Aeroplan business class flight to europe but economy on United.
 

I just booked a business class flight to Europe with the last of my Aeroplan points. Connected to and from Winnipeg with United via Chicago. The transatlantic and European flights are all in business class. The United flights are both in Economy. I was told that there was no other option when booking but I see that there are Economy Plus seating on both flights. Is there anyway for me to access these Plus seats seeing as I booked in business class?
Also does anyone know if I will be able to access the lounges at the start of these economy flights due to the rest of the flights being Business Class?

Thanks

Welcome to Flyertalk! :)

1) Unfortunately UA won't assign you an E+ seat for free on a business class award (at least not as a matter of policy), though you should be able toselect an E+ seat for a nominal fee.
2) YWG has US pre-clearance facilities, and there is no lounge in that area, so it's a moot question.
3) On the return flight, you should be able to access a United Club by presenting both your boarding passes for both your arriving and onward flight.

Thanks really appreciate that.

Continue to monitor the United flight for available business class seats. United tends to be pretty stingy about releasing in advance, but at the last minute if the front is empty they often make rewards seats available. If it opens, you'll have to call Aeroplan to re-issue as United sees your reservation as economy regardless of the number of point you spent for it.

For lounges, you can use the Polaris Lounge in ORD on departure from your overseas flights and on arrival into ORD if you're coming in on a United overseas flight.

That is not correct. There has never been a change fee for this.

Afaik UA only operates Y-only CRJs on the ORD-YWG route, so that's a moot point.

However, the fact that the connecting flight has no J/F cabin should make it easier to obtain lounge access (in case one has the misfortune of dealing with a grumpy UA agent)

Thanks Everyone

This only applies if the ticket is in Polaris Business Class. If it's in regular Business Class, then you'll have access to the United Club.

Access rules here

Given that the only lounges in question are in ORD, operated by UA, and the passenger is flying UA, and this there will never be any J space on the flights, I'm questioning what this has to do with AC/Aeroplan.

Unless I should also start posting my AC flight reviews on the UA forum just because they're on 016.

Business class is the shorthaul designation (like Chicago-Winnipeg). Polaris is for all longhaul international business class flights.

They had to add the longhaul requirement when too many transborder AC pax were using the Polaris lounges :D

Didnt the poster already secure J reward space on the transatlantics? Only remains in Y for ORD-YWG?
And apart from paying, the only way to get economy plus on these flights is for the OP to ask nicely. Otherwise, he/she can enjoy economy minus seating on UA, next to all the AC elites :)

Unfortunatelly for ORD-YWG, you cant waitlist for J award space using Aeroplan miles...