Pay for Q to U/M 'upgrade'?
Oct 4, 2006, 11:23 am
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 56
Originally Posted by Doc Fraud
Upgradeability is based on availability of upgrade space at the time of your transaction. If you pay for an "M" fare you also need to check if there is "I" space available. The agent was probably offering you a way to reverse your decision and put you back to "H" rather than threatening you to reclassify your fare maliciously.
FWIW if you are going the "M" class upgrade route, you need to pay very close attention to a tool like KVS and call only when you see "I" availability. Otherwise you may as well roll the dice at the gate and keep the $$$ in your own pocket. My personal rule is to assure a seat up front by 4 days before flight, and I'm sure that the route controllers understand that because on busy routes they will hold "I" at 0 right up to gate control.
DF
FWIW if you are going the "M" class upgrade route, you need to pay very close attention to a tool like KVS and call only when you see "I" availability. Otherwise you may as well roll the dice at the gate and keep the $$$ in your own pocket. My personal rule is to assure a seat up front by 4 days before flight, and I'm sure that the route controllers understand that because on busy routes they will hold "I" at 0 right up to gate control.
DF
Anybody ever successfully play the 'well, funny you should ask because I actually have a SWU but it is pretty "special" to me' gambit at check in?
Oct 4, 2006, 11:31 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC *P
Posts: 1,812
Originally Posted by Doc Fraud
Upgradeability is based on availability of upgrade space at the time of your transaction. If you pay for an "M" fare you also need to check if there is "I" space available. The agent was probably offering you a way to reverse your decision and put you back to "H" rather than threatening you to reclassify your fare maliciously.
DF
DF
I do not think you should jump to defend AC here so quickly. You were not privy to my upgrade request telephone conversation and I do understand that that it is based on availability (which was C class at the time).
At the time I paid for my fare, my TA assured me there were some C6 or more seats. The moment I received my ticket number, I called AC to confirm my upgrade and there were still C seats available.
At the time (and unlike now), no "official" M fare was available. The only "official" published fares were H then followed by Y. To get a B or M class, one would have needed to pay $100 for each class upsell along the way.
The AC agent was definitely not offering me my $200 upsell fare difference because he said "your fare basis is H******* so your booking class should be H" and "I am going to change your booking class to H which is what it should be". The AC agent was a French fellow and was one of the rudest I have ever encountered.
Oct 4, 2006, 11:52 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Programs: SPG - Platinum, Hertz - 5 Star
Posts: 2,387
Originally Posted by mudd_stuffin
I do not think you should jump to defend AC here so quickly. You were not privy to my upgrade request telephone conversation and I do understand that that it is based on availability (which was C class at the time).
At the time I paid for my fare, my TA assured me there were some C6 or more seats. The moment I received my ticket number, I called AC to confirm my upgrade and there were still C seats available.
At the time (and unlike now), no "official" M fare was available. The only "official" published fares were H then followed by Y. To get a B or M class, one would have needed to pay $100 for each class upsell along the way.
The AC agent was definitely not offering me my $200 upsell fare difference because he said "your fare basis is H******* so your booking class should be H" and "I am going to change your booking class to H which is what it should be". The AC agent was a French fellow and was one of the rudest I have ever encountered.
At the time I paid for my fare, my TA assured me there were some C6 or more seats. The moment I received my ticket number, I called AC to confirm my upgrade and there were still C seats available.
At the time (and unlike now), no "official" M fare was available. The only "official" published fares were H then followed by Y. To get a B or M class, one would have needed to pay $100 for each class upsell along the way.
The AC agent was definitely not offering me my $200 upsell fare difference because he said "your fare basis is H******* so your booking class should be H" and "I am going to change your booking class to H which is what it should be". The AC agent was a French fellow and was one of the rudest I have ever encountered.
BTW if you depend on your TA for upgrades, you will spend a lot of time in the back, because most have no two clues about upgrades and upgrade rules.
AC does not need me to defend them, and I am not trying to as they are quite thick skinned based on my own experience. But if you have two parties both of whom are looking for a fight, you will have a fight!! You as the customer are always right, but I would suggest that a hollow victory really doesn't accomplish much.
Remember "I" space is the magic number
DF
Oct 4, 2006, 12:22 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: YQB
Programs: AC*SE/2.1MM, Flying Blue Explorer, BA Executive Club Blue, AAdvantage Basic, ANA MC
Posts: 2,551
Originally Posted by Doc Fraud
Upgrades are not based on "C" space. (...) Remember "I" space is the magic number
Oct 4, 2006, 2:38 pm
#20
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC *P
Posts: 1,812
Originally Posted by Doc Fraud
Upgrades are not based on "C" space. That was my point! You need to look for "I" space which is a virtual allotment of upgradeable seats in the front cabin. It is not uncommon for the front of the bus to show J9 C9 I0. If this occurs you cannot upgrade no matter what your TA tells you.
BTW if you depend on your TA for upgrades, you will spend a lot of time in the back, because most have no two clues about upgrades and upgrade rules.
AC does not need me to defend them, and I am not trying to as they are quite thick skinned based on my own experience. But if you have two parties both of whom are looking for a fight, you will have a fight!! You as the customer are always right, but I would suggest that a hollow victory really doesn't accomplish much.
Remember "I" space is the magic number
DF
BTW if you depend on your TA for upgrades, you will spend a lot of time in the back, because most have no two clues about upgrades and upgrade rules.
AC does not need me to defend them, and I am not trying to as they are quite thick skinned based on my own experience. But if you have two parties both of whom are looking for a fight, you will have a fight!! You as the customer are always right, but I would suggest that a hollow victory really doesn't accomplish much.
Remember "I" space is the magic number
DF
Perhaps you do not know this, but as of about two to three years ago, availability of upgrade (for at least YYZ-HKG) was out of C inventory and not "I". I never use a TA for upgrade requests for exactly the same reason(s) you mentioned.
It is not until recently when they resorted I class, which is when AC probably realized that they should not confuse a discount J ticket (in C) with upgradeable inventory (then C, now I).
At the time, you could not even buy a C class fare which you can buy now (for my YYZ-HKG flight).
Oct 4, 2006, 2:50 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC*E, Alaska MVP Gold, FPC Premier, SPG Gold
Posts: 659
I wonder why AC bothers to have a 'F' fare basis on a YYZ-HKG flight? Do they use that fare for selling a UA flight or something?
Originally Posted by KVS
The only cost should be the difference in fare (the applicability of fares listed below would depend on your exact travel dates):
[KVS Availability Tool 2.4.1/Platinum - Sabre: Fares/ZUJ/SG-USD]
[KVS Availability Tool 2.4.1/Platinum - Sabre: Fares/ZUJ/SG-USD]
Code:
YYZ Toronto Pearson Int'l ON CA [CYYZ] HKG Hong Kong Int'l HK [VHHH] RT Carrier From To Fare Cur Fare Basis --------- ------ ---- --------- ---- --------- ---- -- ---------- AC YYZ HKG 1115 USD LHKGSPL AC YYZ HKG 1296 USD QLHKGAC AC YYZ HKG 1431 USD VLHKGAC AC YYZ HKG 1566 USD HLHKGAC AC YYZ HKG 1702 USD BLHKGAC AC YYZ HKG 2108 USD MLHKGAC AC YYZ HKG 4005 USD BKXAP3M AC YYZ HKG 4086 USD BKWAP3M AC YYZ HKG 4724 USD Y2R AC YYZ HKG 4808 USD BKXE6M1 AC YYZ HKG 4887 USD BKWE6M1 AC YYZ HKG 5144 USD Y2 AC YYZ HKG 6802 USD CSPHKG AC YYZ HKG 8611 USD J2R AC YYZ HKG 9234 USD JR1 AC YYZ HKG 9382 USD FR AC YYZ HKG 9416 USD J2 AC YYZ HKG 9794 USD Y AC YYZ HKG 9980 USD J1 AC YYZ HKG 10020 USD Y AC YYZ HKG 10220 USD F AC YYZ HKG 12908 USD J AC YYZ HKG 18138 USD F
Oct 4, 2006, 2:54 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: YHZ
Programs: Sans souci
Posts: 2,190
Originally Posted by mudd_stuffin
... Perhaps you do not know this, but as of about two to three years ago, availability of upgrade (for at least YYZ-HKG) was out of C inventory and not "I".
Oct 4, 2006, 3:01 pm
#23
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC *P
Posts: 1,812
Originally Posted by AnselmAdorne
AC created the "I" inventory in May 2005 and yes, prior to that time upgrades came from "C" inventory. I think you'll find that anyone around the AC forum on FT at that time knows all about it--there seemed to be hundreds of postings on it at the time.
Oct 4, 2006, 3:09 pm
#24
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Programs: SPG - Platinum, Hertz - 5 Star
Posts: 2,387
Originally Posted by mudd_stuffin
I do appreciate your clarification and I do realize that it is out of "I" now, which is why I wrote "(which was C class at the time)" earlier. I thank you for trying to be helpful but I know how the upgrade system works.
Perhaps you do not know this, but as of about two to three years ago, availability of upgrade (for at least YYZ-HKG) was out of C inventory and not "I". I never use a TA for upgrade requests for exactly the same reason(s) you mentioned.
It is not until recently when they resorted I class, which is when AC probably realized that they should not confuse a discount J ticket (in C) with upgradeable inventory (then C, now I).
At the time, you could not even buy a C class fare which you can buy now (for my YYZ-HKG flight).
Perhaps you do not know this, but as of about two to three years ago, availability of upgrade (for at least YYZ-HKG) was out of C inventory and not "I". I never use a TA for upgrade requests for exactly the same reason(s) you mentioned.
It is not until recently when they resorted I class, which is when AC probably realized that they should not confuse a discount J ticket (in C) with upgradeable inventory (then C, now I).
At the time, you could not even buy a C class fare which you can buy now (for my YYZ-HKG flight).
I thought were having a dialogue about current events since the thread was about a current situation
DF