Priority order for upgrades?
 

I'm an Aeroplan Elite member trying to use an SSWU for an upcoming transatlantic flight.

When I called AC, they said that they can put me on the waiting list for an upgrade, even though there are still 17 seats left in Executive class.

Now, is the priority determined by the order the passenger made the upgrade request? Or do Super Elites get priority? Does the fare class make any difference (I've got a V class ticket)?

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.

When I went thru the same questions recently I was told

The waiting list you are on is valid only until the day of the flight. ON the day of the flight a brand new list is created with all SE first and then Elites. Elites are then ordered according to the fare (ie you will be higher then someone with L). In case of a tie in status and fare they are ranked according to time of check in.

As far as I know there is no such rules for the pre-day of flight waiting list but SE do get priority.

If the priority waitlist doesn't clear before the day of the flight, be sure to web-checkin 12 hours out so that you get to the top of the day-of-flight upgrade standby list. Definitely worth staying up late the night before my YYZ-SYD flight.

when upgrades are done at the gate it is in order of status, then by fare type, then by time checked in at.

Just an update on this flight. I'll be flying on Sunday, January 1. Right now, it seems as though Y class is sold out (or overbooked) and J class has 14 out of 25 seats remaining.

Just keeping my fingers crossed!

You don't mention if you have status, but I think you are in pretty good shape for free champagne! if the cert is yours and not gifted.

DF

Yes, I've got Elite status.

What flight are you on ?

Jan. 1, 2006
AC457 - YOW to YYZ 15:00
AC880 - YYZ to CDG 18:45

And is there an easy way of checking seat inventory?

Economy is not soldout as seats are still being sold. It shows J9 C9 Y1, I think you have a good chance of an UG. I would call the AC reserv( a couple of times) and speak to different agents. I have done this and some are nice enough to tell me my position on the WL.

Yep.

However, many gate agents do not follow this "suggested" method.

I will post later what happened with the upgrade situation on flight AC141 YYZ YYC this past Monday. I get mad thinking about it, and I KNOW that mtacchi won't be too pleased either.

If you were on this flight and were SE, E, or P and sitting in Y (which was oversold), then I'll tell you that there were non-status op-ups that got your J seat (oh, and before you politically correct members of this forum jump all over me for assuming that I'm assuming -- I suggest holding your opinion before until I after I post the details).

I am not surprised YYZnomad, and I look forward to your posting. ^

And, oh, YOWflyer, please let us know how it all went !

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.

Thanks Andrew! That is interesting though since I spoke with someone during the boarding process who had Elite tags but I guess they weren't his. In addition, I had a sneak peak at the manifest and swore I saw members in the back?

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).

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?

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.

AC stock, AC metal = normal upgrade rules/procedures

*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.

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?

'Try on check-in' I meant check-in in FRA. I start on LH at ALA (Almaty). Dont see how I can make whole booking with AC since no AC office here, and since LH is Star Alliance you would think AC would respond to a LH-AC booking the way UA did for you on a AC-UA booking, but they dont.

a) For sure. Even if you decide on b), do a) first!

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 ;)

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.

Well, the web check-in didn't work because I was on the waiting list for J class. Had to go to the airport to check in. I guess I'll wait and see.

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

1) You need to have Air Canada status;
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.

Are you connecting anywhere?

Usually X/Y indicates your seat number X for the first flight and Y indicates your seat number for the second flight.

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

Based on my experience, NO.
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.

Web-checking and request for upgrade.
 

If the waitlist for an upgrade does not clear prior to the flght and I will check in on the web, is there "box" to request an upgrade using certificates. I checked in before using the web-checkin, but don't recall seeing any selection for upgrade request.
Candot

Op-Up from L fare?
 

Has anyone ever got an op-up from an L fare on a transatlantic flight?
I've been bumped up on a Sun Pass flight to Las Vegas (booked at last minute) without a cert, but never to LHR or CDG. Is it even possible for SE or E fliers?

I can confirm IluvSQ's scenario based on one personal experience and observation on another (I was flying on a full J thus unaffected) and equipment was switched from an A345 to A343), both within the immediate past seven months.

In the case when I was down graded from “confirmed” upgrade to economy, Customer Solutions later told me (in writing) that all upgrade confirmation is subject to availability. AC has the right to revoke such prior confirmation without compensation. It’s unfair for those who do not want to play aerolotto and pay Y or M fare to secure the so called “confirmation” but the work-around is to avoid the A345 and A330. Go for the 25 J seats B763 first, then the 30 J seats A343 and B763.

Anthing is possible, but I wouldn't count on it happening. Think of it as finding a $20 bill wadded up in the pocket of newly washed jeans :D

There a lot os SE's on the transatlantics so they should get first rights on any Op up situation...... but there is theory and there is practice.

DF

still, to take away a confirmed upgrade and give the pax nothing in compensation is complete crap. They should offer J on another AC flight if possible, otherwise they should provide them compensation. If I want to fly in Y on a longhaul flight I will buy an L fare, not a high economy fare. If AC does give downgraded pax nothing, I really hope that those pax never fly AC again, and at least send them a message. I know sometimes that it is out of their control, but it is not the pax fault for faulty aircrafts. I specifically booked YUL - HKG via YVR just to avoid the chance of being downgraded to Y, I even had to fly on a day not to my liking, but its a price you pay to get what you want.

I did get opuped trans-atlantic but not on AC. It was during the Xmas / new year holidays and they were drastically oversold at the back and started upgrading according to status. I think I got 1 op-up from AC without certs and it was YYZ-LGA.

Probably not now. But in 2002 before the SWU's worked on anything but Y/M fares I was op-upped an amazing 9 transatlantic legs out of 12 as a mere E. :cool: ^ . Haven't received an op-up on AC since, even on domestic. :td:

There is a difference between buying Y or M to secure an upgrade "confirmation" at reservation and buying a cheapest upgradable economy fare to try to secure an upgrade during the window, or airport upgrade standby. The latter is playing aerolotto. I don't feel as bad if my upgrade was subsequently taken away (due to equipment change, etc.) as it was never assured. However, in the former case, it's not fair.

Last summer I was op-uped from an L fare, as were a large number of non status passengers too. This was LHR-YVR, I had decided to save my SSWU to use on the return flight. The flight was oversold in the back.

The meal orders were taken by status and I don't think there were many status flyers that day, I was the first to be asked (as an E).

:) Chris.

Well, I can trump all yours :D

Flying back from LHR this past summer, my son and I were upgraded as per my U/G certs (paid tickets). My wife was flying on points, and thus not eligible for an upgrade. However, the flight was oversold, and she was eventually upgraded from a W [Aeroplan] fare! We were happy that we all got to fly J, but I was amazed that she was upgraded to the last remaining seat in J, ahead of all the paying Y pax...