US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Changing to NA upgrades from Systemwides

Hey all,

Have sort of a question. Flying to Seattle in January.. On the westbound flight it is an A319.. Seeing that I immediatly used two systemwides, one for me, one for the girlfriend. Not a big deal since no plans to goto Europe and they expire in Feb. Now here is the catch. The flight home is on a 321.. Used 2 more systemwides which expire in august 2002.. The reason for this is I do not know if my gold status is valid until December 31st 2001 or Feb 28th 2002, when I become a silver again. I got gold via a challange. So here is my question. If I am actually gold untill Feb 28th I figure I would have no probs upgrading within the 3 day window on a A321. Will they let me change this. It is not as though I am trying to fool the airline and show up to the gate with NA's when I said I am using SWU's... It would be in the three day window, and if they had G seats available. Is that a problem to switch? Thanks in advance

Your status is good through 2/28/02, unless you requalify of course.

If there are G seats available in the 3 day window, then you could probably call to change them. I did this once and when I called in my window, the agent said to just 'give the NA upgrades' as she saw I was already in the G inventory. I think she had to make a change in the system as to what kind of upgrade I was using, but she didn't make it sound like a big deal.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by vtflyer:
It is not as though I am trying to fool the airline and show up to the gate with NA's when I said I am using SWU's</font>But see... you are trying to fool US. If you are so confident that G seats will be available at 3 days, why risk the chance of having to have to forfeit a SWU for a 5 month advance confirmation?

For the assurance of a seat, you should have to pay the price and in this case it would be a SWU.

Sorry, but that's how I look at it.

aha... But here is the twist.. I dont know when my status runs up.. One mailing I got said Dec 31st, the card that came with it said Feb 28th... Asked the lady processing the reservation if she knew what it was and she wasnt sure.. Just dont want to risk it..

I know people who have done this on several airlines -- that is confirm the upgrade way in advance but use a different type of upgrade at the gate. It is cheating the system and I'm sure all of us have been burned by this sometime. For example, as a Chairman's Preferred I'm allowed to upgrade 7 days in advance. But what if every Gold Preferred on my flight confirms all available G seats using systemwides, so nothing is available at my regular 7-day window and then conveniently switches to the NAUs when they check in or 3 days in advance.

Either way, the upgrade opportunity that was supposedly mine for flying USAirways much more is stolen due to the action of these Gold Preferred's (or the same situation with Gold Preferred's vs Silver's). Either way, I don't like it and I hope agents don't allow it.

It's ok that a few times a year lower level tier members can bump higher level tier members out of first by using systemwides, but to abuse the system is not cool. That said, I think you'll get away with it if you try.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pitflyer:
That said, I think you'll get away with it if you try.</font>I just don't know, from what I hear, US has been cracking down on this. Whether confirming an upgrade with a SWU or mileage award, and trying to upgrade with an 800 miler... I guess it just depends on the agent you're checking in with.

As a Gold/Silver res rep, I can assure you that this is cheating the system just as Pitflyer noted. People who do this are the ones that got those upgrades taken away on Golden Ops, Esavers, Senior Fares , and DM -Z- award travel. We just don't have the inventory to go around. When you tell us DMUPSYS it is noted in the computer for the airport rep to collect that type only.
If you do decide to change to DMUP01, you will be required to "requalify" based on availibility. We have to cancel the -G- you are holding and rebook based on what is left. Also, please don't get upset at us in res when upgrade is not available.

thanks MCO/JJ

I agree with PHL & BWI2MCO97. I am quite greatful for the gold challenge this year (I will make Gold the "hard way" with 2 more trips to Europe. I am greatful to the Gold agent who got me confirmed using systemwides LAX-CDG for Thanksgiving time (11/25 to 11/30) at the time of reservation! Am most greatful for getting systemwides at Silver, Gold. It would be nice if CP's can get at least 6-8 SWU's--for themselves or companions. (to match what AA & UA does for their top members who fly 100K--same as CP's). As for my response, mentioning SWU's for reserving seats within NA & using 800 miles at the gate is cheating! Maybe the offender should lose all the 800 miler certs & sit in coach for cheating! (or lose some miles!) Harsh, but may be needed to protect the ones who follow the rules.

Correction: LAX-CDG dates were 11/21 to 11/25. Sorry.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pitflyer:
I know people who have done this on several airlines -- that is confirm the upgrade way in advance but use a different type of upgrade at the gate. It is cheating the system and I'm sure all of us have been burned by this sometime. </font>

I'm not sure I agree with this. I'm pretty familiar with Delta, being a GM on them (equivalment ot GP on US), and their system is different in that the Systemwide upgrades (or MSU's now) come out of a different bucket than the segment upgrades. In that case, I don't think you're cheating the system, because in order to make the switch at your upgrade window, they actually change your class (from G to V I think it is). On the other hand, on US where Systemwides and segment upgrades come out of the same bucket (both are G class), I would agree that it is not quite the same and I can see how that might be considered "cheating the system".

Beckles,

If there are two different inventories for upgrades, one for those confirmed anytime in advance (mileage, systemwides, etc) and one for those confirmed based on tier level, then I suppose switching is not quite as bad. Of course, this is not the case on USAirways and I think several other airlines.

However, consider this rare, but possible scenario: Let's say a flight has 1 seat left for upgrade anytime in advance, and 2 seats left for upgrade in regular elite windows. We have one mid-level person, who for piece of mind, confirms an anytime-in-advance upgrade, with every intention to switch to the regular upgrade, or conveniently 'forget' the cert at the gate, or if necessary actually give up a SWU/etc at the gate.

Then a top tier person wants to also upgrade anytime in advance, but can't because the mid tier person has taken that last seat. Hence, the top tier person has to wait till their window, rather than get the security of being able to confirm anytime in advance.

Obviously the damage is less in a two inventory system.. I'll give you that... but still it's deceitful, IMHO. In the one-inventory system of USAirways, it's just plain wrong, and I'm glad to hear most agents will not allow it. I just know the pushy USAirways gate agent who cut in front of me at Wal-mart last night wouldn't allow it http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by chexfan:
But see... you are trying to fool US...
</font>

I don't think that the original intent here is to try and fool US or to cheat. Faced with an uncertain situation and confusing info from various sources about the usefulness of the resources at hand a decision was made about how best to spend them. Clarification and advice has been requested in order to perhaps improve that decision.

Given what is now known it would seem, to me anyway, that the best use of the certificates available is to use the 800 mile certs for the domestic trip and to save the systemwides. A phone call to GP to "unupgrade" and go through the normal process will presumably take care of that and eliminate any hanky panky. So far he hasn't said anything about not doing so or shown any unwillingness to consider that course of action.

I agree that it's not very kosher to upgrade with an SWU and try to change to an NAU - not particularly sporting. If you're concerned about the upgrade situation, then upgrade using your miles. Yes, it's 20k miles, as opposed to a "free" upgrade, but it doesn't cheat the system - and gives you a confirmed upgrade at booking or any other time.

I understand the lack of certainty on status expiration - but even with that don't tempt fate, or anger the upgrade gods by upgrading one way and trying to change it to another at the gate. In that situation, I would hope that the original upgrade would no longer be valid - and that the elite would then get back in the upgrade pool and that it would be handled in the manner BWI2MCO97 suggested.

I know this, if I (as a Gold) lost an upgrade seat on a transcon, or other reasonably lengthy flight that I would have gotten since a Silver or other Gold used a SWU and changed to a NAU - I wouldn't be happy about it - and the offending party wouldn't want to run into me.