DarrenT

Hi all...

Firstly, I have searched fairly deeply on this one, and can't find anything within the last 18 months or so of relevance...

1/ Do AC still only tend to limit (on average) Business Class rewards to 2 per flight (YYC-YVR A319)? (Using BD miles - seems to tie in with what my older searches uncovered and what availability I am finding)

2/ Three of us are travelling, two of us already in Business, one down the back... is it likely that availability will open up nearer the time? We depart this sat (so have to have it by then for ticket reissue), but flight in question is not until 3 Feb. KVS shows J9 C2 Y9 M9 U9 B9 R9 H9 K9 V9 N9 Q9 G9 L9 P9 A0 E0 T0 I1

3/ There was talk previously of Aeroplan members possibly getting upgraded to Business at check-in/the gate, if they are travelling on a business class reward with that sector in economy (due to lack of award availability). Does that still happen? And do you think there would be any chance of getting the last one of us up (all three of us are BD *G)? Obviously they may not be able to see what mileage was spent in the booking (as it was made in Amadeus), so would only have the ticket receipt as proof. Who would you suggest we ask?

Many thanks for your insight.

yyzgigi

1/ There are very few flights that have more than 2 seats in business available in advance, but there may be some exceptions. It is possible that some may open up, but I wouldn't count on it.

2/ Although I don't know the rules of your program, even if seats do open up you cannot likely change once ticketed without a charge.

3/ If you are able to confirm business class for a portion of the route and you pay a business class point redemption level, then if it is available on the day of flight you have the right to a seat in Business Class. It is important to realize that is not an upgrade, but a confirmation of seating in the cabin you have paid for. You have more rights to that seat on day of flight than a frequent flyer with upgrade certificates, so you need to be clear in your request. I would expect that you stand an excellent chance of a seat at the front.

Having said all that, the flight is not very long, so if you don't get it, it really shouldn't be a big deal. As there is a high frequency of flights, you could also confirm business class on a later flight for the third passenger and then standby for free to be on the same flight. However, the worst case (very unlikely) would be that they had to stay on the original later flight, or had to downgrade to economy.

Hope this helps.

DarrenT

2/ It is a minor fee, more than acceptable, so not an issue.

3/ Do you mean that there just has to be one physical seat unoccupied in Business to get it, or does there have to be Business award class availability?

Many thanks for your help!

yyznomad

3/ There has to be a physical seat only (that can be occupied by a pax).

Academic

As long as you've paid for a Bus class award, even if you're booked in economy, you have the highest priority for a Bus class seat at the gate (except for a walkup revunue pax.

DarrenT

Even if that Business award booking is made through another *A member airline, and not through Aeroplan?!?

Who is the best person to ask for it... check-in, lounge dragons or the gate staff? Or all three?

Tax Dude

Those are the rules when you book an Aeroplan award ticket on Air Canada. Are they the same when, as in the OP's case, a BD *A award is booked on AC? I know that it didn't work that way for me when I booked a *A award on LH with my AP points.

I suspect that as long as the Air Canada ticket shows "D" class it doesn't matter which program awarded the ticket and you'll be entitled to business class as discussed in the other posts. Make sure you point out the booking class to the check-in agent so they know you're not asking to upgrade. I always say - "I'm on a business class award but they couldn't assign me a business class seat when I got the ticket, can you go that for me now?"

DarrenT

Aha... this would be a problem then... the two of us that are confirmed in Business are D class, and the other is W (as BD cannot waitlist for a class that has no availability, except on themselves).

acysb87

That,I was not aware of.(My son is on an award tix next month and he is good on 3 of 4 segments.I told him he was #1 on list,no matter what.Oops )

californiadreamin'

Not quite. You can choose to use any words you want, but don't expect a knowledgeable Agent to be fooled by incorrect use of terminology. In return for the specific flight, the customer has accepted a Hospitality-cabin booking. Day-of-flight, the customer can present her/his Executive-class ticket and be placed on the upgrade list. Priority is indeed with the ticketed fare category (in such a case, Executive class) and is at a higher pecking-order than an UG certificate would be. It would still be at a lower priority than someone presenting, for example, a paid J-class ticket. But being boarded in the main cabin as ticketed for that segment does not constitute any refundability- hence, it is an upgrade request and not simply being "assigned a business-class seat" that should have been received at the getgo.

EliteTrotter

I've had experience with this and as soon as the AC flight is closed, and the gate agent starts processing upgrades, they printed an Executive class boarding pass for me travelling on a business class award with only a confirmed economy seat for that flight.

First in line.

^

EliteTrotter