Can anyone give some suggestions on how to get a free upgrade to F? I've heard if you dress nice that helps. We're going to Seattle on Sunday on economy award tickets and then going on an Alaska cruise. I would appreciate any ideas that have worked for you.

I hate to say 'never', but this basically never happens on any airline, let alone US. People who tell you to show up and dress nice are fooling you.

Its possible to get upgraded to F without paying for it or having status, but that tends to be when the flight is oversold AND they have already upgraded all of the elites onboard.

Bottom line - sure, feel free to get all dressed up for the chance of a free upgrade, but just realize the chances are small and then you will spend 5 hours on a flight in a suit in coach.

[This message has been edited by hscottm (edited 05-04-2002).]

If you have no status, the only free way I know of upgrading on a US North American flight is if you happen to traveling with a Chairman's Preferred member, who can upgrade a companion traveling on the same itinerary. I have done this for acquaintances I have met in the boarding area. The previous poster is referring to an operational upgrade, which are rare, even to those with status. If you get bumped, you may have a case for an upgrade, but this is not always possible if the flight you are transferring to is full. I suggest you dress comfortably for the long trip in coach. Have fun in Alaska!

Well maybe we can meet a Chairman Preferred Member in the US Airways Club since we have a pass to go in the Charlotte club before our flight to Seattle. Thanks for all of your help.

Your ability to upgrade is often contingent on the time of week you are flying and the city you are traveling to. As an example, I was traveling from Charlotte to Raleigh at 1 AM on Friday morning (not my choice)! The agent told me that almost 2/3 of the flight was comprised of folks who were preferred. I could not get into First Class as a Chairman. I wish you luck, but I would not let having to fly in coach spoil your trip. Coach ain't that bad if the folks around you bathe prior to the trip (oh, don't get me started on this one). Have a great trip.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by wannaflymore:
Well maybe we can meet a Chairman Preferred Member in the US Airways Club since we have a pass to go in the Charlotte club before our flight to Seattle. Thanks for all of your help. </font>

You would have to meet two CPs since there are two of you.. once companion per CP.. good luck. My recent experience is that their flights are soooo full, and there are so many elite flying, I have difficulty upgrading on short notice flights as a CP. Your chances are extremely small - plan accordingly and have a great trip to SEA.

On an award ticket though. Not even meeting the nicest people in the club will help. Either use an extra 50k miles or pray nobody is sitting in the middle seat...
Have fun in Seattle

As vtflyer noted - award tickets (unless they're premium award tix) will not be upgraded. (As someone else once said) There could be a 24 seat F cabin, and 22 empty seats, and you still won't get the upgrade even if you're Preferred (and if you have no elite status, forget it).

Otherwise, all you can hope for is that they need volunteers as the flight is overbooked, and then they need to bump you, you can ask nicely if they could book you in F on the flight you're reaccomodated on (US will probably do that if the flight isn't full in F - other airlines like NW just don't).

Enjoy the flight to SEA.

[This message has been edited by CLTFlyer (edited 05-04-2002).]

My bad - I failed to notice the award tix part.. forget it buddy! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The CLT-SEA flights are both 320s. Not a chance in hell. Sorry.

There is a way to upgrade to FC. First you must start you trip from a very small airport and connect through a HUB. Then call to upgrade with reservation and tell them you are using an upgrade coupon. They will put you in FC. When you show up at the small airport to collect your e-ticket, most of the time the agents will not ask for the upgrade coupon. There you go...FC!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ddorrer:
There is a way to upgrade to FC. First you must start you trip from a very small airport and connect through a HUB. Then call to upgrade with reservation and tell them you are using an upgrade coupon. They will put you in FC. When you show up at the small airport to collect your e-ticket, most of the time the agents will not ask for the upgrade coupon. There you go...FC!</font>

Despite having a near-zero chance of getting a free upgrade on a coach award ticket, I don't think (and I don't hope) wannaflymore was asking for tips on cheating the airline. But thanks for the "tip", though. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

There are no upgrade seats left since everybody figured out how to cheat the system. Your best bet...go to the baggage area, fall down, then claim you slipped on your CS 0007 coupon(which was destroyed by your shoe). Wanting to avoid litigation, the rep will simply write you out some more of these. Go upstairs to the counter, and bump a regular Preferred who actually flies a lot. You'll be able to do it, since the 0007 books in F, and those schmucks have to use G inventory.

LOL deelmakur,

Wannaflymore, your real best bet for some more room is for you and your companion to book the aisle and window. Hope that nobody gets assigned the middle seat, but if someone does, offer to swap for the middle seat after they show up. The upside is you and your companion have a chance to get a row to yourselves.

I enjoyed Alaska when I was there, except for the earthquake thing. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

I appreciate all of your comments and ideas. I'm not going to try to cheat and get in first class cause we need to get on the cruise ship before 3:30 pm. And the way this security is now, I don't want to go to jail. I'd rather go to Alaska. Anyway, we're looking forward to Alaska. Its been so hot here in FL with no rain and the wildfires are starting up again. Thanks for all your comments. We're flying on a airbus 319 to Seattle and I hope this airbus doesn't fall apart. I called the airline last night and the agent said the plane is about full from Chrlotte to SEA. But maybe we can get F on our first flight at 6 am to Charlotte. I'll let you know what happens.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ddorrer:
There is a way to upgrade to FC. First you must start you trip from a very small airport and connect through a HUB. Then call to upgrade with reservation and tell them you are using an upgrade coupon. They will put you in FC. When you show up at the small airport to collect your e-ticket, most of the time the agents will not ask for the upgrade coupon. There you go...FC!</font>

I would have to strongly advise against doing this. If US audits those transactions, the mileage required for each of those upgrades may be pulled from your account without warning. Not to mention that the employees who provided those upgrades may face disciplinary action.

avek100, this crap has been going on regularly, exploiting a flaw in the system. Posting these kinds of "how to's", while apparently well meaning, just exacerbates the situation.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by wannaflymore:
We're flying on a airbus 319 to Seattle and I hope this airbus doesn't fall apart. </font>

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif Yeah, I heard that three or four a week don't make it...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1004:
Yeah, I heard that three or four a week don't make it...</font>Yea, it's the infamous Pacific NW Bermuda Triangle we have out here.

Cheating is not worth the first class seat or missing my boat to Alaska.