Deathray

I've struggled to use all of mine the past couple of years. My overseas travel is booked in J so I use mine largely within North America / Sun.

For me, the best bang for my buck is usually latitude or flexible PY redemptions with R space. I find R is generally available within NA and I've been fortunate enough not to lose my upgrade through any of the shenanigans folks are talking about in the megathread. This combined with the discount from priority rewards is pretty great value IMHO. My best redemption this year was the one international flight I didn't book in J. I booked BOM-LHR-YYC-YEG using a flexible PY reward for my mother and I and waitlisted figuring if it didn't clear I could always cancel and book something else in J. Considering how packed India flights have been, I had no expectation that this would work but they cleared about 6 weeks out.

My only other use for eups is work travel that's not overseas. Cost cutting being what it is I'm usually stuck on flex fares (with the occasional comfort) for work trips in NA. I'm 7/8 this year when I can't instant upgrade which I think is pretty good for my status level (75k).

danjohn

I�m in the same boat re: cost cutting at work. I�d be very curious to know how that�s impacted the use of eups this year. Personally, I�ve always been able to refrain from getting the VIP card given work would frequently fly me in J but in the current environment those 50 eups that roll over are now far more valuable

BlondeBomber

Has changed over the years.

I always have way too many to use as I am flying on higher class fares or just buying business.

My philosophy now is to buy the cheapest upgradeable fare in the type of seat I am happy to be in. Flexibility is sometimes a concern but typically I know my dates won't change.

For domestic, that now means buying tickets within the upgrade period and selecting flights that I can upgrade immediately. Failing that, I buy business class.

For international, I have been buying PY (lowest typically, but not always), Always have been successful pre-Covid. With current uncertainties and loads, have taken to buying business class, sometimes not even flying AC as a result.

For NA sun destinations, buy latitude passes and upgrade at booking. That might also change with current loads and poor routings on AC.

I don't typically use reward tickets (go to family, friends, charities), so no use for them there

Commie

speaking of eUps and when to use them. Not sure if this thread is good for my question. What is the odds of having eUps clear for a SE travelling on the YYZ-HNL route during xmas?
I am starting to plan for our xmas trip with my wife and thinking of returning to HNL with a side trip to LIH. Its been 6-7 years since we went to Hawaii.
I know its late to be booking such a popular route, but I have tons of aeroplan miles and my eUPs will not have been used this year, been flying on United metal this year due to the city I am working in.
The reward miles to fly that YYZ-HNL during the Dec 17 or 24 departure and returning the week of Jan 6 is crazy high for J, but I do have a priority reward to get it down a bit.
I was thinking book my wife the J using miles and the priority reward. I'll book myself to PE(cash fare) and hopefully use the eUPs on the wait list. There looks to be a few seats left in J for those flights, but the closer to Dec might change. What are the odds of clearing the eUPs for this route for an SE during the busy season?

TheCanuckian

The flights are still showing pretty good availability (e.g. J9), though it is still a long way off. And they are obviously more geared to leisure travelers than business travelers and hence a bit less likely to have quite as many paid business class passengers. If you're SE booked in PE I'd say you have some chance. I think your strategy is the right one�get one seat in J while you can and take your chances for the second. And worst case scenario, it's a (mostly) daytime flight and PE isn't a bad option for that.

yeg2where

I can usually only buy flex tickets for work. When I wasn't SE, I'd use them primarily for Y-PE for TATL / TPAC, not bothering to try for J and having to co-pay. To me, TATL in PE is worth far more than domestic in J, but the credits required can be about the same for a flex ticket. Now as an SE, J for in TATL has a better chance of working and there's no co-pay so am saving some for upcoming TATL flights.

But, also have been using them more for 4hr+ NAmerican flights. If I have a connection e.g. YYC-YYZ-BNA, I usually waitlist on YYC-YYZ only, if that clears 14 days out then I to upgrade the short leg for free. Dont want to risk e.g. 6 credits only getting upgraded on the short leg on a 2 hr flight.

kuba_kuba

Similar to most SEs above - more eUps than I can use - so apply them to every booking and see what happens. BUT, if I'm really looking for J (eastbound TATL) then book PY fare and apply the eUp. Very rare not to get upgraded that way and costs are often lower than Latitude Y with higher upgrade priority. Works especially well when there is no pre-released R space but still unsold J seats.

zrh2yvr

Interesting question - and I am basically 25 years into the upgrade game now - going all the way back to the CP "stickers" including special system wide. As an aside - when I lived in USA and was CP-Gold - I would book upgradable economy on AA and then phone in A-Class upgrades. Because nobody for ground handling at AA knew the CP sticker process - the stickers were never lifted - - like almost never - so I flew 2 whole years in AA-F without actually giving up the paper stickers. Then came AC paper certs - at one used to earn them on trans-atlantic as fast as you could use them. They would send you 2 coupons for every 15,000 miles - - but as a non-Canadian resident - they only sent you system wide ups - not the NA certs - so again - never seemed to run out. Fast forward to e-up points. In the beginning I blew through them so fast I thought the program was a joke - but then came 2015 when the number you needed went up a lot - and again - I thought it was all over. . But here we are now.

I am SE now - since 2018. Already made it for 2024. Also CC holder - so lots of roll-overs. Probably around 150 eups in the account. Spouse is gold (earned it from 2018-2022 but 2023 was gifted) and has their own. For me - the eups are used as follows.

1.) Overseas B-fare lattitude automatic upgrades. Will not book any flight over the ocean without either paid J or known e-up. In around 80 transatlantic segments in past 10 years, only once did I get the involuntary downgrade. Broken seat - - I was only e-up - so I was put back. So - the chance of downgrade is actually quite low.
2.) Aeroplan lattitude award e-up.

Otherwise - I am not really requesting. I can't remember the last time I was on a list and waiting for it to clear. It may be back even in 2013 or 2014 out of Zurich once or twice.

If I were in Canada - I guess it would just depend on how many I have. If you are on latitude fare - the number of points needed is so low you should basically try every time. If you are waiting at gate on a lower fare and lower status - I think your chances are pretty low.

As a final aside - J is almost always full. However, I did just do a couple of trans-border (YUL-EWR and RDU-YYZ) where it was booked only 1 or 2 in J and went out with lots available - so there are routes where you may clear. However- YYZ-YVR on wide body at peak times -- almost no chance unless you cleared a couple weeks out. I also would not want to be standing by for upgrade on YVR-SYD - - - - if I did not know it was cleared - I would somehow not go or do something different.

Will see how things evolve as the number of elites falls in coming years but overall - the program is actually pretty good and is generous without being too generous.

FreedomIsntFree

Rarely pay for J as it can get pricey for two adults.

• Flying YVR - YYZ on 777-300 ER. 50% success from Comfort to Signature Class in 2022 and 2023.
• Flew YVR - MEX with Comfort to Signature upgrade
• Last year booked a Latitude flight with R space for an instant upgrade from YVR to LHR
• Flew my wife and I from YVR - NRT on Latitude AP reward with R space for the signature class upgrade

Without the eUpgrade program, I would likely not be flying AC. I have 74 credits so hope to upgrade from YVR to NCE but we now have a 2 year old that will need to pay for their own seat : (

TheCanuckian

Having done this a few times recently … there often are a few upgrades available as the flight closes. However, it is rare for anyone in Economy to get those seats as they are most often claimed by people in Premium Economy. If you are in Premium Economy and have status of some kind, you’ve got a chance.