expert7700

All I've heard is 'if you were on the upgrade list today, no seats were available in either cabin, so board at listed zone'.

yyznomad

Maybe this will be the next announcement I hear at the airport, from people who work at the airport.

Looking forward to ignoring it.

RZR

My flights they always announce Zone 1 and 2 at the same time..... must be my luck

yyznomad

Mine are all from recent transcon SS flights... were any of yours? Sounds like QK shenanigans to me.

nomadic.relief

So, curious, how long does one play chicken with this YBYL thing? #1 on a list where 16/16 booked and checked in. Experience has taught me there can be checkin no shows, but with carry-on I hesitate slightly. Morning flight, so misconnects less likely.

expert7700

-Gate agent can tell you if J boarded full (but they often brush us off or lie). Sometimes J is full by the time.Zome 2 is boarding. "how many of the 16 are onboard" is a better ? as it encourages them to actually look.

-Lurk to the side of the boarding computers, and try and catch a glimpse of J boarded vs unboarded #.

-Walk up at end of Zone 1/2 and instead of holding your BP to immediately scan, ask them to show you the count onboard, and say you will step aside till they tell you it is full.

-Send a spy in J who can text you the real count, and tell you when it is time to admit defeat and board.

-if another elite is spotted playing YBYL, and their name is above yours on the list, it gets more awkward. Carry-on space be damned, you need them to chicken out and board.

aircanada_loyal

I am S100K member, and last week I requested for upgrade to J (using my e-upgrade credits), YOW - YYZ. Upon check-in, 16/16 booked, and I was #1 on the wait list for upgrade. Concierge and gate agent assured me that if seats opened up after I boarded, they would gladly come and move me to J. I boarded, and sat in my Y seat. Passengers were boarding, and seats were empty in J. Boarding completed, and I asked the FA regarding my upgrade, she had no idea. At the last minute, the J cabin was full of uniformed captains and FAs, including the FA who shrugged me earlier.

I was curious, is this correct? I thought AC employees only take J seats after the upgrade list of passengers is done. Thoughts?

Adam Smith

Nope. Hence the existence of this thread, where I've moved your post.

Bohemian1

aircanada_loyal - to their credit, some GAs even go out of their way to make PA announcements at the gate telling people with pending upgrades not to board until they announce otherwise.

Not in every case, but more than 50% in my limited sample size.

aircanada_loyal

So you are telling me that had I stuck around the gate and not boarded, I'd have gotten a seat in J cabin.

My question is: do uniformed AC employees trump a revenue passenger?

ChrisA330

Deadheading Captains do. Can’t remember if FOs are entitled too.

canadiancow

I'd say I'm 0% for hearing that.

Yes
Not in this specific case, assuming everything you've said is true.

Adam Smith

Quite possibly.

If you've boarded, you've effectively taken yourself off the list. They don't trump you, they're just the last people left on the list.

Deadheading pilots, whether captains or FOs, are entitled to J, and revenue passengers can even be downgraded, if need be, to accommodate them.

Deadheading FAs and all commuting staff only get what's left over.

Bohemian1

Interesting.

My sample size of flights is smaller than yours, but maybe it's because I'm often at the gate before they commence boarding and thus get to hear the announcement? Dunno.

canadiancow

​​​​​​ I've heard something like that once, on a flight that I hoped was overbooked, on a flight I didn't want to take. And I didn't board. They told everyone to board because J was full.

Then I called the concierge and SDC'd to a different flight.

So my only similar experience is pretty much the opposite
I stand by YBYL.