They need to find some compromise with this. I get the reason behind it but if they board early, then you risk no bag space. Int'l is reasonable at 60min but 45 min really cuts it close.

Would be nice if they could adjust this somehow but it may be an Amadeus shortcoming, perhaps.

Same with the new standby vs the old standby

That really is the issue, isn't it? Hold out hoping for the upgrade, and know you're going to lose the overhead bin and have to gate-check the bag if the upgrade doesn't happen. On the way to a trade show or meeting, I'll usually give up on the upgrade and take the bin ... but roll the dice on the way home when I don't absolutely need my bag the next day.

How do you process upgrades before checkin closes?

My biggest issue with UA is that they process upgrades so early that there's no space left to accommodate IRROPS when I'm paid J.

I think solving YBYL would be the best option here, but it requires more work for the GA.

I really wish that the AC App would indicate when Business had boarded full, not just booked full.

I've been on a few flights where I gave up on my upgrade and just boarded, only to have the plane leave with an empty J seat or too, someone missed a connection etc.
I've tried asking the gate staff, but they just not look at the screen and say: oh yeah it's full (only to find out later it's not)

Nothing worse than waiting around to board when all the seats in business are already full

Oh, I agree. I would rather board and be moved than not have a place for my luggage and yes, it should fixed. The list should not clear (dropped off) until the flight actually closes and the last manifest is printed. That would make the most sense.

Probably something RES III could have been hacked around to handle

Well at least in 2018/2019, I had seen/experience that post boarding, I or someone else was advised that my upgrade cleared and was lead to a new seat.
I have seen it happen 4-5 times while seated in PY when the FA(or GA) coming to the cabin with a new boarding pass and at least once in Y

Yes the seat might have been empty from your POV, but its possible it was broken or used for pilot rest
Its also possible for OTP, they might not have time to move you at that point, while not the best CX, I would argue its better to get 100/200/300 ppl on-time vs a happier FF.

Whisking people out of PE into J after they're seated... I've seen it a couple of times this year. In one case it interrupted a really nice conversation I was having with the gentleman beside me!

IMO, Air Canada should tell its FA's to do this consistently so that they can make a show of it in the cabin. Some passengers don't know about eUpgrades, Super Elites, or anything like that. But when they see someone getting upgraded, it gives off a cool vibe, like AC knows how to take care of their best customers.

Last night I was on a flight from CUN to YUL and was in the number 1 spot for the PE flight on a fully booked flight. I held out until all the Zone 1 and 2 guests had boarded or the line cleared. Once boarding was completed there were three no-shows and the three PE seats remained vacant for the flight.

I checked the list immediately after boarding and the list was down to 1 person who was previously in position 4. Then they boarded and the list was empty. I mentioned this to the FA and she got another crew member to show me the system and they went into my name and showed that there was no way for them to know and therefore reassign people once they boarded. Seeing as my name was erased from the list immediately after I boarded, I am not sure how others were moved post boarding but it seems like a simple IT fix to not erase the upgrades upon boarding, it could be a little extra revenue from the extra copays.

The crew was great to have taken the time to show what information they had access to.

Yeah if you're going to wait, you need to WAIT.

I aim to be approaching the podium at T-16. J will not have boarded full before then. Doesn't matter if the zone 1 line is empty.

Nothing much to be done after the fact, but if it happens again, "I am on the list for an upgrade to premium economy. I would like to wait in case of no shows. I will be standing over here."

PY is a little harder because you could end up with a PY to J upgrade opening a spot for you. But you're not actually using the strategy in this thread if you don't want for no shows to be offloaded, which isn't going to happen before final boarding call (and you definitely want them to know you're there if you're waiting that late).

Mexico is also particularly bad for outstation agents. I've literally had to get upgraded over ACARs on a ex mexico flight with some of the most amazing help from central concierge.

Definitely don't expect more than the minimum of help from the gate agents there. As cow says T-16 is the right time to board if you are waiting for no shows.

I guess I need to be a little more patient, actually a lot more patient. I will try the next time to hold off until the very last minute. Good advice about letting them know I'm waiting as I don't want to end up being one of the no-shows.

I was actually number 1 initially for business as well but two others jumped ahead of me but weren't on the PE list so I assume they were waiting to be upgraded from PE. Both classes were booked so I was confident that a no-show in either would of seen me minimally in PE as I would have taken the space of the PE upgrade.

Thanks for the advice, I will try my luck waiting to the very last minute the next time and since I was in a bulkhead row, I knew my bad would not be at my feet.

On two occasions I have boarded and received a text that my upgrade has cleared. I called a FA to get me my new BP from the GA and moved seats. So I guess there is a system in place and perhaps its a lot of work for the GA.
Re the posts upthread that flights leave with empty seats - as per my experience specially on late flights, the supervisor explained to me that the flight was 'closed' so they could not process upgrades even though someone probably called the concierge and cancelled their trip. This was on a YYZ-LHR flight that was several hours late, well past midnight.

That is ridiculous

My name was wiped from the list as soon as I boarded so there must be an internal list where upgrade priority can still be viewed and processed but like many things this is inconsistent.

Agree with this, but the other line I would also ask the gate agent is "please tell me when the J and PY cabins have boarded full"

Once the cabins have actually boarded full, it's very very unlikely that anything will change (technically someone could offlload, but that's not at all common) - so if the GA can tell you once they are full, you can then board Y and not have to be the very last person looking for bin space