

That's the problem I'd see.

J3, second on the list, and then two paid J passengers miss their flight and end up on yours. But all you see is that you weren't upgraded.