Okay, by now we have all seen the ad on our FlyerTalk screen constantly blinking at us below the FlyerTalk board. I went into Biztravel and read about it. Apparently, they now have their computer geared up to automatically keep asking the airlines' computers for upgrades (either 1) free, based upon full fare, 2) for points or coupons, or 3) based upon elite status )on a daily or regular basis, to try to make sure that you get one. Sounds like a good idea. Anyone have any idea if it works? Is anyone else doing it? As I am sure the rest of you do, I love to fly first class if I can get it, so this seems like a great idea. (Although, competition being as pervasive as it is, thanks to our antitrust-controlled free market, I certainly hope that other agencies/services will duplicate this extra.) Drop the board a line if you have tried it, and what your experience was. Thanks.

I have used BizTravel to book my upgrade with a United FLight to San Diego in late October.
I put in the request for the upgrade... the computer said it went through. But just to be sure... I called U-A reservations to make
sure that it did and sure enough, I was upgraded.

This was my ONE experience with BizTravel's
reservations for an upgrade. I primarily use
BizTravel for hotel reservations, booked a few of HOlly's airline tickets with it (She's
a AAdvantage member but NOT elite... no upgrades.) Find BizTravel fine, though the
program sometimes crashes and I have to go through the booking process again.

DJLawman... one of this Cat's suggestions is
always doublecheck any on-line reservations.
You never though when there's a bug in the system (read NJDavid's post on his Hilton
reservation under HILTON forum.)

I'm generally pleased with BizTravel. Their
customer service account is also very good.
CATMAN

I've requested upgrades with my ticket purchase using BizTravel twice. The first time was before this new "automated" system. I called UA right to confirm that an upgrade request had been submitted. It hadn't.

The second time was just last week with the new system. Followed all the instructions. Called UA to confirm upgrade request had been made. It hadn't again.

Bottom line is that you should call the airline just to make sure that the upgrade request has been made. Not what I typically characterize as an automated system!

I'm not intimately familiar with the workings of travel reservations systems, but I think some of them must have these automated functions built in. I've started having my corporate travel agent (AMEX travel) request upgrades for me with their computer system, and my experience has been *very* good with what I think is a much better chance of success at upgrades. I still usually check to make sure, but I think the computer is requesting exactly at 72 hours in advance.

Just to stick up for the computers here, and I don't know if this is the case on other airlines, what happens on Delta anyway is that FC is completely full sometimes and they have even closed the waiting list, so even if an upgrade is requested, there's no way of showing it has been requested if you didn't get upgraded or waitlisted. This happens a lot on certain flights (ATL-DCA in particular in my experience).