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Jan
5
Advice needed about using points to fly business class
rose in xn--fjqr0i.com edit
  • Need your advice please.

    Flying YYC-YYZ-UVF(St. Lucia) return next November (yes, I'm really planning ahead!) using points.

    I want to fly business class - they have two seats available for the YYC-YYZ legs, but ... only one seat available for the YYZ-UVF legs. I'm thinking about getting the two business class tickets (I understand that they would be ticketed D class but one would be assigned hospitality class seats), and then trying to get upgraded at the gate for the 2nd seat on the YYZ-UVF legs. Technically, you can't get upgraded on point seats, but these would be "paid for" in business class points.

    Would you recommend that? I hate the thought of using the extra points and then just losing them because I can't get the upgrade, but if I ticket W (hospitality) then I have zero chance of being in the front cabin (and I've gotten kinda spoiled about being comfortable on these longer flights). Do these flights tend to be full (only one a week) in the front cabin? Where would I rank in the pecking order for upgrades - I'm Elite, but these of course would not be fare-paid tickets.

    Any advice from all you FFs out there would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


  • My experience has shown you would be at the bottom of the pecking order for upgrade. They will give the upgrades to paid fares first.

    Personally I would either try different flights where I can get the front cabin, or I would just ticket in Hospitality, find decent seats and save the mileage.


  • I didn't know that there was a pecking order within Elites ... I'm presently an Elite ie. I qualified for Elite status in July of 2000 and of course will carry the same status into 2001.

    So if I'm reading you right, you're saying that I should be able to call a few days before the flight and request a "standby upgrade" to business class, even though I won't be using upgrade certs (since these will be D tickets)?

    MapleLeaf, I'm thinking about your idea of just getting decent seats in Hospitality. I believe this is an Airbus 320, any recommendations on good seats? - I usually just ask for the front row in Hosp since they usually have the most leg room.

    Thanks.


  • I recommend that you ticket in D, and then keep pressing for a seat.

    If you are an Élite, ask the desk to refer your res to the route controller to have another seat released from J to D. I wouldn't expect that much difficulty for a caribbean flight during November.

    Ultimately, you come ahead of everyone except paid J and C when it comes to getting a seat.


  • I often see tickets with W as the class of service and D as the fare code. I would say that 75% of the time we are able to accomodate the passenger at the gate. The others are correct in the order that upgrades would be processed at the gate. Still, it seems that you will enjoy 3 segments in guaranteed greater comfort and take a chance on the fourth. The chances of getting an upgrade on a W fare ticket are just about nil. Also I would think that there is a decent chance that someone might change their travel plans in the next 11 months and then you should get the seat.

    Easy for me to say, I know, but I would book in D class and take the risk.


  • As far as I understand and have been confirmed by CP/AC employees on this board.. order for standby upgrades are:

    - Full fare J pax if J is sold out
    - Paid business class award but couldn't confirm a seat at time of booking
    - SE/EP
    - E/G
    - P/C

    If you paid for D class but only got a W class seat, you would be near the top of the list for a J class seat doesn't matter what your status is.


  • Catgirl, I've had some experience with the same situation. Mine was for YYZ-LHR and my status was Elite as well.

    I already had a confirmed business class seat, but not on the date I wanted to travel. I called reservations repeatedly to try to confirm another date, but nothing was ever available. Even when I picked one of today's or tomorrow's flights which was wide open in J, they wouldn't confirm.

    I ended up just showing up at the airport and - no problem - they assigned me a business class seat.

    I wouldn't hold out much hope for having your seat confirmed. However, there's probably a pretty good chance you will get your seat at check-in. If I were in your situation I would give up the extra points for a shot at the J seats. Besides, you're already confirmed in the YYC-YYZ segments, right? That's worth the extra points alone, IMO.


  • If you are high enough elite, you will have priority at the gate even over a revenue upgrade unless those travellers outrank you. Only standbys for upgrades would be Prestiges with full fare tickets -- a very unlikely situation on a holiday route -- since Elites and SEs would have used their early confirmation privileges, but only SEs can use a systemwide on a discounted fare [under current rules which could be even more restricted in the new benefit year].. This route is unlikely to have many last-minute business travellers taking up those front cabin seats unless there is a trade mission or something similar at that time. But standing by is always risky.

    And since the stauts of award seats often changes, book what you want now and keep checking every few months to see if new seats have been released.

    I found Cdn was generally more facilitating in releasing award seats in this circumstance, but with AC it may not be the same. What is you elite status, catgirl? If you are going to be Elite in the new benefits year, then they will likely release a seat for you. If you will just be (or currently are) Club/Prestige or have no elite status, you are out of luck and will have to take your chances at the gate. As MapleLeaf suggests, however, find dates when the flights have both seats available to be safe.

    As to your basic question, if your award ticket was issued as a Business/Executive Class award and there is space that was booked in the back cabin, you can stand by for upgrading on those segments since you "paid" for that category of seat. And as noted, your elite status -- along with when you registered to be on the "at gate" standby list -- will determine what your priority will be.


  • This has happened to me several times before: I have the airline queue the booking and have the seat opened up (meaning they gave me a confirmed seat even though it was not available in inventory). At first, when you ask they will kick up a fuss, and probably tell you it can't be done. If they do, ask to speak to the Resolution Desk (that's what they call it at CP), they have ways of working these things out. The only impediment would be if J is already heavily sold, which is unlikely, this far in advance http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif


  • Originally posted by Fly Boy:
    [B] If they do, ask to speak to the Resolution Desk (that's what they call it at CP), they have ways of working these things out. /B]

    I love the names airlines give these departments. At Swissair they call it "Space Control"...I sometime feel as though I'm trying to get seats on the Space Shuttle :-)


  • My experince with the blue guys is that the J award seat eventually will be allocated to you. My experience withe the green guys is totally negative (as a CP/G). Even on day of travel they would not free up the seats, even though they flew empty. My family of 4 travelled on separate flights, with empty J seats.







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