Never upgraded internationally before and getting nervous.

Called DM today at opening of the 7-day window for our trip to LGW next Sunday. Told that all seats have been sold or something like that. I'll probably clear, but it'll be at the gate.

Is this common? Should I check at the 3-day window? I hate waiting at the gate, never knowing until the last minute.

Also - if I do get it at the gate, what are the chances row 1 will be available?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BigLar:
Never upgraded internationally before and getting nervous.

Called DM today at opening of the 7-day window for our trip to LGW next Sunday. Told that all seats have been sold or something like that. I'll probably clear, but it'll be at the gate.

Is this common? Should I check at the 3-day window? I hate waiting at the gate, never knowing until the last minute.

Also - if I do get it at the gate, what are the chances row 1 will be available?</font>

12/21 PHL/LGW has 19 seats left on it so your chances are good for upgrade. Sorry row 1 is gone.

12/21 CLT/LGW has 20 seats so this also looks good. Row 1 is gone

If the seats stay the same, call at three day window and they will most likely clear your seats especially if your a CP

[This message has been edited by longing4piedmont (edited Dec 14, 2003).]

What they probably told you was that there were no "open" award seats.

Normally, they only let a handful of the Envoy seats get confirmed for upgrades in advance. Everyone else has to wait for it to clear on day of departure.

To see how many seats are open, go on USAir's web site and make like you are going to buy an Envoy ticket.. (you have to select the "more options" button on the web site to select Business/First Class as the ticket type).

You will likely clear no problem. I would call the reservations line prior to flying (I typically do this daily for the few days preceding the flight) to see if your upgrade cleared.

Personally, I have not yet been able to secure a seat in the coveted Row 1. My last flight there was one open, but I felt guilty about leaving the wife elsewhere on the plane. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The whole thing is a roll of the dice.
--Alex

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by longing4piedmont:
12/21 PHL/LGW has 19 seats left on it so your chances are good for upgrade. Sorry row 1 is gone.

12/21 CLT/LGW has 20 seats so this also looks good. Row 1 is gone</font>

That doesn't necessarily mean Row 1 is gone.

However, since they only allow CPs to book Row 1 in advance, it remains unavailable to you until they start to process upgrades.
--Alex

Absolutely without question call at the 3 day window if you are a CP and havent heard. I didnt really think there was a 7 day window on international flights anyway. They have always called me at the 3 day window to tell me it has cleared. They usually call a bit after 8 in the morning. If you havent heard from them call if you are a CP.

Great! I can feel nervousness slipping away like the snow over the uninsulated part of my roof. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Yes, I am a CP (for a few months yet) - when the 3-day window opens up I will be out of town, but I assume my wife will get the call or it'll wind up on the answering machine. At any rate, I'll make sure I contact them.

This is super - 30 minutes and four spot on replies. How the heck did I ever get anywhere before FlyerTalk? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

i can say i called at the three day window outbound and got it opened up, but the return from LGW automatically cleared at the three day window.

Don't forget with London you now need to pay 20 pounds for a return tax if you get upgraded.

DO NOT CALL AT THE 3 DAY WINDOW TO CHECK ON UPGRADES. I had some issues in October getting cleared PIT-LGW-PIT and took some bad advice from the European res agents and got an inhibitor put on my record. Check at the counter, but call res at your own risk. They are very protective of envoy seats.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ayb1:
That doesn't necessarily mean Row 1 is gone.

However, since they only allow CPs to book Row 1 in advance, it remains unavailable to you until they start to process upgrades.
--Alex</font>

Alex your right.

I checked seats on itn (united) and there are three seats left in row 1 from phl/lgw. Good Luck on row one BigLar.

clt/lgw shows only 1 seat left in row 1.

Kinda sad that you have to check a United site to get info on US.

[This message has been edited by longing4piedmont (edited Dec 14, 2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfeinberg:
DO NOT CALL AT THE 3 DAY WINDOW TO CHECK ON UPGRADES. I had some issues in October getting cleared PIT-LGW-PIT and took some bad advice from the European res agents and got an inhibitor put on my record. Check at the counter, but call res at your own risk. They are very protective of envoy seats.</font>


I have been told on several occassions by international reservations that if I have not heard at the 3 day window, I should call and ask international reservations to call inventory control and ask them to clear an Envoy seat for me. I have done this on several occassions. I have been told without even asking when making flight changes inside the 3 day window that they would call inventory control for me. This advice is completely out of line with my experience. Call. If they call you or if you call them and the upgrade is confirmed ask if you can possibly be seated in row 1 (if you want to).

[This message has been edited by GadgetFreak (edited Dec 14, 2003).]

Um, can someone explain something?

If I remember correctly, on some airbus planes (330?) there is a first-class section (sleeper seats - row 1?) and then envoy (2 dozen seats?) and then coach.

On the 767's there's only Envoy and coach. (yes?)

So if we're talking Envoy here then what's that got to do with Row 1?

Are the sleeper seats now part of Envoy? (I don't understand the significance of row 1 in this thread).

Row 1 on the 330's are still sleeper seats and are now considered to be envoy, not first. They are reserved in advance for CP's and BBB's friends who pay full fare for envoy.

see..... http://www.seatguru.com/usairways/A330.shtml
for a better explanation


[This message has been edited by longing4piedmont (edited Dec 14, 2003).]

I have had International Reservations tell me to call also 3 days out if the upgrade has not cleared. Some will tell you all types of pertinent information even when you are making the reservation.

Sfeinberg, what type inhibitor was put on your record? No upgrade for you or what?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfeinberg:
DO NOT CALL AT THE 3 DAY WINDOW TO CHECK ON UPGRADES. I had some issues in October getting cleared PIT-LGW-PIT and took some bad advice from the European res agents and got an inhibitor put on my record. Check at the counter, but call res at your own risk. They are very protective of envoy seats.</font>

Not sure what happened to you sfeinberg, but I'd say it's not an issue to call reservations at the three day point. However, I would not call the European number - since I don't think they know that for CPs they'll have inventory release seats at the three day mark. During my last trip to London, I called the Euro CP number to check on my upgrade. The rep advised me that it had not cleared, and the rep did not mention or offer to call inventory (thinking it may cause an issue I chose not to go any further - maybe this is what happened to sfeinberg). So, I sucked it up, and spent the cash to call the US 800 CP number via AT&T USA Direct. Got the CP liasion, asked them to transfer me to Int'l res and asked about upgrade status. The Int'l agent had me hold while she called inventory to get the seat released. Lo and behold, it was released and I was able to get 3H.

So, I'd call res - just maybe not the internal European res number.

[This message has been edited by CLTFlyer (edited Dec 15, 2003).]

I've heard that before, about the European reps being relatively clueless.

My intention was to use one of my free calling cards (I get them from all over these days) and call the CP desk in the US for the return leg.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfeinberg:
DO NOT CALL AT THE 3 DAY WINDOW TO CHECK ON UPGRADES. I had some issues in October getting cleared PIT-LGW-PIT and took some bad advice from the European res agents and got an inhibitor put on my record. Check at the counter, but call res at your own risk. They are very protective of envoy seats.</font>

sfeinberg: You seem to have some bad luck with USAirways. This and the nasty FA!

CPs should always call at the 3-day window to check on their upgrades and there is no problem with doing this-- I do this all the time. Generally they will be cleared automatically but if they don't a CP agent will call inventory to see if they'll open up seats for you.

There is a 7-day window for CPs but in over 20 transatlantic flights I've only seen open seats at the 7-day window one time and that was on PHL-FRA in February, and even that was a bit odd. They might as well just dispense with the 7/3/1 day windows, have a 3-day window for CPs and clear-at-the-gate policy for all others.

In almost 1.5 dozen transatlantics on US this year, I have only failed to clear at the 3 day "unofficial" window 3 times. I missed the upgrade _once_.

Of course, I also had to explain the process of running from SP to GP to CP in a single year to the CP desk--"How did you get all those SWUs?" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif.



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Don't feed the trolls.

When in Europe and unable/unwilling to access the CP phone desk back in the USA, I have (at the three day window for a return Envoy upgrade) sent an e-mail to the Chairman's desk asking them to look at the flight and clear the upgrade if possible. Done it twice with success.