Hi all:

Flying PHL-FCO next week and just wanted to see if anyone had any tips on helping secure an Envoy seat with one of these upgrades. Flight leaves around 6pm and would like to get upgraded at check-in to take advantage of new Envoy lounge... Any tips on the return FCO-PHL. Gold here. Thanks

You probably won't have any problem.

US just holds off letting the seats go in the event that 20 last minute full-fare paying customers come along.

I was wait-listed both ways this past weekend (CLT-LGW) and it turns out that both planes left with empty envoy seats.

[This message has been edited by Alysia (edited Nov 12, 2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Alysia:
I was wait-listed both ways this past weekend (CLT-LGW) and it turns out that both planes left with empty envoy seats.
</font>


This bodes well for my upcoming CLT-LGW flight as a CP + companion. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Just my 2ct: both weekday transatlantic flights I have been on in the past week (MUC-PHL on Thursday and PHL-FRA on Monday) left 100% full in Envoy...on the PHL-FRA flight there were quite a few people whose upgrade only cleared at the gate.

Greetings - Dirk

It's been my experience as well that no matter how empty the flight goes out in Envoy, US doesn't clear those type of upgrades until just before departure, so as far as using the Club--you may be out of luck.

How fast can you run and then drink and then run back to the gate?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mauld:
It's been my experience as well that no matter how empty the flight goes out in Envoy, US doesn't clear those type of upgrades until just before departure, so as far as using the Club--you may be out of luck. </font>

The wife and I are standby for Envoy upgrades tomorrow LGW-CLT. we can use the lounge because of my QF membership. Do I need to wait at the gate, or can I hang out in the lounge until boarding time?
--Alex

You should be able to hang out in the lounge, and actually the lounge agent should be able to clear your upgrades for you once the window opens (one of the best benefits of lounge access is their ability to do this, provided you are courteous with them etc...).

Regards,
-Bouncer-

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1005:

This bodes well for my upcoming CLT-LGW flight as a CP + companion. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
</font>

You have nothing to worry about and I bet you'll get cleared 3-days out if you call and ask them to release the seats (that's what lax2clt and I did when we went last month).

You'll probably still clear the upgrade but I'd say that there's a huge difference between LGW/CDG/FRA flights and FCO flights in terms of clearing upgrades. CPs will often not clear Rome on the regular upgrades esp. during higher seasons.

PHL-FCO is one of the most busy flights systemwide and lots of people trying to upgrade on it.

FWIW, I have only been on two flights (PHL-FRA R/T in February of this year) where they cleared my upgrade at time of booking (about two weeks out). Both flights had about 5-10 people in Envoy, and coach was relatively full.

Back to the topic of Rome, I was also able to confirm some upgrades in advance for some friends for a honeymoon last Nov/Dec on PHL-FCO but with a lot of help http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif from the CP desk. My friends reported that the flights were oversold in both directions.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Beckles:
You have nothing to worry about and I bet you'll get cleared 3-days out if you call and ask them to release the seats (that's what lax2clt and I did when we went last month).</font>

Beckles..thanks for response...but was that with a Space Available upgrade??? Thanks

I think Beckles is referring to the use of Preferred Trans-Atlantic upgrade certs which can be cleared 7 days out for a CP.

If memory serves me correctly, the Space Available certs are good day of departure only, correct?

Tried to use two SWU upgrades for myself plus one on the CDG-PHL leg yesterday, but told as I was on a V fare, "no can do". I am a US1. The irony is that UA on a code share on the way out to CDG, upgraded us.

The problem with SA is that they are good only on day of departure, but they are valid on V fare! or any purchased tickets for that matters!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by tdnmd:
Beckles..thanks for response...but was that with a Space Available upgrade??? Thanks</font>

Sorry for the confusion tdnmd, I was actually responding to geo's post ... your upgrade will definitely be a bit harder to secure ... but as a Gold, you've got a fighting chance I think ...

This is speculation on my part, but I would assume a Gold Preferred using a Space Available Certificate (good to upgrade day of travel only) would trump a Silver using a Preferred TransAtlantic upgrade. Status wins, right?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1005:
This is speculation on my part, but I would assume a Gold Preferred using a Space Available Certificate (good to upgrade day of travel only) would trump a Silver using a Preferred TransAtlantic upgrade. Status wins, right?</font>

That is my understanding. It is my understanding that fare class doesn't even come into play since there aren't separate buckets like for domestic upgrades.

FWIW, Mrs. B and I just returned from PHL-FCO-PHL roundtrip last week. I'm GP, She's no status.

Both of us were on Q-class fares. I had 2 SA upgrade certs.

Outbound: Checked in 3 hours before departure. Waitlisted for upgrade, 15 seats showed available the night before. We were the 1st upgrdae to clear, 45 mins before departure, but only 10-15 mins before boarding started. Used SA certs.

Return: Waitlisted, 12 seats showed available. Cleared on check-in, but we were using miles this time. We were *not* offered passes to the pre-departure lounge in FCO, however.

As always, your mileage may vary.

I'm interested in the lounge-access thing. I was under the impression that part of the reason US doesn't clear the upgrades until just before boarding is to keep those of us not paying $3,000+ for our Envoy seats out of the lounge....but from what I'm reading here, we might have been welcome in the lounge even though we were not cleared yet??

[This message has been edited by bmolotsk (edited Nov 14, 2003).]

I'm interested in the lounge-access thing. I was under the impression that part of the reason US doesn't clear the upgrades until just before boarding is to keep those of us not paying $3,000+ for our Envoy seats out of the lounge....but from what I'm reading here, we might have been welcome in the lounge even though we were not cleared yet??

[This message has been edited by bmolotsk (edited Nov 14, 2003).][/B][/QUOTE]

I think the post above were referring to a Preferred Transatl. Upgrade and not Space Available...am I right? I'll be using Space Available both on PHL-FCO and FCO-PHL..your message was encouraging..sounds like the lounge may be out of the question. But the seat will be well worth it.

Just back from a PHL-FCO-PHL six day weekend. Also, we travel this route about 2 or 3 times every year, almost always upgraded one way or the other, sometimes with the whole family (5 of us).

Since you normally check-in and either get or don't get your upgrade before clearing security, you should get lounge access once you are confirmed in Envoy.

Just ask the person you check-in with. They can/should give you the pass to the shared lounge [which isunderneath the departure area in the remote part of Terminal C] together with your boarding pass. The lounge is OK, but not as nice as the new Terminal A lounge in Philly.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mauld:
It's been my experience as well that no matter how empty the flight goes out in Envoy, US doesn't clear those type of upgrades until just before departure, so as far as using the Club--you may be out of luck. </font>

Must have been my lucky day in PHL....checked in at 2:30pm before parking in off-airport lot...was upgraded on the spot "since you're so early." Enjoyed the lounge and upgraded at gate in FCO on the return..thanks to all for the insight.



[This message has been edited by tdnmd (edited Nov 28, 2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by tdnmd:
I'm interested in the lounge-access thing. I was under the impression that part of the reason US doesn't clear the upgrades until just before boarding is to keep those of us not paying $3,000+ for our Envoy seats out of the lounge....but from what I'm reading here, we might have been welcome in the lounge even though we were not cleared yet??

[This message has been edited by bmolotsk (edited Nov 14, 2003).]</font>

I think the post above were referring to a Preferred Transatl. Upgrade and not Space Available...am I right? I'll be using Space Available both on PHL-FCO and FCO-PHL..your message was encouraging..sounds like the lounge may be out of the question. But the seat will be well worth it.

[/B][/QUOTE]


I was flying PHL-LGW with a SA cert and got there early to try and clear early to use the new A-west terminal. I knew there was a lot of room left (at least 10 seats) but they didn't clear me at ticketing rather said talk to the GA. I went up and talked to two of the GA's at my departing gate that was there from the PHL-FCO flight and the one was hesitant but the other one said "go ahead and clear him". So I got cleared about 2 hours prior to departure and headed up to the new A-West lounge and was pleasantly delighted.

Now, lets see how things work coming back http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

-JC from LON