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How do I get seat assignment on an Air Canada Flight booked with United?

Old May 16, 2017, 4:43 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Summary: Call Air Canada.

Originally Posted by rankourabu
For future reference, this is the backdoor AC site that allows seat selection on tickets booked elsewhere:
https://services.aircanada.com/Servi...method=english
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How do I get seat assignment on an Air Canada Flight booked with United?

Old Jun 1, 2014, 3:03 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by micmcguire
I have an upcoming UA flight (operated by Air Canada) which is a Boeing 777-200LR, but since it will not let me get seats assigned (booked in BF) on this leg I cannot tell if it is 2 cabin or 3 cabin and don't know how to identify which it would be.

Anyone have tips on how to do that? Also, if it is 3 cabin can I call them and try and apply a GPU, since it also will not let me do that online?
if you paid for the ticket see if you can get a nice UA agent to put you on UA planes. At the first schedule change you should be able to switch to UA.
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Old Jun 1, 2014, 7:31 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by mgcsinc
I've never actually gotten the external-booked seat selector site to work. But YMMV.
Didn't work for me earlier this week for an AC flight that was rebooked onto AC by UA.

Originally Posted by Starman
+1. Had the identical problem to solve this week, and phoning them is just an exercise in frustration. I tried multiple times, day and night, weekday and weekend, and was always quoted phone hold times of more than one hour.
I've never seen fewer then a 45-minute wait during any sort of normal hours - though I have gotten through pretty quick in the middle of the night. I've also used Skype to call one of their other country numbers - Switzerland and Germany earlier this week picked up immediately and could take care of my requests.
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Old Jun 1, 2014, 9:22 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
You can pick your seat here if you have the AC PNR (they worked nearly 2 years to get this link up - and it only works sometimes)

https://services.aircanada.com/Servi...method=english
This site used to work until 2+ months ago. It hasn't since then, at least for me. Hopefully they'll get it fixed soon.
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Old Jun 1, 2014, 9:25 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by FlytheTail
This site used to work until 2+ months ago. It hasn't since then, at least for me. Hopefully they'll get it fixed soon.
well it was COMING SOON for about 2 years..... so I wouldnt hold my breath on AC's definition of "SOON"

Originally Posted by emcampbe
I've never seen fewer then a 45-minute wait during any sort of normal hours
Thats pretty standard, short by AC standards actually.
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Old Jun 1, 2014, 3:56 pm
  #20  
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Originally Posted by FlytheTail
This site used to work until 2+ months ago. It hasn't since then, at least for me. Hopefully they'll get it fixed soon.
Customers are an inconvenience for Air Canada. AC has no intention of fixing the problem. And call centers? Really? AC has tried to be as rude as possible so you dont call?
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Old Aug 13, 2014, 6:52 pm
  #21  
 
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It's annoying that:
1) As UA Gold / *A Gold you are not in the AC economy plus seats when codeshare
2) The AC record does not show your *A status - just your UA number.
3) The segments don't count as UA flight activity even though UA# as code share. Hopefully it will count as PQD since UA flight #.
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Old Aug 13, 2014, 7:01 pm
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Originally Posted by flyzabit
It's annoying that:

2) The AC record does not show your *A status - just your UA number.
My AC boarding pass for a UA code-share, AC metal flight this week had
"UA *G" printed on it, rather than any version of my UA M+ member number. So buried on the AC record somewhere is info on your status, although perhaps they don't redisplay it online.
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Old Aug 13, 2014, 7:04 pm
  #23  
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Originally Posted by flyzabit
It's annoying that:
1) As UA Gold / *A Gold you are not in the AC economy plus seats when codeshare
2) The AC record does not show your *A status - just your UA number.
3) The segments don't count as UA flight activity even though UA# as code share. Hopefully it will count as PQD since UA flight #.
it's actually 'no' on all 4 counts.
Why would you get better seats on AC?
Your AC BP will show UA*G; why do you need your PNR to show display it?
If you fly AC metal why would it count as a UA flight segment?
Unless it is on a 016 ticket the AC segment will most certainly not earn PQM even if booked on a UA codeshare. If you want PQM when flying partner metal you must book a United ticket and then it doesn't matter whether the flight has AC or UA or LH or LX or whatever code.
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Old Aug 13, 2014, 7:14 pm
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Originally Posted by flyzabit
It's annoying that:
1) As UA Gold / *A Gold you are not in the AC economy plus seats when codeshare
2) The AC record does not show your *A status - just your UA number.
3) The segments don't count as UA flight activity even though UA# as code share. Hopefully it will count as PQD since UA flight #.
You want AC to treat UA elites better than UA treats its elites?

The situation you're looking for is better found in another alliance.
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Old Aug 13, 2014, 7:16 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by cfischer
Unless it is on a 016 ticket the AC segment will most certainly not earn PQM even if booked on a UA codeshare. If you want PQM when flying partner metal you must book a United ticket and then it doesn't matter whether the flight has AC or UA or LH or LX or whatever code.
You're confusing PQM with PQD.

Last edited by mahasamatman; Dec 12, 2015 at 8:23 pm Reason: Removed false statement made by someone else
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Old Aug 14, 2014, 10:50 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by flyzabit
It's annoying that:
1) As UA Gold / *A Gold you are not in the AC economy plus seats when codeshare
2) The AC record does not show your *A status - just your UA number.
3) The segments don't count as UA flight activity even though UA# as code share. Hopefully it will count as PQD since UA flight #.
Not sure what the policy is now - I think AC added some premium rows at the front of their aircraft - at least their narrowbody Airbus - within the last few months. I haven't flown them since then, however, *G should have access to bulkhead seats, but not exit rows. Not sure if the same applies for UA codeshare flights, but definitely on AC-coded flights I've been able to select bulkheads as a *G.

Correct, AC record doesn't show *G status. To be fair, most partner carriers don't show this information on the record you view online. Some offer access to certain seating not available to everyone, this is one way you can tell. You can always call and confirm you are showing as *G. BP will show UA*G, as mentioned by others - my AC BP's have always shown this (last flight I took with them was in May).

As for UA activity, presuming you are talking about lifetime miles. No, they don't, regardless of marketing carrier/flight number - it matters who is flying the aircraft. I understand this is a change for PMCO folks, but not for PMUA. And this fact was well publicized, at least in this forum, at the time of the time it happened. As for PQD - flight number is also irrelevant, what is relevant is ticket stock. If you bought this on the UA website, it is 100% on UA ticket stock, and therefore would earn miles. If bought through an OTA, may or may not be on 016 stock, and that would be the determination of whether it would count for PQD.
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Old Aug 14, 2014, 5:15 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by mahasamatman
You're confusing PQM with PQD.
correct. The OP asked about PQD and my answer is correct for PQD ... just a double typo
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Old Oct 31, 2014, 1:39 pm
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How do I get seat assignment on an Air Canada Flight booked with United?

I booked 2 award tickets for myself and my daughter (who uses a wheelchair) on my UA account and 2 tickets on my husband's account for him and our other daughter from Munich to MSP next spring. UA online is saying they cannot do seat assignments until we check in at the airport. I called UA and after answering a bunch of questions the automated system hung up on me. Before calling back should I call United or Canada Air? I'd like to make sure the flights are all connected in case of delays, etc. and hopefully we can get our seat numbers assigned as well. Help?
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Old Oct 31, 2014, 1:43 pm
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In my experience, if you book Air Canada on united.com you should get a UA confirmation number as well as an Air Canada one on the ticket email from UA. You can use that confirmation number to either call in or request seat assignments online.

I have done this on Lufthansa booked on united.com so dont see why it wouldnt work also on Air Canada.

Hope this helps.
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Old Oct 31, 2014, 1:43 pm
  #30  
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Originally Posted by ladyjaneMN
I booked 2 award tickets for myself and my daughter (who uses a wheelchair) on my UA account and 2 tickets on my husband's account for him and our other daughter from Munich to MSP next spring. UA online is saying they cannot do seat assignments until we check in at the airport. I called UA and after answering a bunch of questions the automated system hung up on me. Before calling back should I call United or Canada Air? I'd like to make sure the flights are all connected in case of delays, etc. and hopefully we can get our seat numbers assigned as well. Help?
Seat assignments are always handled by the operating carrier -- you will need to call or do online with AC.
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