How to request an upgrade

You can use your eUpgrade Credits to request an upgrade on any Air Canada and Air Canada Express (operated by Jazz only) flight which features an Executive cabin, so long as you have a ticketed reservation. You will also need to ensure that your Aeroplan number is entered as your frequent flyer number on your reservation in order to complete an upgrade.

You can request an upgrade for an entire one-way itinerary, or choose to upgrade only certain flight segments.

What you need to do

To request an upgrade, simply:

• access your eUpgrade account, or
• contact Air Canada Reservations or your travel agent.

Just make sure you are within your applicable booking window.

The following charts display your booking window, based on your destination, the fare class purchased and your eligible Altitude status.

** Effective October 16, 2012, K, L and T booking classes are sold under the Tango fare option on international markets, and are therefore no longer eligible for eUpgrades on these markets. They continue, however, to be eligible for eUpgrades for flights within Canada, or between Canada and the United States, the Caribbean and Mexico.

As soon as you request your upgrade, the required eUpgrade Credits are removed from your account. Please note:

• Your eUpgrade Credits must not expire prior to the date of travel on which you wish to upgrade.
• The credits with the shortest validity period will always be removed from your account first.

If you don't end up flying in the Executive cabin, or if you are upgraded for only a part of your itinerary, you may be entitled to a refund. If so, a portion or all of the eUpgrade Credits are returned to your account after your travel has been completed.

Learn more about how eUpgrade credits are calculated.

If upgrade space is available, you will be confirmed when you make your request. Otherwise, you are placed on a waitlist. If you do not receive an upgrade confirmation via email for your waitlisted flight(s) before you check in, your request is automatically transferred to the airport standby list.

You can also request an upgrade:

• when you check in online, on your mobile device, or at an airport kiosk (provided you are traveling alone on your reservation),
• with an agent at the airport, or
• at the departure gate on your day of travel.

Please note, if you request your upgrade at check-in or with an airport agent, you will be placed on the airport standby list which is processed at time of departure.

Reservations with more than two passengers

If you are travelling on a reservation with more than two passengers, we strongly recommend that you request your upgrade prior to your day of travel or, at the latest, during check-in with an agent at the airport. Although we will do our utmost, it may not always be possible for us to honour upgrade requests made at the gate when travelling on such reservations.

Travel using another member's eUpgrade credits

Currently, only one member may sponsor an upgrade per reservation. For instance, if a Super Elite 100K and Prestige 25K member are travelling together on the same booking, it is not possible for the Super Elite 100K member to sponsor an upgrade for the departing flight(s), and for the Prestige 25K member to sponsor an upgrade for the return flight(s).

Earning frequent flyer miles or points

If you wish to use eUpgrade Credits to request an upgrade on your itinerary, you will be required to use your Aeroplan Number as your frequent flyer number. If you wish to earn miles or points with another program, your eUpgrade request will be cancelled.

Codeshare flights

If you are travelling on a codeshare flight operated by Air Canada (e.g. a United-marketed, Air Canada-operated flight), you may only request an upgrade with an Air Canada agent at the airport, or at the departure gate on your day of travel. Please note that some airports are excluded; refer to the codeshare flight information in the 'Airport exceptions' section below.

Airport exceptions

If you booked a flight departing from one of the airports listed below:

• You will need to complete your eUpgrade request:
  • at least 12 hours prior to departure;
  • by accessing your eUpgrade account, or by contacting Air Canada Reservations or your travel agent.
• You will not be able to request an eUpgrade in person.
• eUpgrades will not be cleared at the airport for previously waitlisted requests.
• You will not be able to request an upgrade if you are travelling on a codeshare flight operated by Air Canada (e.g., a United-marketed, Air Canada-operated flight).

Cancelling an upgrade

If your upgrade request is waitlisted:

• you can cancel the upgrade request by accessing your eUpgrade account, or by contacting Air Canada Reservations or your travel agent.

If your upgrade request is confirmed:

• you can cancel the upgrade request by contacting Air Canada Reservations or your travel agent. Note that if your originally purchased Economy booking class is no longer available, you may need to pay the applicable fare difference.

Upon cancellation of an upgrade request, any eUpgrade Credits applicable to that flight will be returned to your account.

Related topics:

• Air Canada eUpgrades - homepage
• How to report eUpgrade discrepancies
• How eUpgrade Credits are calculated
• How to earn eUpgrade Credits
• eUpgrades to Share
• Terms and conditions