Using CP SWA upgrades for an AA Platinum?
 

My old boss is headed to London late this month. He's an AA Platinum member. Would CP let him use CP SWA upgrade stickers from, say Y or Y2 fare Canada-London?

I assume he/she is flying Cdn, not AA.

Cdn stickers -- particularly the vaunted "black" ones -- are issued to and valid "for use by Cdn ExecPlatinum and Gold members" and only to be accepted for upgrading non-members when they are accompanying a member who also using a sticker on the same flight. So the answer is: your friend is out of luck.

Given that AA is no longer an owner of Cdn, I doubt there would be much sympathy for making an exception of being "part of the corporate family". Since AA doesn't have international upgrades except on a "paid for by miles" basis for its mid and low level elites (i.e. Gold and Platinum) it is even more unlikely Cdn would honour your request on a reciprocal basis.

Parhaps a good hearted gate agent might be convinced if there were seats left prior to departure, but convincing a res agent to confirm an upgrade 72-hours ahead might prove a problem. Will the computer even confirm an R upgrade for a non-elite unless accompanied by an ExecPlatinum or Gold member?

When I was AC Elite, I gave a friend who was Prestige a couple of extra North American upgrades I had, thinking AC would let her use them since she too was flying on a full-fare Y-class ticket. They refused her because she wasn't Elite. However, I have also used the Elite syestem-wide certificates to upgrade two colleagues when we were all travelling on Y2 tickets from Delhi all the way back to Canada: myself and one to Edmonton, the other to Vancouver.

The bottom line is you have to have the elite status to use the special elite upgrades issued as a perk for being elite.

Then again, I suppose anything is worth a try at the gate...

Well... the bottom line is that if you are not flying a CP aircraft, the answer is NO since stickers are only valid on CP operated aircraft and domestic AA aircraft.. Doesn't matter whether it's a full fare or not. Plus, black stikcers are only used by CP members. So being a AA Platinum will not help his case.

Regards,
Empress