If that happens, the person who got your seat will surely be very happy to give it back in exchange for your J seat.

 

Yes but we are both the same status except that I travel more than him plus have been SE longer, both the same fare class because I booked them myself and I processed my eupgrade before his and checked in before him (I do all his travel arrangements, that's how I know the timing). There was one seat and he got it. Explanation?

It worked out in the end as he didn't understand why he got it and I didn't so we rock, papered and scissored and I won!

 

Either there's a bug in the system, or he checked in* before you.

Who "travels more" or has been SE longer does not make any difference.

*He doesn't have to fully check in. He just needs to enter his name/city/Aeroplan and click "next". That gets him a sequence number.

 

The PNR cross link will have no affect on your wife's chances for op-up.

I had the same situation when travelling with my family on UA. Under the UA system I am automatically upgraded at the 48 hour window, the process also splits the family PNR into three. I can also phone in a second upgrade.

To overcome certain system limitation and unintended consequences, I have a very well defined order for doing seat assignments. I take the window, wife takes the aisle, and daughter takes the middle. This way if I get upgraded alone, there are still two seats together for the family determine actual seating order. If both myself and daughter get upgraded, then wife still gets her preferred aisle seat.

In the OP situation, I would immediately change the seat assignments to reflect the nonstatus wife in the aisle seat and Gold husband in the middle seat. This way if Husband gets an op-up, the economy aisle seat remains within the family. On taking seats the actual seat assignments can be adjusted.

Additionally I would recommend the husband approach the gate agent regarding the 2 pax separate PNR issue. I have had lots of success in making the GA aware of the family travelling together but separated on various lists. Last year on a miss connection in YVR, my daughter did not hold status while both my wife and I did. I advised the GA and she took into account my daughters lower standby priority when issuing the BP. The whole family ended up getting the last 3 seats on the flight.

 

Only on FlyerTalk could I ever imagine people trying to figure out the best solution to ensure they do not get a free upgrade!

 

Must be a bug, as I stated. I do all his travel arrangements including check in.

 

Then you should report it to AC.

 

This really is an odd place isn't it? I really am okay in the back for that flight. But I can only imagine the DYKWIA comments if had I posted the question as how do I get my wife the upgrade too.

But the people I work with would look at me like I'm crazy for turning it down.