Upgrading with Airline Partners
 

Hi,

Does anyone know if it is possible to use an AC SWU on an AC/OS ticket from YHZ-YYZ-VIE-SJJ and back?

I am flying YHZ-YYZ on AC, then YYZ-VIE-SJJ on OS. I wouldn't bother to use an upgrade cert from Halifax to Toronto, but would like to do so across the water. If I use the upgrade to check in to YYZ, would there be any chance that the upgrade would follow me?

AC told me that I couldn't use the cert unless it was AC metal across the water, but I wonder if OS might be a bit more lenient.

Am flying tomorrow (Aug 30), so if anyone who has any insight reads this, could you answer fast? I'd be grateful for any help.

Thanks,
karen

I don't see how OS can be more lenient, if they aren't participants in the AC's program. Even in those cases where you can upgrade on a partner, it's always the program in which you have the miles (or the SWU) that has to request the upgrade. If it's an AC upgrade instrument, only AC can "see" it, so there's nothing OS can do with it since it can't gain access to it, only AC can.

It's very rare to be able to upgrade (using either miles or SWUs) across partners. Most airlines only let you upgrade on their own metal. There are some exceptions in *A, but they vary a lot from *A airline to *A airline, and in many cases may only work on expensive fares. And, again, they still require the airlne program you have the miels or SWU with to be the one to request it be applied to the partner; you can't request it from the partner yourself.

And upgrades don't "follow" anything; they have to be applied, by the airline whose program you're using, on a flight leg by flight leg basis.

Meanwhile, I'm not sure why you posted this in MilesBuzz. If it's a question about AC's SWU instruments, it should have gone in the Air Canada forum. (I have no clue specficially on AC or SO, I don't even know who SO is, I just know how these things work in general across tons of other airlines.)

You can try calling again, however, as sdsearch stated, "if they aren't participants in the AC's program" how do you expect the UG to happen?

It's an AC certificate, so AC makes the rules. They'd have to pay OS cold hard cash to upgrade you on its flight, as opposed to upgrading you on one of their own flights where the incremental cost is negligible (or zero, if they'd upgrade someone anyhow).

As posted, the AC forum would be the best place for this question since that's where the AC experts hang out. You may find someone here who knows something about AC's program, but it's chancy. I'd click the Alert a Moderator button (black exclamation point in red triangle under your name) and ask that this thread be moved. That's better than cross-posting, which is against FT policy and likely to get at least one of the two threads closed.

What if it's a codeshare on AC metal. Can you use AC SWU and SSWUs then?

Read the certificate. It says it can be used on flights operated by AC or Jazz.

So yes, you can use it on a codeshare on AC metal. You won't be able to upgrade in advance at the usual windows though. You can either try it at the airport or through OLCI.

Since you've also posed the question in the Aeroplan forum I will close this thread here.

Regards,
Gary
aka gleff
Milesbuzz moderator