I saw on the US website that US will allow upgrades on V class TA tickets until Feb 28, 2005. I'm assuming that this was essentially for the winter season, going back to Sept XX, 2004. Will they be doing the same this year? I'm about to ticket a TA ticket for October of this year, and it'd be nice to upgrade a V class ticket.

It would be nice, but doubt. we'll see.

-JC

I saw on the US website that US will allow upgrades on V class TA tickets until Feb 28, 2005. I'm assuming that this was essentially for the winter season, going back to Sept XX, 2004. Will they be doing the same this year? I'm about to ticket a TA ticket for October of this year, and it'd be nice to upgrade a V class ticket.

The 02/28/05 deadline was the end of ALL V-fare upgrades, unfortunately nothing seasonal.

The 02/28/05 deadline was the end of ALL V-fare upgrades, unfortunately nothing seasonal.

It1GM,

That is actually not 100% true. You need to carefully look at your TA upgrades. I made CP in Oct of last year and I have TA upgrades for V class. Just to make sure I called the DMSC and the CP desk and they both said that yes some TA certificates were issued last year (not too many people got them) before the cut off date. I was one of them. If you made CP early enough and they issed you a TA early enough....the important thing is to look on the back. If it says V class (make sure you read if there are any notes) then you are good to go. Mine says V class on or after 2003. They will honor mine as I already have talked to DMSC and CP desk.

T

Troy,

You are right, I should have said it's the end of V-fare upgrades for the vast majority of DM members. ;)

Troy,

You are right, I should have said it's the end of V-fare upgrades for the vast majority of DM members. ;)

Exactly, new CP's who received their packets for the first time last fall would be the only ones that have TA upgrades that are not expired and valid for V fares.

Plan to require a supervisor for assistance, however. I had one of those older TA certificates this spring to use and the rez agent refused to UG my V fare, citing the fare's rules. While she was technically right, based on her source of information, the fare rules, it wasn't doing me any good. Finally, a supervisor got involved, who knew of the old CP TA certs, and made it happen manually, putting a note in the record. The next day I called the CP desk and they pulled up the record, confirmed the notation, and that all was good to go.

A thing I would do as an extra precaution is if you have one of these TA upgrades that allow a V class. If you are going to book one. Call the DMSC after you have booked your flight and have them add notes to your PNR. That way there will be no confusion once you are at the gate.

T

..... Call the DMSC after you have booked your flight and have them add notes to your PNR. That way there will be no confusion once you are at the gate.

That's good advice, but sometimes the worst happens with a recalcitrant GA. This past spring, a CP friend had done as you say, and encountered no problems at CLT ( he was lucky to get the only available Envoy seat). At FRA, however, he encountered one of the dragons, who, despite a plea to look at the PNR for DMCS notations and after consultation with her supervisor, chose not to UG based on the CP TA cert.

That's good advice, but sometimes the worst happens with a recalcitrant GA. This past spring, a CP friend had done as you say, and encountered no problems at CLT ( he was lucky to get the only available Envoy seat). At FRA, however, he encountered one of the dragons, who, despite a plea to look at the PNR for DMCS notations and after consultation with her supervisor, chose not to UG based on the CP TA cert.
Does that mean that his upgrade was going to apply to a LH flight operated out of FRA? Or was it a US flight back to the states from FRA?

It was US metal, # 193 FRA - CLT

The CP TA certs are only valid for flights operated by US.

Kudzu,

You know what I would have done if I were in their shoes? I would have called back to the USA on my cell phone (yes I know that costs a few dollars) to the CP desk and would have told them right then and there what was going on. The CP desk right then and there would have taken care of it. I was in MAD one time and was having problems (not with a TA upgrade.) And the CP agent said not to worry...she put me on hold while she called the MAD ticket office. After a short while being on hold. The CP agent said to me to just wait at the counter that the US Airways manager would be right up to resolve the issue. Trust me if that would have happened to me, I would not have backed down one bit.

That's good advice, but sometimes the worst happens with a recalcitrant GA. This past spring, a CP friend had done as you say, and encountered no problems at CLT ( he was lucky to get the only available Envoy seat). At FRA, however, he encountered one of the dragons, who, despite a plea to look at the PNR for DMCS notations and after consultation with her supervisor, chose not to UG based on the CP TA cert.

......Trust me if that would have happened to me, I would not have backed down one bit.

^ go Navy :)

We're just cheap country folks here, and our cell phones don't extend beyond the nearest mountain range :D

Luckily, my CP friend had a DS0087 handy, and used that to UG at the FRA gate as a compromise. I think he later called the CP Desk from home and worked something out with them.

Have spare DS0087's handy? What a freakin break! :)

You're lucky you had a back up. ^

^ go Navy :)

We're just cheap country folks here, and our cell phones don't extend beyond the nearest mountain range :D

Luckily, my CP friend had a DS0087 handy, and used that to UG at the FRA gate as a compromise. I think he later called the CP Desk from home and worked something out with them.

Have spare DS0087's handy? What a freakin break! :)

I think he was lookin' fer someone good-lookin' to upgrade :)

On domestic flights, I try always to upgrade a soldier in uniform as my CP Companion, or invite 2 into the Club, as a gesture of respect for our troops at the front.