Can you go through security a day early?
 

So I know this is not normal operating procedures..... But basically:

My girlfriend is leaving YVR --> YYC on monday at 4pm.

I am leaving YVR --> YYZ Tuesday at 11am.

Would I be able to clear security and go into the lounge with her? I would technically have a boarding pass as I do my OLCI T-24.

We are both on J fares, and I am SE100k

Not sure, but you could buy a latitude fare for a flight the same day as her, go through, and then cancel it when you come back out.

What would be the point of this? Just curious. To spend an hour or so together in the lounge? Then leave, go back home etc....and come back the next day?

Ahhh man that is so sweet, yes you can buy a latitude fare and then cancel, but as a SE just ask the concerige for a guess pass so you can do this. i have done this for family, cant do it for teh girlfriend as the conceige knows my wife and family. lol.

You cant use your own boarding pass as the T Q C say same day. Sorry for spelling

One of the reasons that CTSA scans everyone's BO at the line entrance is to catch people with tomorrow BP from entering today.

No you cannot enter the secure area with tomorrows flight.

Lol :D

Instead of buying latitude, buy a tango fare, which you can cancel within 24 hours of purchase, right up to flight time (or at least 2 hours before). So book last flight of the day (on the day of travel), and cancel as soon as you get in the lounge. Tada full refund straight to your CC.

There has to be a simpler way: AC should just allow a guest pass (when requested), so that non-passengers can spend the last few minutes with their loved ones, until they board the aircraft. I imagine there is probably very few people who would take advantage of this (elderly/young passengers, disabled passengers, passengers with language issues, etc...) So, if people honestly ask why they need to accompany their passengers to airside, I am sure Air Canada will oblige and agree.

On the other hand, I can see people misusing this...imagine someone living close to an airport, buying a latitude fare, clearing security, having breakfast or lunch at the MLL, and then cancelling their ticket, and going home. This is very unfair to those who are paying significant 'real' dollars to fly.

Can you refund a ticket after you've checked in?

'Misuse' would be very high I'm afraid - even in this case, I'm sure the OP and traveler don't need to save each other off at the gate. Going through security I always see families waving people off - I'm 100% sure those are the kind of people who would use the guest passes. Security is clogged up enough as it is, and all costs are passed onto travelers via the security fee. I'd rather the fee not increase and lines not get longer.

You sure can. Cancel check in once you are through security.

I wonder how long it is before AC 'flags' this type of behaviour, just from reading posts on here it seems like booking flights to access airside/lounge then cancel is becoming increasingly popular.

I could see the day where they state change fees will apply to cancelled tickets once you are airside. They currently can't do this, I asked CATSA when the boarding pass scanning came into security if airlines would now know if passengers were at the airport or not, to prevent holding flights and paging for absent customers. The answer was that airlines couldn't access the system, and it is only there to track time from entering the queue to having your items scanned. HUGE waste of time if you ask me, and a huge missed opportunity.

No worries. I'm sure some other dude does it for your wife when you are out of town.;)

Sorry for teh spelling.

Do NOT do this because Tango fares are non-refundable as per the AC website.

To answer the original question, I once tried to greet a friend at the gate on arrival and showed my boarding pass which was valid for departure the next day. My boarding pass did not scan and I was denied entry.

On another occasion I have had success booking a LATITUDE (not Tango) fare, going through security, attending a meeting in the MLL, and cancelling my ticket after entering the MLL for a full refund.

That applies after 24 hours. Any standard AC revenue ticket, when booked directly through them (either online or over the phone), is completely refundable within 24 hours.

The only exception I know to this is a flight pass, which is refundable only within 2 hours (unless it's a Latitude flight pass).

This would all be a breeze to do if the OP has a Latitude or Business Class Flight Pass!