US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Advice needed; which segment to upgrade with SWU?

OK, so I have a single SWU coupon due to expire in March which, since I won't be flying transatlantic before then, I intend to use on an upcoming trip to SFO. I'm booked BWI-SFO-PHL-BWI (evening nonstop outbound on Friday, 2/16; returning on the 1210p connection via PHL on Monday, 2/19). Both transcon legs are on 757s, and all flights (save for the BWI-PHL leg, for which I really don't care if I don't get in F) are still showing G7.

I'd like to go ahead and confirm one of the legs now with the SWU, and try to upgrade the other via usual means using NA coupons (I'm a US2). On which segment do you guys think would be more difficult to upgrade three days in advance of flying, hence requiring me to confirm it now with the SWU?

Comments? Suggestions?

RZ

Originally posted by Arrzee:
OK, so I have a single SWU coupon due to expire in March which, since I won't be flying transatlantic before then, I intend to use on an upcoming trip to SFO. I'm booked BWI-SFO-PHL-BWI (evening nonstop outbound on Friday, 2/16; returning on the 1210p connection via PHL on Monday, 2/19). Both transcon legs are on 757s, and all flights (save for the BWI-PHL leg, for which I really don't care if I don't get in F) are still showing G7.

I'd like to go ahead and confirm one of the legs now with the SWU, and try to upgrade the other via usual means using NA coupons (I'm a US2). On which segment do you guys think would be more difficult to upgrade three days in advance of flying, hence requiring me to confirm it now with the SWU?

Comments? Suggestions?

RZ


Hmmm...I would say whichever flight has a bigger service in the F class cabin. The BWI-SFO flight should be something like 5:30 in the evening which means dinner. Since I'm pretty partial to US's REAL dinner flights (not the lousy cold chicken plates), I'd go with the westbound flight. Rememeber also, the westbound flight is about an hour longer in duration than the eastbound flight. So, I'd say enjoy the dinner flight and enjoy the extra time in F class.

Originally posted by ITRADE:

Hmmm...I would say whichever flight has a bigger service in the F class cabin. The BWI-SFO flight should be something like 5:30 in the evening which means dinner. Since I'm pretty partial to US's REAL dinner flights (not the lousy cold chicken plates), I'd go with the westbound flight. Rememeber also, the westbound flight is about an hour longer in duration than the eastbound flight. So, I'd say enjoy the dinner flight and enjoy the extra time in F class.


I echo ITRADE's remarks. Upgrade the BWI-SFO. I've taken that flight many times and it can be quite long. I've had on occasion where is 6.5+ hrs due to strong headwinds and fog at SFO which caused us to circle quite a long time. So much so the pilot mentioned that we might divert to OAK for fuel. Thankfully we did not have to do that.

You probably will get the SFO-PHL if it's not the AM flight which tend to be quite full in F. I give you my advice based on four months of weekly commutes between ORF and SFO for a project. I usually connected outbound thru CLT and return thru PHL or PIT.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking along the same lines too (comfirming the upgrade on the outbound). It will be nice to have a comfortable and relaxing flight leaving, especially after battling the parking zoo that I've come to expect from BWI on a Friday afternoon (or any other day for that matter).

I'm booked on the noon flight back through PHL, which is also on a 757, so hopefully, I'll get the upgrade on that one too (within 3 days of flight, of course).

RZ

Are there any airbus 321's on your preferred routes? They go into service very soon and will have 26 seats in F. Otherwise, definitely upgrade the westbound. I don't think the SWU's require G class, either.

The new A321s go into service PHL-LAX, PHL-DEN, and a couple of other east coast routes (to TPA, I think), IIRC. Definitely not to SFO -I don't think the plane will make it (doesn't have the range).

OTOH, I'll be flying PHL-LAX later next month also, so I'll get to try them. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

RZ

According to Airbus' web site, the entire A320 family(319,320,321) has a range of 3000 nautical miles(i.e. 3450 statute miles). This is well within the range of a PHL-SFO nonstop.

I can't imagine US buying these airplanes to serve only a FEW of their west coast cities and not others. They might have opted for more 757s if that was the case.