Assuming PE is treated like an economy fare, so O,Y,B,E,N,H,Q,V,etc. no change.

That's why I like some other airlines' one class upgrade rule:

Y to PE and PE to J and J to F, no Y to J nonsense.

Then AC wouldn't get as many of us playing the upgrade lottery...

Some people enjoy giving the stick to be beaten...

For AC to answer that would require transparency and honesty in their customer communications.

1. You are right. I assumed that the traveler is in complete control. Is there a policy out there that stops h/er ponying up for whatever extra fare for a better seat?

2. We are also in agreement on the eventual fate of Y and O fares. I doubt there is room for significant rise in O because of competition. A lower Flex will create the room needed to accommodate three fare classes in the PE bucket. I don't see that happening.

3. No matter how you cut it, the PE mess has compromised SE benefits. Ironically, by buying O for instant upgrade, they are filling the copay vacuum vacated by mid-tier elites. However, AC could wake up tomorrow and do its ad -hoc thing. Restrict instant upgrading to SE and allow upgrades for other Elites at their window without copay. That could well bring them additional revenue.

Oh yeah... I forgot about those AC employees who enjoy super priority even over revenue paying J passengers.

I'd really like AC to start publishing the upgrade list like UA. There is really no good reason not to - does anyone not like UA's system? It is about as no-brainer a decision as AC could ever make.

I was given a reason. I agree with the point, but I still think I'd like to see it public.

Let's say a flight has three seats in J, and you're at the top of the list. And then you don't get the upgrade. Are you going to feel like AC screwed you somehow? Even if it was a last minute Y purchase that got higher priority, or something like that? Do you want status and fare class public too?

That will be extremely good news for AC employee travel. Less competition!

Just saw another fine-tuning of eUpgrade for PE. 25/35K cannot upgrade on Lowest PE on International flights. But they can request an upgrade on M fare. Two issues here. (1) They cannot seat in PE if they bought M which is pricier than Lowest PE but they can potentially seat in J. (2) For the domestic leg of their PE, lowest PE books into M which is upgradeable but is not because it is one part of an International unupgradeable PE. Am I missing something here or is this yet another confirmation of a poorly thought out program?

M fares are typically available up to day of departure, hence their price. The same way that Y can cost more than Z, even for a lower class of service. So the only "issue" is that there is no way to upgrade into PE, but I would guess that will come at some point.

I'm pretty sure you can upgrade domestic Flex fares that are part of an international ticket.

1. The "issue" is muddled thinking on AC's part.

2. How are you so sure that they can upgrade a domestic portion tied to an International fare? Is that based on experience in this particular PE environment?

3. YYZ-YVR-SYD. Assume 2 is correct (which I doubt). 10 eUps is used for YYZ/YVR and only 7 saved from ineligible longer YVR/SYD. Muddled thinking.

2 - Upgrades are checked by leg. If the domestic leg is in M, a E35/P25 can upgrade it, even if they couldn't upgrade the overseas E/N fare. I've done this with using my wife's account to upgrade domestic Y fares attached to overseas other fares. It works fine.

3 - Not quite. Long domestic flights take 4 credits to upgrade from M, not 10.

Thanks. Clears it up for me (some). However, I believe the ratio of credits, used for to credits saved from, relative to distance is still unfair even at M, E and N fare levels. In any case, there is so much ad hocry in decision making at AC, you are left guessing what comes next. They seem to be plugging holes while opening new ones and doing so repeatedly. As of tomorrow, assuming your wife is still E35/P25, you can't do what you did unless you are on her PNR or at the airport if she is traveling with you.