Complementary Upgrades
 

I guess this is payment for no IFE for 8.5 hours on my return trip ;), but I was surprised to get a complementary upgrade to J in the new pods on my flight from YYZ to MAD. They called my name and asked if I was travelling alone and then told me they needed my seat and here was my upgrade. Have to admit the new pods are pretty nice. Most rested I've ever been on an overseas flight before, even in the old J configuration.

I was wondering how rare it is for this to happen when you have Elite status. Someone was telling me you have a greater change of getting upgraded if you have status and select the bulkhead row normally reserved for child carriers. Any truth to this?

Lastly, when I am not in J, how on earth does one actually get an exit row? You can't book it until you get to the airport and when I get there they are always booked. Because of earlier connecting flights, I effectively checked in 5 hours before the actual flight and still they were all full. Other airlines allow you to book exit rows in advance, does anyone know why you can't do this on AC?

Cheers,
Jeff

I had to call AC for something else and asked the Elite agent if he knew about the Exit row and he said he had been working there for 10 years and can't figure out how it works. He said that some people have booked exit rows on the AC website, some were able to do it 24 hours in advance online and then others can not do either of those. He was not sure how those seats are released and when.

Given that AC's load factor is over 80% and this is peak summer flying season, Operational Ugrades such as the one you received are not uncommon (but don't bet on them). Flying to MAD probably increased your chances since my bet is most people on the flgiht are non-status passengers on vacation.

AC will often oversell Y, especially if J is not full. When too many Y passengers show up the normal policy is to upgrade those with applicable certs first. If they still need more spots they'll look for status passengers to give Op ups - SE's then E's then P's. travelling alone helps your cause although they will sometimes upgrade a status passenger along with their non-status companion.

I had not heard tihs before, but it makes some sense - not from a "policy" but rather workload and/or grief perspective. If I'm a gate agent and I have to move people on a full flight, I'm either moving someone from a "premium" bulkhead to a non-premium (could be middle seat in the back of the bus), which will cause grief or upgrade them - which would you choose. The other alternative is to move a passenger from the bulkead to the seats of a higher-status passenger and moving that higher status passenger to J. That requires extra work since I'm now moving two sets of people instead of one.


Exit rows normally can only be booked at the airport through a "live" agent who is supposed to make sure that you qualify. You can't do it from a kiosk. When you checked in with a connecting flight, were you checking in with an agent and was it an AC flight?

As to why, I think it is simply one of those bizarre "rules" AC has in place for no particular reason. There can't be any legal impediment since WJ allows you to choose exit row seats when you do OLCI - you "self certify".

While I have never used a kiosk to check-in in well over year now, I can only comment on the web check-in. When the flight gets very full I have been assigned an exit row window seat automatically. It doesn't let me "choose" it - it just put me there.

As far as pre-assigning goes, I find it bizarre that AC can't or won't allow SEs, Es and Ps exit row seating access at time of booking like AS/QX for their MVP Gold and MVP members. I have seen on many occasions where Asian tour groups are seated in the exit row (and subsequently usually get moved elsewhere due to the language barrier for many) as well as teenagers and kids booked with a family. So it may actually improve things for everyone if they make this change. I am sure that many FAs will appreciate it!

Actually as an SE I find the best way to get an exit row seat is to book a Tango fare with no seat assignment. When I do OLCI I usually find a concierge has already obliged. ^

Timing of upgrade?
 

I seem to recall hearning about people being given an op-up with online check in - does this occur at online or airport check-in or is it only at the gate?

Travelling, on what appears to be an oversold flight form CDG to YUL tomorrow. For what its worth, there are 19 unassigned seats in J-class. Although I=3, my certs are in Toronto.

Any tips on trying to get an Op-up?

[KVS Availability Tool 3.1.2/Platinum - Apollo: ITN/US-ARL]

CDG Paris Charles De Gaulle FR [LFPG]
YYZ Toronto Pearson Int'l ON CA [CYYZ]
SUN 13 Jul 2008

Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C St Availability
--------- ------ ---- --------- ---- --------- ---- ---- -----------------------------------------
AC 871 CDG 10:30 YUL 12:00 77W 0 J8 C8 Z8 Y1 M0 U0 B0 H0 V0 Q0 L0 A0 K0 N0 I3

I'm only an E, but I love hearing the stories about how well the SE's are taken care of...

This is an unpredictable route but I bet you'll get the op-up.

As far as op-ups, one time I checked in at the YOW kiosk for a flight to YVR via YYZ.

The YOW/YYZ leg was in Y, but the BP came out with a J class seat onthe YYZ/YVR leg.

Unfortunately, my flight out of YOW was delayed so I missed my connection.

But, the delay meant I flew to YVR on the Gimli Glider (seat 23A) within weeks of its retirement.

YVR72; your prediction was correct. Overhead announcement in the lounge and a bunch of people, were upgraded. The flight must be way oversold.

I have called the SE desk weeks before my flight and had them put me in the exit row seat

Has anyone ever snagged an op-up at online check-in?

The reason I ask is that the ICNYVR flight this Friday is showing J9 C9 Z9 Y0 M0 and this is a pretty leisure/student/family-heavy route.

I'm Elite and planning on a tylenol-3 and 14H, but of course I'd be happy to vacate that aisle seat if needed :).

Once on a domestic flight a few years ago (not on-line mind you - it was when I checked in at the kiosk).