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Originally Posted by Andrew Yiu
I've double checked and can tell you that no status members (SE, E or P) sat in Y on the flight that you were referring to.
Will still post what I investigated though. Perhaps you could shed some light to give me some peace of mind (once I spend the time to post). |
Originally Posted by djjaguar64
And, oh, YOWflyer, please let us know how it all went !
One more question. Assuming I am not taken off the waiting list by the date of the flight, would it be better to: a) do a web check-in at 3 a.m. (12 hours before the flight) and request an upgrade online or b) go to the airport early at 9 or 10 a.m. to check in early through an agent Any advantage either way? |
Originally Posted by Andrew Yiu
I've double checked and can tell you that no status members (SE, E or P) sat in Y on the flight that you were referring to.
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Originally Posted by The Tsar
Indirectly related question re upgrades. I currently live in Central Asia, book here with LH for flights to FRA connecting to AC for FRA- YUL. I am Elite. When I phone AC ahead to get on the waitlist for UG I am told that since my booking is with LH (even though a major part of the trip is on AC) they cannot list me, and tell me 'to try on check-in' which I do and it occasionally works. Same thing coming back, even in Canada they wont waitlist me because my original booking was with LH. Any way around this? I always try to get to the check-in early to improve my chances but basically this means if you are AC Elite but living in a place without an AC office or flights, you are disrciminated against. Help anyone.
*A stock, AC metal = upgrade at the gate only for AC flight(s) (as stated on the certs -> "Standby upgrade requests at the airport are permitted for Star Alliance codeshare flights operated by Air Canada") AFAIK, no way around your situation. |
Originally Posted by The Tsar
Indirectly related question re upgrades. I currently live in Central Asia, book here with LH for flights to FRA connecting to AC for FRA- YUL. I am Elite. When I phone AC ahead to get on the waitlist for UG I am told that since my booking is with LH (even though a major part of the trip is on AC) they cannot list me, and tell me 'to try on check-in' which I do and it occasionally works. Same thing coming back, even in Canada they wont waitlist me because my original booking was with LH. Any way around this? I always try to get to the check-in early to improve my chances but basically this means if you are AC Elite but living in a place without an AC office or flights, you are disrciminated against. Help anyone.
One would think with all the "seamless travel experience" promoted by the alliances there would be a way round this. It works with UA - I made a booking with AC but on UA metal from SMF-DEN-ORD-YYZ in December and after booking just phoned UA and got u/g to E+. There was no BS about the original booking not being made with UA or anything. As a matter of interest, why not make the whole booking with AC? |
Originally Posted by BOH
When you "try on check-in" does that mean at BKK or when you get to FRA to join the AC sector?
One would think with all the "seamless travel experience" promoted by the alliances there would be a way round this. It works with UA - I made a booking with AC but on UA metal from SMF-DEN-ORD-YYZ in December and after booking just phoned UA and got u/g to E+. There was no BS about the original booking not being made with UA or anything. As a matter of interest, why not make the whole booking with AC? |
Originally Posted by yowflyer
Yes, I'll definitely keep you posted.
One more question. Assuming I am not taken off the waiting list by the date of the flight, would it be better to: a) do a web check-in at 3 a.m. (12 hours before the flight) and request an upgrade online or b) go to the airport early at 9 or 10 a.m. to check in early through an agent Any advantage either way? If you're a little paranoid, call in to verify that you're on the upgrade waitlist. If you're a little more paranoid, get to the airport early anyway (thank goodness for lounges!) and check with an agent. I've never done a web check-in and found out later I wasn't on the waitlist. But maybe I'm just lucky (and I haven't done web check-in very often). And I am more than a little paranoid when it comes to upgrades on trans-pacific flights ;) |
Originally Posted by yowflyer
Yes, I'll definitely keep you posted.
One more question. Assuming I am not taken off the waiting list by the date of the flight, would it be better to: a) do a web check-in at 3 a.m. (12 hours before the flight) and request an upgrade online or b) go to the airport early at 9 or 10 a.m. to check in early through an agent Any advantage either way? |
Originally Posted by gumbi_88
Go with a) for sure.....I was first one called up at the gate after I stayed up late to web checkin. Definitely worth it for my 25+ hr flight to SYD.
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How does the upgrade system work?
I'm *A Gold via BD and by the looks of it will do quite a few jumps between Europe and North America in jan - march which will render me elite with AE (I think AE program is better) by end of march. Can I use my *A Gold to request upgrades? I flew KLM a lot and have been gold with them for the past 3 years but losing it now. Once in all the times I've asked have I been upgraded on request. One op-up, one on points and NWA upgraded med when I was delayed in to Detroit and they realised they'd forgotten to reschedule me on a later flight to Orlando. By then Y was full and when they noticed my elite status with FD (at the time) gave me a seat in first. I've never asked at check in. Always at gate (until I gave up as I was always turned down) and was also told at gate to check with flight crew (and that never works. Was rather rudely told I need to be a member of their FFP and use miles or have elite status. I was wondering what part of "I am gold elite" she didn't understand but never said anything. Y was chock full and C was wide empty) So, anyway - how does it work? I keep reading a lot about people being upgraded with no voucher, nor are they using miles. The one thing I have understood is to not book a special meal. /E |
Originally Posted by Emma65
How does the upgrade system work?
I'm *A Gold via BD and by the looks of it will do quite a few jumps between Europe and North America in jan - march which will render me elite with AE (I think AE program is better) by end of march. Can I use my *A Gold to request upgrades? I flew KLM a lot and have been gold with them for the past 3 years but losing it now. Once in all the times I've asked have I been upgraded on request. One op-up, one on points and NWA upgraded med when I was delayed in to Detroit and they realised they'd forgotten to reschedule me on a later flight to Orlando. By then Y was full and when they noticed my elite status with FD (at the time) gave me a seat in first. I've never asked at check in. Always at gate (until I gave up as I was always turned down) and was also told at gate to check with flight crew (and that never works. Was rather rudely told I need to be a member of their FFP and use miles or have elite status. I was wondering what part of "I am gold elite" she didn't understand but never said anything. Y was chock full and C was wide empty) So, anyway - how does it work? I keep reading a lot about people being upgraded with no voucher, nor are they using miles. The one thing I have understood is to not book a special meal. /E 2) *G (except for Air Canada of course Elite or Super Elite of course) status doesn't apply in terms of upgrades; 3) You can use Air Canada upgrade certificates on eligible fares; 4) No other upgrade certificates (i.e. *G certs, UA certs, etc) on Air Canada metal will work; 5) If you don't have status with AC then if a travel companion who has status with Air Canada can upgrade you with a cert if you are on the same flight as them (provided you and your host are on an eligible fare); 6) Can't use Aeroplan miles to upgrade (nor any other type of miles). 7) Those using flight passes that are originally booked in Latitude fares can upgrade 24 hours before the flight without using a certificate; 8) If your upgrade doesn't clear when you call in ahead of time you will have to wait until the date of departure to see if it clears and if not you have check-in (online (12 hours) or in person) and get back onto the upgrade waitlist that the airport has control of, in which case you will most likely need to wait at the gate for your name to be called. 9) If your upgrade clears ahead of time then you're pretty much good to go. 10) Priority for upgrades (i.e. at the gate) are supposed to be in order of status, then fare paid, then time of checkin. So theoretically a Super Elite on a Tango Plus fare trumps an Elite on a Latitude fare trumps a Prestige on a Latitude Plus fare trumps a second Prestige on a Latitude Plus fare who checked in a minute after the first Prestige. I'm probably missing other points so I'll let others chime in. |
I have just used Web Check in for a flight that was already confirmed in I, 7 days out.
When completing the web check in online, the confirmed seat assignment displayed as "4D/Standby". The boarding pass has the seat only printed. Does the 'standby' indicate that there is some risk that my seat is not really confirmed, or does it relate to my non status travelling companion who is still waiting for an upgrade? I believe that he has already web checked in. |
Originally Posted by Argonaut1000
I have just used Web Check in for a flight that was already confirmed in I, 7 days out.
When completing the web check in online, the confirmed seat assignment displayed as "4D/Standby". The boarding pass has the seat only printed. Does the 'standby' indicate that there is some risk that my seat is not really confirmed, or does it relate to my non status travelling companion who is still waiting for an upgrade? I believe that he has already web checked in. Usually X/Y indicates your seat number X for the first flight and Y indicates your seat number for the second flight. |
Originally Posted by Shareholder
SEs have priority over Es even if they are put on the wait list after an E (i.e. between 2 and 4 days). The waitlist will likely be visited by load controlled just prior to the P 2-day window opening, and upgrade inventory could be released. If that occurs, all SEs on the list will clear first, then Es based on when they were put on the list. Any remaining seats would be available for Ps to take when their window opens. If the wait list remains through the P upgrade period, but upgrade inventory is released the day before the flight, the priority will still be SEs, Es and then Ps, all based on when they were put on the list.
However, if the list does not clear prior to flight, on the day of flight it all starts again from scratch. The new waitlist will be based on when elites checked in and asked to be put on the new list. Priority will go to revenue passengers and those holding W space on D award tickets, based on status. Then cert upgrades will go to SEs, based on when they checked in, then Es, then Ps. BTW what does the back cabin look like. They may not be releasing seats in the front if the flight is overbooked in back, and if that's the case, you might get an opup when you check-in. These too are processed by status, but are generally preprocessed when a flight is overbooked and noshows are not expected. That list is prepared by status, irrespective of when one checks in, as it is all done hours before the flight is to depart. If you provide more details of route, date, etc. we might be able to provide a better idea of how the flight is likley to clear upgrades. So how do travel companions factor into the upgrade priority?? Does the companion of a Super Elite have priority over an Elite? I am travelling YYZ-FRA on Feb 25 AC872. I have upgraded already (SE), my co-worker (non-status/companion) was put on the waitlist. Does he have priority over Elites due to my status? What are his chances? Thanks, YEG_Flyer |
Originally Posted by YEG_Flyer
So how do travel companions factor into the upgrade priority??
Does the companion of a Super Elite have priority over an Elite? On one flight AC015, when there was an equipment change resulting in a loss of J seats, my wife was on a Y fare with upgrade confirmed months before. At check-in, they told us her upgrade was revoked because she did not have status, even through she was my companion, and would only guarantee a J class seat if we paid the fare differential to J. That led to a long argument with concierge as to what a "confirmed upgrade" at time of booking meant, and eventually she got it; but my understanding of the way they did things was that other members with status would have gotten the UG ahead of her, based on her own status. |
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