Q: What is an eUpgrade?
A: eUpgrades (sometimes referred to as “eUps”) are a benefit of elite status with AC that allow elites to upgrade to a higher cabin (business class / Signature class, a.k.a. “J”, or premium economy, a.k.a. “PY” or “PE”).

Q: Are eUps automatic, like on Delta/AA/United?
A: No, you have to request one online or with a phone agent. You have to have sufficient eUpgrade credits, with an expiry date at least equal to the date of your flight, to make the request. If you don’t request an eUp, AC has no problem letting you sit in your original cabin, even if it means letting seats in J/PY go out empty.

Q: How many eUpgrade credits do I need for my flight?
A: Here's the official eUp chart (last updated by AC on Oct 2 2020; current as of at least July 2022)

Q: When can I request an eUpgrade?
A: You can request an upgrade as soon as you book the flight with the exception of the travel companion benefit (person on same flight but not on same PNR; see below for details). Travel companion eUpgrade requests need to be made by airport staff after the flight opens for check-in.

Q: When can I confirm (or "clear") my eUpgrade?
A: You have to be within the "clearance window" that applies to your status and fare type. The windows are detailed in the AC eUp requirements document.

Q: Can you be more specific?
A1, for flexible fares (Latitude and Premium Economy Flexible): You can confirm an eUpgrade immediately after booking, SUBJECT TO UPGRADE SPACE BEING AVAILABLE.
A2, for non-flexible fares (Standard, Flex, Comfort, Premium Economy Lowest): You have to be within the clearance window in the document linked above, which ranges from 3-14 days, depending on fare brand, route, and status.
Exception: if you have no status, you can only clear an upgrade on a flexible fare 3 days in advance, and on a non-flexible fare cannot clear before the gate

Q: I see a lot of people talking about "R space" or "R0", what does that mean?
A: In short, R is the fare bucket Air Canada uses to make eUpgrade space available. If R is greater than zero, there are eUp spaces still available. If R = 0, then anyone who's requested an eUp will be waitlisted.

Q: I’m waitlisted on a flight that’s R0. Will AC release more R space before the flight? Do I have to wait until the flight to find out whether I’m upgraded?
A: AC might release more R space tomorrow (or clear your upgrade without creating any R space). Or they might never clear any more upgrades on that flight. If you’re still waitlisted, your upgrade may clear at the gate.

Q: What does “at the gate” mean?
A: The upgrade list is typically processed 5 minutes after check-in for the flight closes. Check-in generally closes 45 minutes before domestic flights and 1 hour before international flights, meaning the upgrade list gets run at T-40 or T-55, as applicable. Even if your upgrade doesn’t clear at that point, it’s theoretically possible to still be upgraded, if someone else in the cabin doesn’t show up, although once you board, it’s unlikely an agent will come on and upgrade you even if a spot did open up – see this thread.

Q: How can I find the R space for my flight?
A: Using a paid service like ExpertFlyer. If you ask nicely and don't overdo it, many FTers with EF accounts will help you in the Official Fare Bucket Check Request Thread.

Q: I heard a rumour that paid Latitude fares can eUp even when R=0. Is this true?
A: Sometimes; it's complicated. Senior execs at Aeroplan have said that “in some cases” a Latitude or PE Flex cash fare might clear an eUp even when R=0, but they've also been very clear that they will not be releasing the exact method by which this is determined, and that the same thing is less-often true for award Latitude / PE Flex. In other words, it may happen but don't assume it.

Q: My flight shows R=1 (or more), and I'm within my window, but my did not upgrade immediately.
Answer depends on how close you are to the flight.

• Within 36 hours of departure Your upgrade can't clear until the gate.
• More than 36 hours from departure: Cancelling the request and then requesting again may solve it. Or you may be able to solve it by phoning in. Or you may not, because it's AC.

Q: I only want to upgrade to Premium Economy? What's the answer to all the previous questions?
A: Replace "R" with "N".

Q: What are my chances of clearing an eUp for [FLIGHT] on [DATE] if I have [STATUS]?
A: All we can do is make an educated guess. Lots of business travel gets booked last minute, or pilots need to reposition, or any of a dozen other things that might turn J9 into J0 just before departure.

Q: But the seat map shows [x] seats occupied. Surely that means my odds are [good][bad]?
A: STOP LOOKING AT THE SEAT MAP. STOP LOOKING AT THE SEAT MAP. STOP LOOKING AT THE SEAT MAP.
Seriously, stop looking at the seat map. The seat map is not an accurate guide to the number of seats available in the cabin. Many people do not select their seats when booking, which can mean more seats have been sold than show as occupied on the seat map. On the other hand, due to IT glitches, seats are sometimes shown as blocked when there are waitlisted eUps or staff members on passes (see this thread for details). So the seat map may show more seats available than there truly are, or fewer. Or it may be correct. There’s no way to know for sure.

So stop looking at the seat map.

Q: I see people talking about "Aerolotto", what is that? Can I bet eUps?
A: Aerolotto is a slang term for waiting at the gate to see if your eUp clears, or you're stuck in the original seat you paid for.

Q: I’m booked in economy on an aircraft with both PY and J cabins. Can I request an upgrade to both?
A: No, you can only request an upgrade to one cabin.

Q: Can I confirm an upgrade to PY, then request an upgrade to J?
A: Nope. Once you confirm a PY upgrade, that’s it.

Q: If I don’t clear my upgrade to J, can I get upgraded to PY?
A: Yes, if your upgrade doesn’t clear until the gate, you will be on the list for both J and PY.

Q: When do eUps expire?
A: If earned before July 1 of a calendar year, they will expire January 16 of the following year. After that, they will expire January 16 of the year after that. For example, an eUp earned on June 10, 2022 would expire on January 16, 2023. An eUp earned on July 3, 2022 would expire on January 16, 2024.

Q: I want to use my eUp credits to upgrade somebody else. Is this possible?
Are they on the same booking (“PNR”) as you?

• Yes: You can upgrade a maximum of two passengers on a booking. If the booking has more than two passengers, you can't request an upgrade for any of them, before the day of travel. You can split the booking so that it has at most two passengers, then upgrade it, although splitting bookings can come with other negative consequences.
• No, but they’re on the same flight: You can request the upgrade at the airport on the day of travel; AC refers to this as upgrading a "travel companion".
• No, and they’re not on the same flight: No, unless you’re Super Elite. If you’re Super Elite, you can designate a nominee, and you can upgrade this person on any flight they’re on. Your nominee selection stays in effect until the end of the status year, and you only get one per status year.

Q: What's the maximum number of people I can upgrade on a flight
Are you Super Elite?

• No: 3 (yourself + one person on the same PNR + travel companion)
• Yes: 4 (yourself + one person on the same PNR + travel companion + nominee)

Q: If I request an eUp and it doesn't clear, I don't lose the credits or the co-pay, right?
A: Correct. You're only charged if you get upgraded.

Q: I want to upgrade my flight on date X, but all my eUps expire on date Y, where Y < X. Can I upgrade?
A: NO. To eUp any flight, at any time, you need to have credits that are still valid on the date of the flight.

Q: Can I use eUps on partner flights?
A: No, only on flights operated by aircraft with "Air Canada" written on the outside.

Q: Can I use eUps on an Air Canada operated flight that was booked through a partner?
A: Yes. If you are travelling on a codeshare flight operated by Air Canada (e.g., a flight marketed by United Airlines but operated by Air Canada), you can eUpgrade that -- but not before the day of the flight. You may only request an upgrade with an Air Canada agent at the airport, or at the departure gate on your day of travel. If your flight has an AC flight number, you should be able to request it as usual via the eUp site.

Q: Are eUps guaranteed once they're confirmed?
A: Not quite. For example, you won't get bumped out of an eUp just because somebody with higher status requested one after yours was confirmed. However, in very rare circumstances, such as if your plane gets swapped for one with a smaller business cabin, you might lose your eUp.

Q: What is the priority for upgrades?
A: Upgrade priority at the gate, as written by canadiancow:

1. Cabin: If you're in PY, you're ahead of everyone in Y
2. Status: SE 2MM+ with credit card > SE 2MM+ > SE MM with credit card > SE MM > SE with credit card > SE > 75K 2MM+ with credit card, etc. If two passengers are on the PNR, the priority might be based on the highest status, regardless of who requested the upgrade, per this post
3. "Fare": Based on a conversation with Derek Whitworth, it does seem like the brand (Standard/Flex/Comfort) plays a part here. If I had to speculate based on other things I've seen, I'd say Comfort K beats Flex M. If you bought your ticket through another airline, and you don't have a brand, they infer a brand based on the fare class.
4. Check-in time: As indicated by your sequence number

Upgrade priority prior to the gate is similar, with possible exceptions for full-fare (Latitude / Premium Economy Flexible) bookings. In the old system, a 25K on a Latitude fare would be ahead of a SE on a Premium Economy Lowest fare prior to the gate. Time of upgrade request replaces check-in time.