Air Canada

[Hazel52]

Looking for anyone with experience upgrading after ticketing (with Viking) on Air Canada. After 10 river cruises and 6 ocean cruises this is the first time we’ve not been able to fly Delta home (from Athens in May for this cruise). No seats left that Viking “can purchase” on the flight we want. So, we’re on Air Canada and wondering if I should go ahead and have Viking ticket us so we can upgrade with Air Canada. Has anyone been successful in this scenario and if so what might the cost have been. And yes, we can cancel the airfare with Viking and rebook on our own but it’ll be an additional $3k. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Haworth]

We are on the the Star now and upgraded our flights London to Toronto to Miami to Air Canada business, very happy with flights, times , value etc would do it again 

[CannyScotTor]

A word to the wise. Air Canada main line international business class is pretty good. However, Air Canada Rouge is their budget airline which I would personally avoid at all costs. I would carefully check which airline is actually operating the flight.

[CurlerRob]

3 hours ago, Hazel52 said:

Looking for anyone with experience upgrading after ticketing (with Viking) on Air Canada. After 10 river cruises and 6 ocean cruises this is the first time we’ve not been able to fly Delta home (from Athens in May for this cruise). No seats left that Viking “can purchase” on the flight we want. So, we’re on Air Canada and wondering if I should go ahead and have Viking ticket us so we can upgrade with Air Canada. Has anyone been successful in this scenario and if so what might the cost have been. And yes, we can cancel the airfare with Viking and rebook on our own but it’ll be an additional $3k. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

You will want to check with Viking to understand what fare class they are using with AC. As with most airlines, some fare classes used by cruise lines are not upgradable - and once ticketed, you are bound to the rules of that fare class.

 

Worst case - AC usually has a "bidding" process for upgrades - it will appear some days before your flight. It's never a guarantee that you'll secure the upgrade, but we've had success with it a number of times.

 

Best of luck! 🍺🥌

[FlyerTalker]

4 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

You will want to check with Viking to understand what fare class they are using with AC. As with most airlines, some fare classes used by cruise lines are not upgradable - and once ticketed, you are bound to the rules of that fare class.

 

Absolutely correct.

 

And the fact that someone else was able to upgrade THEIR ticket does not mean that you will be able to upgrade YOUR ticket.  It completely depends on what the fare rules are for your ticket, not some other one in the past.

 

 

4 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

Worst case - AC usually has a "bidding" process for upgrades - it will appear some days before your flight. It's never a guarantee that you'll secure the upgrade, but we've had success with it a number of times.

 

Actually, the worst case is that your particular fare rules don't allow for even bidding.  There are some of those with AC and other carriers using that system.

 

 

 

[CDNPolar]

Why are you not doing the upgrade on AC with Viking Air?  Would this not guarantee you the class that you want?

 

We have regularly upgraded to Premium or Business through Viking Air? 

 

Doing the upgrade with Viking Air gives you the upgrade, because I agree with other posters here, that upgrading after the fact may not be possible because of the original class booked.  You may be out of luck.

Edited January 29, 2023 by CDNPolar

[RD64]

12 hours ago, CannyScotTor said:

A word to the wise. Air Canada main line international business class is pretty good. However, Air Canada Rouge is their budget airline which I would personally avoid at all costs. I would carefully check which airline is actually operating the flight.

I second this - avoid Rouge if at all possible.

[Hazel52]

Your advice has been so helpful. I’ve talked to air plus again, they ‘cannot’ tell me what fare class we have. Upgrading through them (just for the AC portion) would be the same cost if we just buy our ticket from Delta for the flights we want in comfort plus and get a refund from Viking. Still $2600 more. I’ve checked with air Canada and it’s not Rouge. Now weighing buying the Delta tickets or ticketing what we have and hoping we can upgrade through AC. Thanks so much!

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, RD64 said:

I second this - avoid Rouge if at all possible.

 

Not necessarily so.

 

If you have an international segment booked into AC Premium Economy, any connection that uses Rouge will qualify you for "Business" on the Rouge segments, which is equivalent to "domestic first".

 

Bought a ticket with PE for the ticket class - got PE for the TATL segment and Rouge business for the flight into YUL.  And that was a pretty good product, unlike in Rouge coach.

 

The devil is in the details.

 

 

[CurlerRob]

47 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Not necessarily so.

 

If you have an international segment booked into AC Premium Economy, any connection that uses Rouge will qualify you for "Business" on the Rouge segments, which is equivalent to "domestic first".

 

Bought a ticket with PE for the ticket class - got PE for the TATL segment and Rouge business for the flight into YUL.  And that was a pretty good product, unlike in Rouge coach.

 

The devil is in the details.

 

 

Hopefully this indicates that AC has now dispensed with all of their original Rouge "business class" configurations - at least some of which were standard economy 3 X 3 seating, but with the middle seat left empty! (Even that was better than Rouge coach ...).

 

To be fair, WestJet did the same, and may still for all I know. 🍺🥌

[FlyerTalker]

28 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

Hopefully this indicates that AC has now dispensed with all of their original Rouge "business class" configurations - at least some of which were standard economy 3 X 3 seating, but with the middle seat left empty! (Even that was better than Rouge coach ...).

 

To be fair, WestJet did the same, and may still for all I know. 🍺🥌

 

2-2 on the A220.