I have browsed the board and found some threads about upgrading. Let me first say that my experience is very limited - a r/t coach segment PHL-Toronto-Vancouver back in 2005. The flight wasn't bad.

I am now looking to go PHL-PEK in Aug. I have found pretty decent fares in coach on AC around $1800 r/t. I need to travel outbound between 8/1 and 8/6 and return between 8/14 and 8/20.

I have 10k miles in my account from my segments in 05. Is there a way to upgrade with mileage? I found on the AC site that I could buy upgrade certificates. Could anyone explain if this works? They don't sell them at the PHL ticket counter so I don't know how I would get one.

Any help you can provide would be very helpful!

Thanks

 

Just some ABC here:

1. Aeroplan does not have any benefits of using aeroplan miles to upgrade purchased ticket.

2. You need to fly more AC and its Star Alliance partners every calendar year. In return, AC rewards you by giving you some kind of "status", depending on how many miles you have flown from the previous calendar year (Jan 1 through Dec 31), and comes along with this status, AC gives you some upgrade coupons. These coupons can be used in some of your future flight.

3. How to use these coupons depends on what fare/booking class seats you purchase the next flight. It means these coupons are only applicable to certain booking classes. Your status also limits when you can make request, online or calling in, to upgrade.

So in short, you need to fly many miles in order to be "recognize" by Air Canada and thus in order to be able to exercise upgrade request.

If your last flight was from 2005, and accummulated 10k in your aeroplan account, chances are that you have not flown enough to be able to do much about the upgrade in 2008.

In order to request upgrade a paid flight in 2008, you should have flown at least 35,000 miles in 2007.

Hope this helps

 

The upgrade certs you can buy from AC for $100 for two can only be used on a Y, M, or U class fare. Typically these are more expensive coach fares. A typical M fare (economy-flexible) PHL-PEK runs around $3400 all in return.

More info here...

Looks like LGA is probably the closest AC Ticket Office that you can buy these from since they aren't available at PHL.

J.

 

I should also point out they would only be applicable for the North American segment (PHL-YYZ or PHL-YYZ-YVR) and not the international segment (at least according to the T&Cs of these for-sale upgrade certs...)

Not really worth it, IMO...

J.

 

On searching the AC page more I found that they have "Air Canada Special System-Wide Upgrade Certificate" but where would one find that certificate?

http://www.aircanada.com/en/us/news/oneway/index.html

 

SSWU certs as far as I know are only awarded to those with Elite or Super Elite status on Air Canada.

 

More importantly, they can only be used by Aeroplan members with current status. Meaning even if you managed to get a SSWU cert, you'd have to have status yourself or find an Elite/Super Elite member on the same flight to upgrade you with it.

 

That is correct and to further clarify on what Sean is saying on the last part of the sentence is that an Aeroplan Basic or non-aeroplan member would need to have an E/SE traveling on the same flight in order to use that E/SE's SSWU.