QUESTIONS ON UPGRADES
 

1. What is an operational upgrade?

2. What is the "best" way to get a gate upgrade?

An operational upgrade is a complimentary upgrade, usually given out at the gate, sometimes at check-in, to passengers who would not otherwise qualify for an upgrade. They're mostly given out when the Y cabin is oversold and there is room in J. Occasionally, but very rarely these days, they're given out at the discretion of the agent for some other reason. (Kindness, mostly).

The best way to get one is to have no status with AC, choose a flight that is likely to be overbooked, and make sure that you don't have seat assignment before you arrive at the airport http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif. If you look at a couple of the recent threads around here, you'll see that the official guidelines say that you should be upgraded in order of AP status, regardless of whether you originally had a seat, but that doesn't happen all the time.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Is the term "operational upgarde" a travel industry term, or an Air Canada specific term, or...?

I think it's a pretty universal term -- at least in *A. I have been able to use that term with AC, BD, and UA before and they have had no problems understanding me.

However the term, 'loading', may be a different story -- I know that BD and UA, and sometimes AC, doesn't catch on when I use that term. (I overheard my friend who works at CX HKG using it once.)

[This message has been edited by YOWkid (edited 07-12-2003).]

Travel industry

After a short hiatas from flying on AC over the last few months, while I changed jobs, employers and home airports (YVR-YYJ) and started to fly a dozen monthly floatplane round trips instead of *A biz-trips & MRs on big pressurised aircraft, I returned to the AC today for a flight from YVR to YYC.

I didn't ask for an upgrade at either check in or at the lounge since I was pretty sure that that my webfare wasn't eligible; I did approach the GA and asked politely "I don't know if this upgradeable, could you please check?" as I handed her my boarding pass and an Elite NA cert. She quickly typed a few key strokes and replied "No, sorry it's not" immediately followed by "Wait a minute & leave it with me, I've had a change of aircraft and have to shuffle some seat assignments & I might be able to do something." Fifteen minutes later, just after boarding was started, I was paged to the gate and given a J class boarding pass for 6K, a crew rest full recline seat on 767-300. Against the grain, and some recent FTer experiences, I got an OP UG exactly when you'd hope your status might count. If this is a sign of things to come, excellent. If this was a one time anomaly, too bad, but thank you to the angel who handled my flight today. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

mpc1

edited for typo

[This message has been edited by mpc1 (edited 07-12-2003).]

YOWKID - What does "loading" mean?

Usually, you use that term to find out how full a flight is: "What's the 'loading' on the flight?" or "How is the 'loading' on that flight?" Essentially, it's the same as the word 'loads'. (But, for me, that translates into, will there be a chance that I get an operational upgrade or get bumped? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif)

Tks. I use load factor.
Answers i get 1. Overbooked 2. Pretty full. 3. Wide open

Academic is right.... An operational upgrade is a complimentary upgrade, usually given out at the gate, sometimes at check-in, to passengers who would not otherwise qualify for an upgrade. They're mostly given out when the Y cabin is oversold and there is room in J. Occasionally, but very rarely these days, they're given out at the discretion of the agent for some other reason. (Kindness, mostly).

I had bought fun fare tickets for a flight from YVR-YOW this past week. Was given an op ug at the gate just as I was boarding the plane to fly back to YVR yesterday. BTW, was on a new plane, with J half empty.

Y was not oversold, think it was just the kindness of a very nice check-in girl in YOW who wrote something on my file.

What is going on at YOW check-in though.. it was a mess yesterday, with only one check-in agent at Executive check-in and a HUGE line up of customers waiting. Then, the girl closed down and left us waiting for 15 mins before another check-in girl arrived.

The reg line had two agents and snaked around several bends.

That'll teach people to use the kiosk!!! I don't understand why people won't use them unless the kiosk rejects them. At least the line to drop bags off will move along.

Might also teach those coveted J class pax to use another airline next time.

There's another airline in Canada with J? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Is that different from any other typical day at YOW? AC never learned how to handle peak hour traffic at YOW. It's always a mess. There's no doubt that YOW needs more staff during the morning and afternoon rush hours -- but given what is happening across the country, I'm definitely not holding my breath.