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Latitude fare flight pass upgrades to business class

Latitude fare flight pass upgrades to business class

Old Mar 4, 2017, 10:04 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by Stranger
eUps only. At time of reservation if there is P available.

Although there apparently are hiccups sometimes. Never to me but some people report having been unable to occasionally. Then takes phoning in an getting a knowledgeable agent Or educate the agent, which again may or may not work.
Originally Posted by Sean Peever
I find usually showing them (where to look) the AC.com webpage that describes this rule in detail referencing fare class works.
This is so frustrating. I have to do this with every International Latitude fare. 15 minutes on the phone when they come back and say it's R class. Then asking them to go through the web site, and another 15 minutes.

It's been like this for over a year!
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Old Mar 4, 2017, 10:48 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by yvr76
This is so frustrating. I have to do this with every International Latitude fare. 15 minutes on the phone when they come back and say it's R class. Then asking them to go through the web site, and another 15 minutes.

It's been like this for over a year!
Only a year? I've been using Europe Latitude FPs for a few years, and it seems like it has been like this for much longer. The FP flight preview page will show availability for an upgrade, I book the flights, request the eUpgrades, and ... waitlisted! It used to take over an hour on the phone to get them to push the eUp through, often with a "we'll make a one time exception."

I just did this again yesterday, and found the agent on the SE line was fully aware of the issue, said there was "papa class" availability before I even mentioned it, put me on hold while he spoke to some other desk, and had it done in less than five minutes.

He assumed it was worth it to AC to have the agents handle many of these calls, rather than spend a brief amount of time reprogramming the website to note that P availability should automatically upgrade eligible passengers on a Latitude fare to/from international destinations.
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Old Mar 4, 2017, 12:19 pm
  #18  
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Originally Posted by GJS - yow
Only a year? I've been using Europe Latitude FPs for a few years, and it seems like it has been like this for much longer.
How many years since latitude upgrades in P? Can't be that many years?
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Old Mar 4, 2017, 3:37 pm
  #19  
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99% of call agents are useful and knowledgeable as a thumbtack.
They have their thick heads stuck in the sand still spewing the Latitude international upgrade must be based on R instead of P garbage line.

Hey AC call agents - why don't you look at your internal resources made available to you see that you're all wrong? There's a thought, but then again, you're too busy watching Netflix on your phone with your feet propped up onto the table.


Sorry if I just offended the Thumbtack Society of Upper Wishichug.
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Old Mar 4, 2017, 8:26 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by yvr76
This is so frustrating. I have to do this with every International Latitude fare. 15 minutes on the phone when they come back and say it's R class. Then asking them to go through the web site, and another 15 minutes.

It's been like this for over a year!
It's a huge issue and wearing my patience quite thin. Roughly 4 out of 5 Latitude FP bookings I make, I end up calling to get the upgrade pushed through. Was successful in all but one case, where the FP booking system shows the flight to be available for an upgrade, and the regular web site shows a waitlist on the same flight, the upgrade was waitlisted and the agents refused to clear it despite the FP system showing the flight to be available (it's not that they didn't care about it, just couldn't do anything).

I had a number of excuses given to me over this whole time, including my favourite: a blue icon indicating that an upgrade is available apparently means that I will be placed on a priority waitlist, whereas the grey icon means a regular waitlist.
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Old Mar 4, 2017, 9:12 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by nm761
I had a number of excuses given to me over this whole time, including my favourite: a blue icon indicating that an upgrade is available apparently means that I will be placed on a priority waitlist, whereas the grey icon means a regular waitlist.
You have to love when they start making their own rules.
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Old Mar 5, 2017, 2:16 am
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Sean Peever
You have to love when they start making their own rules.
Isn't this literally why HUCA exists?
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Old Mar 5, 2017, 6:34 am
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
Isn't this literally why HUCA exists?
No, I think HUCA exists because Agents just don't know all the rules or how everything works. Making up your own stuff is a whole additional level.
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Old Mar 5, 2017, 7:04 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by nm761
I had a number of excuses given to me over this whole time, including my favourite: a blue icon indicating that an upgrade is available apparently means that I will be placed on a priority waitlist, whereas the grey icon means a regular waitlist.
Originally Posted by Sean Peever
You have to love when they start making their own rules.
I've had something similar in the past, where the agent insisted that there was no difference between the following statements on the AC.com booking page:
  • "Seats available for upgrade"
  • "You will be waitlisted"

He said that the first just meant seats may be available for upgrade. Then went on with the usual story that things can change on a moment's notice, someone else grabbed the last seat, etc.

Logic never wins in these situations. Pointing out that the site still shows availability over a period of hours or days (i.e. someone did not grab the last seat) just brings out another list of fabricated excuses. Definitely HUCA is the best solution.
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Old Mar 5, 2017, 7:09 am
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by GJS - yow
I've had something similar in the past, where the agent insisted that there was no difference between the following statements on the AC.com booking page:
  • "Seats available for upgrade"
  • "You will be waitlisted"

He said that the first just meant seats may be available for upgrade. Then went on with the usual story that things can change on a moment's notice, someone else grabbed the last seat, etc.

Logic never wins in these situations. Pointing out that the site still shows availability over a period of hours or days (i.e. someone did not grab the last seat) just brings out another list of fabricated excuses. Definitely HUCA is the best solution.
Sounds to me like a common situation in a call centre where an Agent handles tons and tons of calls about one situation and just assumes it's the same situation without looking into it.
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Old Mar 5, 2017, 6:43 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by Sean Peever
No, I think HUCA exists because Agents just don't know all the rules or how everything works. Making up your own stuff is a whole additional level.
I had an agent making stuff up... I asked to speak her supervisor, she said she was the supervisor. I said I asked to speak to "her" supervisor, not "the" supervisor. I explained all I wanted to do was assign seats so I knew I was sitting beside my toddler.

She said she'd call back in about 30 minutes. Surprisingly she did and she assigned us seats.

Weirdest thing is this was with NH... yes, ANA. I was so confused I actually had to ask in the middle of the call if this was the ANA line. Maybe some AC phone operators moved to Japan?
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Old Oct 15, 2017, 2:55 pm
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by YEGTigger
If you are talking about the complimentary upgrades, you can request the upgrade 48 hours before the flight. There is a link on your reservation page for Request Upgrade and you will get it if there are any open seats in J. If you have previously upgraded using eUpgrades prior to that time, you will have to phone in a request to be un-upgraded from your eUps, before you can request the complimentary upgrade.
Originally Posted by YEGTigger
I buy a lot of those, since that's where most of my transborder destinations are. Generally, I use eUpgrades at the time of booking, since the Latitude fare allows that and upgrade immediately. Then, at the 48 hour mark, if there is still space available, I will call in and get my eUpgrade cancelled, and then request the complimentary upgrade.

That way I save as many eUps as I can.
Can others confirm that this strategy works for domestic/transborder Latitude Flight Passes (i.e. the ones that allow complimentary upgrades within 48 hours of departure)?

The T&Cs for a Latitude Flight Pass (East-West Connector as an example) states:
  • "For Flight Pass bookings which include confirmed Star Alliance Upgrade Awards or eUpgraded flight(s), the traveller/sponsor's eUpgrade account will be decremented should the traveller wish to use their complimentary Flight Pass upgrade within 48 hours prior to departure. To re-credit your eUpgrade account, the upgraded booking must be cancelled and rebooked under a new booking reference in the original Latitude booking class. If the original flight(s) is no longer available, an alternate flight must be selected."

This seems inconsistent with the approach outlined by YEGTigger. Has anyone had to cancel their booking and rebook in order to recover the eUpgrade credits?
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Old Oct 15, 2017, 2:56 pm
  #28  
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Cancelling and rebooking is often faster and easier, but I've never had an issue calling to switch the upgrade.
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Old Oct 15, 2017, 3:12 pm
  #29  
 
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I have done it the way suggested in the Ts & Cs. Just make sure that there is Y and J availability.
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Old Oct 15, 2017, 3:32 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
Cancelling and rebooking is often faster and easier, but I've never had an issue calling to switch the upgrade.
I've always done it this way. - cancel and rebook once confirming its available. That's because I prefer to do it online rather than deal with the occasional moronic agent who I have to explain things to.
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