IF you were indeed a FF F'yer of AC, you'd know you CANNOT use mile to upgrade. IF you were Elite or Super Elite (their FF tiers) you'd have certificates.If you're not flying YVR-LHR atleast 9-10 times a year you are not a AC FF flyer. I've held Super Elite status for a few years (over 100,000 miles a year - about 12 YVR-LHR returns a year). As a very frequent FF'er, I would be very upset if the company that was rewarding me , gave away the same benefits to anyone who asked at the gate.