US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Systemwide Upgrades vs. North Americans?

I'm about to purchase a coach domestic ticket on which I'd like to travel in first class. I am Silver Preferred, and would like to save my systemwides for future use.

My idea is to reserve the upgrade with systemwides, but when my 24-hour "window" before departure opens, call and try to use only the North American upgrades (at least for my outbound portion of the trip). I hope that if there is space available, there would be no problem, and if not, I could either use my upgrades or just take a seat in coach again.

Has anybody tried this?

US seems to be cracking down on this scheme. When you call to upgrade recently, they are hounding you for how you will upgrade (ie what type of cert, miles, etc.) even asking for the star code. I am only assuming it is to note what type of upgrade cert to collect at checkin.

This is a risk I wouldn't take. Plus you'd be stealing a G inventory seat from a Gold or CP who has a legit chance of grabbing it before a silver.

This certainly is cheating. And it won't work. Reason why is because if you tried to call the old teleupgrade system, the system would hang up on the fact that your booking code was already listed as G class and you'd get booted to the DM Preferred reservations. And I'd doubt that they'd be very happy to switch your SWU to a segment based upgrade.

I don't know where your going but you should try to book your flight on a 757 or a A320 if they fly that route to increase your chances of the availability for the silver window.

(an A320 has 4 additional first class seats compared to an a A319)

Originally posted by LikeItUpFront:
you should try to book your flight on a 757 or a A320Or A321, B767 as well

If you really want domestic FC I would recommend using 20k miles to confirm your roundtrip upgrade in advance. Or, if you wish to roll the dice, then try and use your 800 mile certificates to upgrade at the 24 hour advance window.

IMO, you would be ill-advised to try and upgrade in advance using the systemwide uprades only to get to the airport and have them demand them from you. Even if you did say you'd be willing to take your coach seat, if coach is full you have a problem. And they do seem to be doing a much more thorough job of tracking how & when upgrades are requested... don't risk it.

Best advice is to use US20 (20,000 mile confirmed upgrade). Remember that the net loss will be much less than 20K especially if it's a trans-con. For Gold or Chairman's the net can be less than 10K for trans-con trips. Not a bad deal for the peace of mind of a confirmed upgrade.

JB

Wow ... such harsh answers.

Are systemwides and 800 mile upgrades out of the same inventory (G class?).

On DL they come out of different inventory, so there really is nothing wrong with this practice ... you can only switch if the 800 mile inventory is available when your window opens up ...

Yes.

Originally posted by Beckles:
On DL they come out of different inventory, so there really is nothing wrong with this practice ... you can only switch if the 800 mile inventory is available when your window opens up ...

Really? Is this to say it is standard accepted practice on DL to 'hold' a first class seat using their version of a systemwide upgrade say a month in advance and then switch to a different upgrade when your elite window opens up to use 800 mile certs???

I'll add some fuel to the fire. I checked in a week ago with my entire family for a first class transcon flight. I had confirmed FC for my wife and myself using SWUs. I already had 40,000 miles debited for upgrades for my two kids.

At the gate, the agent says "I'll need 12 coupons, please." After explaining that the kids had been upgraded using miles (rats!!), she saw the SWUs in my hand and said "Or you could just use two of those." To which I replied, "If it's all the same, I'll just use these segment upgrades." She was perfectly fine with it.

I didn't do the switch intentionally, but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth either. I grinned all the way down the jetway.

I thought it was very interesting that even though I had confimed the upgrades with SWUs, the agent asked for the appropriate number of NA's.

[This message has been edited by harold (edited 04-13-2001).]

Originally posted by chexfan:
This is a risk I wouldn't take. Plus you'd be stealing a G inventory seat from a Gold or CP who has a legit chance of grabbing it before a silver.

Or from a member of any level who's willing to pay miles for it.

Originally posted by geo1004:
Really? Is this to say it is standard accepted practice on DL to 'hold' a first class seat using their version of a systemwide upgrade say a month in advance and then switch to a different upgrade when your elite window opens up to use 800 mile certs???


I'm not sure it's 'standard', but it is typically accepted ... there have been minor disagreements.

Like I said, it's different though because they come out of different inventory, which is not the same on US I guess. So, when your window opens, you're not "swapping" within the same inventory, you're actually going to a new inventory.

Note I only endorse this if you are fully ready to spend that systemwide or miles when the time comes.

On DL:

V class upgrades - 800 mile segment upgrades
G class upgrades - systemwides and mileage upgrades

The whole issue is tricky, because arguably by already having the seat, you're decreasing the chances of a seat being available in V inventory when you want to switch ... but you could argue about that 'til the cows come home ...

harold -

Did US 'undo' the 40k mile deduction that you had already done with your kids?

They let you upgrade 3 companions using certs? I thought you could only upgrade 1 companion.

No, they didn't undo the mileage upgrade because I didn't bring enough NA's for everyone. And even if I did have enough with me, I would have been risking the return upgrade if the agent wasn't as accomodating.

And you are correct.....the rules state that only one companion may be upgraded. Like I said, I was grinning all the way down the jetway.

I've upgraded two companions before...it's simple. First I called for my upgrade with one companion. no problem. Then, later, I called for the other person. This was last Fall, on a 7am flight PHL-LAX with lots of upgrade availability. The rep on the phone either didn't see anything in my own record showing the other companion upgrade, or it isn't really noted on my record.

In any case, my two friends loved their first experience on a 757 in FC transcon.