Yeah, I spoke too early. They have modified PE again. Lowest PE books into V not M on domestic leg. The difference between Lowest and Flexible is now $1600 r/t for YYC/YVR/HKG. That said the eUp for domestic is 10 for YYZ/YVR. They make up the rules daily. Stay tuned.

Given that EN require the same number of credits as UHQV, I guess it makes sense that it books into one of those. However, does this mean that if V is not available on the domestic leg, you won't be able to book PE lowest?

Not quite, it seems to book into M if V is not available, and if no M exists either then PE lowest is not bookable.

Here are examples (all YYZ-YVR-HKG with YYZ-YVR on non-PE aircraft)

Mar 6 booked into M. Only Y B M U H available.
Mar 7 booked into M. Only Y B M U available.
Mar 8 booked into M. Only Y B M U available.
Mar 9 booked into V. All fares available.

Hah. So you're better off booking on a day where V is not available if you're not S100K and don't plan on paying the co-pay (or if you're P25K/E35K and can't pay the co-pay).

Well on YYZ-YVR-HKG to get on a flight without V, aka booking into M, it costs $328 more than options where V is available. At least for those 4 examples above.

The better option than M is to just get on the YYZ-YVR flights with E and N space if you aren't sure you'd get an eUp to J, since E and N is the same price as V routings. M is more expensive than both and the only benefit is fewer eUp credits...

I have booked six flights in PE in the last three months. I thought the fare and conditions were settled the first time I booked. However, the fare, fare class and conditions have changed with each subsequent booking. Six bookings, six different PE enviroments. AC had time before the roll out for a coherent and durable fare structure. That has not happened. Is it possible that the shillyshallying we see with fares and conditions is driven by eUpgrade and fare class restrictions imposed on 35K/25K by the Airline?

PE Booking Classes on revenue fares
 

As someone without status I've been trying to figure out what significance (if any) the use of booking classes E and N instead of O has for revenue passengers.

I wonder if there is any significance in the fact that the first five days of AC5 YYZ-HND seem to have no PE sales yet, even the inaugral flight.

In fact, of a possible 1281 PE seats available between YYZ-HND on AC5&6 in July it seems that only 66 are sold to date.

You mean YYZ-HND, right? ;)

I have a PE seat on the 5th; seeing that no J seats have been selected, I'm hoping the waitlisted seat gets upgraded soon!

My guess is that E and N are lower-priced, and for upgrading purposes, require more e-upgrade credits. They also have more restrictions in terms of changes.

If I were not planning on upgrading to J, some of the PE prices are actually quite reasonable for a TPAC. ^

I was looking at YVR-YYZ-LHR & return this morning in May (PE). It would be PE right through with the 77HD YYZ <--> YVR and 788 to YYZ <--> LHR (yes, I know, can change!)

Anyway....

What was interesting to me is that PE lowest was in all my searches $150-$200 r/t lower than the lowest flex.

So, with PE being cheaper than Flex, being allowed to upgrade, getting 125% instead of 100% AQS, and you're in an ok seat with an ok meal if your upgrade doesn't clear (plus better changes on upgrade clearing I assume). I don't see a reason to book flex.

The same reason someone would book YB instead of MUHQV. Flexibility.

Also, you can upgrade Latitude fares at T-7 if you have no status (but you need eUps, so it only applies if you lost status or if you gained eUps through something like the small business program).

And finally, I expected to have 5 eUps expiring this year, and I had two nominee slots. Someone was asking how to upgrade a B fare SFO-YYZ-SFO, so I nominated him at a cost of 4 eUps. Both directions cleared before departure. So a lower eUp requirement means it's more likely to get someone like me to nominate you :p

This is something they need to fix. Right now, the only obvious problem I can see (although I'm sure there are others) is the Flex (M) flight passes. They need something that will book into E if the flight has PE, and M otherwise. And as long as EN are cheaper than M, it should be at the same price as the existing FP.

It would also be nice if the Latitude FP could book into PE if available, but with time-of-booking upgrades to business, it's less important.

AC has only very few aircraft types with PE cabin. If there is any hiccup, it will likely be substituted with an equipment type without a PE cabin. In that case, you will likely be down-graded to economy rather than upgraded to business.

And they'd charge you the difference between PE and Flex :p

From what I can tell, N fares require V when N is not available, E fares require M when E is not available, and O fares require B when O is not available.

:D That aside, I have been following the Fukushima situation and not sure if it's a good time to visit Japan!

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26329323

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26254140

If one Google "Fukushima" - lots of news/articles as if the fish amongst other things is glowing in the dark in that part of the world or even Hawaii.

Thanks for the "reassuring" words:(

We're going there on the 787 in October and will spend a day in Nagasaki and a week each in Hiroshima and Osaka plus two weeks in Yokohama and have absolutely no concerns about Fukushima.

In fact as alluded to in your links, the greatest exposure potential is water borne along the Can-US Pacific Coast. 2014 is not going to be a wise summer to swim off BC, WA and CA beaches!

Fortunately there is no airborne radiation contamination or I would be concerned about overflight exposure.